The Centre for Internet and Society
https://cis-india.org
These are the search results for the query, showing results 151 to 165.
36th SCCR: CIS Statement on the Proposed Treaty for the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/36th-sccr-cis-statement-on-the-proposed-treaty-for-the-protection-of-broadcasting-organizations
<b>Anubha Sinha, attending the 36th Session of the World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (“SCCR”) at Geneva from May 28, 2018 to June 1, 2018, made this statement on the Proposed Treaty for the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations on behalf of CIS on Day 1, May 28. </b>
<div>Thank you Mr. Chair</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We would like to highlight that some of the existing alternatives to the text of the Broadcasting treaty have serious issues.</div>
<div> </div>
<p>Some of the points that bear re-emphasizing are problems with watering down of limitations and exceptions, and the contemplation of a fifty year term of protection without any rationale or justifications.</p>
<div>If you look at the history of the Committee’s deliberations, the limitations and exceptions have been significantly diluted over the years. On the other hand, the ask for increased protections in terms of number of rights, scope and term has only increased. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Further, if the protection extends only to the signal and not to the programmes contained therein, it is not clear as to why a 50 year protection is needed for an ephemeral signal.</div>
<div> </div>
<p>Reiterating the words of the Asia-Pacific Group - this matter requires proper balancing from a developmental perspective. I submit that in my opinion, it does not appear that we are anywhere close to achieving that.</p>
<div> </div>
<div>Thank you.</div>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/36th-sccr-cis-statement-on-the-proposed-treaty-for-the-protection-of-broadcasting-organizations'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/36th-sccr-cis-statement-on-the-proposed-treaty-for-the-protection-of-broadcasting-organizations</a>
</p>
No publishersinhaAccess to KnowledgeWIPO2018-05-28T14:04:53ZBlog EntryAn open data ecosystem can boost India's GDP by $22 B and double farmer income
https://cis-india.org/openness/news/your-story-sohini-mitter-may-22-2-018-open-data-ecosystem-can-boost-indias-gdp-22-b-double-farmer-income
<b>MeiTY says increased data transparency will drive growth and improve governance across key industry sectors in the time to come. </b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">This was published in <a class="external-link" href="https://yourstory.com/2018/05/open-data-ecosystem-can-boost-indias-gdp-22-b-double-farmer-income/">Your Story</a> on May 22, 2018.</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; ">YES Bank in association with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has released a study that says an ‘open data ecosystem’ can grow India’s GDP by $22 billion by 2020. It could impact critical sectors like agriculture and double farmer income by reducing wastage and system inefficiencies.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The report titled <i>Open Government, Open Data – Re-imagining India</i> observes that farmers’ income could be twice of what it is in less than five years from now. Universal Health coverage could be strengthened, and micro-loans could be disbursed to millions of MSMEs more effectively through a well-functioning open data ecosystem.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Empirical evidence shows that open data has aided agriculture world over. Combined with agricultural knowledge, remote sensing, and mapping, it helps create early warning systems for farmers. That enables them in “protecting crops from pests and extreme weather, increasing yields, monitoring water supplies, and anticipating changes brought on by climate change,” <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/04/26/open-data-can-transform-farmers-response-to-crisis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">according</a> to the World Bank.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">While India was among the first countries in the world to set up an <a href="https://data.gov.in/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Open Government Data</a> (OGD) platform that offered open and free access to data and information released by over 100 government departments, there have been loopholes in the project that has led to data being restricted in some cases. At present, OGD houses info-sets from 180,543 ministry resources and is presided over by a hundred-plus data officers.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">YES Bank has recommended steps to eliminate the existing gaps and boost usage of OGD to improve governance across sectors. It has also said that emerging technologies like Blockchain, Machine Learning (ML) and the Internet of Things (IoT) would drive further efficiencies in the open data ecosystem, and lead to more tech-focused innovation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">One such innovation has been brought about by Silicon Valley agri startup, Harvesting, that recently launched its India operation. <a href="https://yourstory.com/2018/03/silicon-valley-startup-harvesting-plans-bridge-farm-finance-deficit-india">Harvesting uses remote sensing and geo-spatial imagery</a> along with existing farmer data to monitor farmlands, assess them in real-time, and send out reports and analysis to all stakeholders, including farmers, agri lenders, rural banks, and so on.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Harvesting Founder-CEO Ruchit Garg told<i> YourStory</i>,</p>
<blockquote style="text-align: justify; ">
<p>“There are over 500 million small farm-holders in emerging markets that feed 80 percent of the world. But there is a data asymmetry in the agricultural value chain. Most problems arise because of a massive data deficit. We started to look at how this could be solved by leveraging data and technology.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Besides industries, the open data is available for citizen access too, and that is important.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Rana Kapoor, MD and CEO, Yes Bank, said,</p>
<blockquote style="text-align: justify; ">
<p>“Data is collected from citizens for citizen welfare and should therefore be shared with them. Secondly, data like Government budget usage, welfare schemes and subsidies increases transparency, thereby building greater trust.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">YES Bank also recommends more public-private partnerships (PPP) for open data to be fully utilised. It proposes the formation of an Open Data Council comprising representatives from private and public sectors as well as technology service providers. The council would be chaired by MeitY and will work towards the identification of ‘priority sectors’ which require data digitisation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">But, merely having large amounts of open data sets is not enough. The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) sounds a word of caution.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In a separate report titled <i>Open Government Data Study: India</i>, the CIS states,</p>
<blockquote style="text-align: justify; ">
<p>“To ensure the relevance of open government data, mechanisms have to be put in place to take its benefits to ordinary people and to marginalised communities. Simply putting up raw data will not suffice.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The report notes that a richer open data ecosystem can be created by harnessing records and information from rural internet kiosks, community e-centres, e-healthcare, geographic information systems (GISs), dairy sector applications, teacher training programmes, online agricultural systems, wireless local loop solutions, databases of rural innovations, land property registrations, women and children’s services, and more.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/openness/news/your-story-sohini-mitter-may-22-2-018-open-data-ecosystem-can-boost-indias-gdp-22-b-double-farmer-income'>https://cis-india.org/openness/news/your-story-sohini-mitter-may-22-2-018-open-data-ecosystem-can-boost-indias-gdp-22-b-double-farmer-income</a>
</p>
No publisherAdminOpen DataAccess to KnowledgeOpenness2018-05-23T14:37:55ZNews ItemPutting women human rights activists on the world map
https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/hindu-sarumathi-k-may-19-2018-putting-women-human-rights-activists-on-the-world-map
<b>Birubala Rabha may be a household name in Assam, but her crusade against the practice of witch-hunting in her State has not got the attention it deserves from the nation or the world. Barring a handful of articles in print and online publications, little has been written about her fight that spans over two decades. There is no mention of her on Wikipedia.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The article by Sarumathi K. was <a class="external-link" href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/putting-women-human-rights-activists-on-the-world-map/article23931227.ece">published in the Hindu</a> on May 19, 2018.</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; ">Like Ms. Rabha, India has seen many women human rights activists who have taken up cudgels on behalf of the marginalised and oppressed, but their stories have remained mostly muted. “Sadly women are marginalised even in the online space. There is no mention of these brave women in the more than five-and-a-half million English entries on the Wikipedia website. In fact, less than 20% of the biographies on Wikipedia are dedicated to women, with few devoted to the important work of human rights defenders, and even fewer to women human rights defenders,” said Leah Verghese, senior campaigner and researcher, Amnesty International India.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">To take stories of such women to the world, Amnesty International, Bengaluru, is working in collaboration with Wikimedia Foundation to put out profiles of women human rights defenders in the country on Wikipedia. The technical support is being extended by Centre for Internet and Society. “A few women have a brief profile; we will be updating them. For those who have none, we will create new ones,” said Ms. Verghese.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The project, called Brave: EDIT, will take shape with the help of volunteers, mostly college students from Bengaluru, who will compile and upload profiles of women human rights defenders such as Tongam Rina, Jagmati Sangwan, Manjula Pradeep, Aruna Sanghapali, Pavitri Manji and Birubala Rabha, among others. This project is being simultaneously executed in 20 other countries.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“We have created a list of 24 such women activists who have worked in the field of human rights in India. Though the list was much longer, there are some Wikipedia criteria, including notability and verifiability of the people being written about, which led us to bring the number down to 24,” said Ms. Verghese.</p>
<p>The volunteers have been working on the project on weekends and the profiles are likely to be available on Wikipedia in a week.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Manuja Pradeep, Dalit human rights activist from Gujarat and executive director of Navsarjan Trust, who is on the list of women being profiled, said, “The visibility on the Internet is very important for activists, especially women activists. Most of us have spent over two decades on the ground, working for the marginalised community and this entry in Wikipedia is a big recognition for our work.”</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/hindu-sarumathi-k-may-19-2018-putting-women-human-rights-activists-on-the-world-map'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/hindu-sarumathi-k-may-19-2018-putting-women-human-rights-activists-on-the-world-map</a>
</p>
No publisherAdminWikipediaAccess to Knowledge2018-05-20T14:09:17ZNews ItemIndian Women and Craft Edit-a-thon
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/indian-women-and-craft-edit-a-thon-1
<b>A two-day long edit-a-thon aimed to archive the Women achievers in the field of art and craft on Kannada Wikipedia was held with the help of Srishti Institute and Janastu on 8th March and 25th March 2018.
</b>
<p dir="ltr">On 8th March 2018, The Access to Knowledge program in collaboration with the<a href="http://srishti.ac.in/"> Srishti Institute of Art, design, and technology</a> organised a Kannada Wikipedia workshop at<a href="http://janastu.org/home/index.html#/about-us"> Janastu</a>, Bangalore. Srishti Institute is a Bangalore based non-residential institute which provides art and design education to various individuals, and Jantsu is a Non-profit organisation which provides FOSS support to NGOs and NPOs. The theme of the event was to create articles on Indian women and crafts, Padmini, the course leader for Digital Humanities at Srishti Institute helped the A2K program in preparing a list of articles which can be added into Wikipedia.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Near about 15 staffs of Janastu attended the workshop, as the majority of the participants had Kannada language background the event was conducted in the Kannada language. During the workshop, the participants were introduced to their user sandbox, and after the orientation program, they started creating articles on them. A total number of<a href="https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/janastu"> 7 articles</a> were developed on the same day, we also introduced Wikimedia Commons to the participant, on how to upload images to Commons and how to add images from Commons to Wikipedia articles.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After the workshop at Janastu, a follow-up edit-a-thon was also conducted on 25th March 2018 at The CIS office. Five participants from the previous workshop joined us for the edit-a-thon and eight articles were created or improved as a part of that edit-a-thon, of which <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daroji_Eramma">Daroji Eramma’</a>s article was one among them. Daroji Eramma was a Kannada folk singer and performer of a South Indian folk art called Burrakatha. At the end of the event, a Wikidata training was given to the participants which helped them to translate a few labels on Wikidata.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/indian-women-and-craft-edit-a-thon-1'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/indian-women-and-craft-edit-a-thon-1</a>
</p>
No publisherGopalakrishna A.Edit-a-thonKannada WikipediaAccess to KnowledgeWorkshop2018-07-04T16:30:28ZBlog EntryPostcolonial Digital Connections International Conference
https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/postcolonial-digital-connections-international-conference
<b>Anubha Sinha was a speaker at this conference organized by Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg, UCL and Fritz Thyssen Stiftung on May 16 and 17, 2018 at Center for Interdisciplinary Area Studies (ZIRS) in Halle, Germany. Anubha Sinha spoke on Property, Control and Copyright.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The conference “Postcolonial Digital Connections” will critically assess the ways in which new forms of digitization are affecting the governance, management, and circulation of cultural heritage. Researchers from social sciences (anthropology, history, geography etc.), digital humanities, museum and cultural heritage studies, as well as museum and archive professionals are invited to discuss practices and politics of digitization in a decidedly transnational context. One aim is to explore how digitization is creating new frameworks (and critiques) for intellectual property, indigenous and traditional knowledge and cultural rights, as a growing proliferation of digital content is conjoined with anxieties of ownership and circulation. Museums and archives with their collections are also confronted with new ways to engage with repatriation and new digital epistemologies. Another potential issue of the conference is the materiality of digital archives and the status of digital objects as collections are intertwined in production and circulation of digital collections; and how–in a more expanded, comparative context–the nature of participation and the role of users play out in the creation of digital cultural heritage.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The key themes guiding the conference are: (a) Digital cultural heritage in intercultural, transnational, and postcolonial contexts (b) New practices for museums and archives (c) New legal and epistemological frames for digital collections The conference will debate along these core strands shared challenges and constraints in processes of online dissemination of cultural heritage material. As this dissemination crosses borders, jurisdictions, conceptualisations and notions of what digital cultural heritage signifies and can bring about, it is important to facilitate conversation between professionals from the global South and Euro-America, to understand and discuss the relations between digital possibilities and on the ground realities of heritage collections, and to evaluate the distribution of digital skills and expertise. We are hereby inviting working professionals and researchers from the global South and Euro-America to contribute to a discourse of digitization intertwined with postcolonial agendas within museum and archives.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The organisers (Katja Müller, ZIRS Halle University, and Haidy Geismar, UCL Department of Anthropology) welcome abstracts of no more than 400 words, which should be submitted to katja.mueller@zirs.uni-halle.de by 28 February 2018. We will be able to provide up to four participants with a scholarship covering their travel and accommodation costs; this financial support will be prioritised for participants from the global South.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/postcolonial-digital-connections-international-conference'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/postcolonial-digital-connections-international-conference</a>
</p>
No publisherAdminAccess to Knowledge2018-05-18T06:35:20ZNews ItemConsilience 2018
https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/consilience-2018
<b>National Law School of India University, Bangalore organized The Future of Blockchain Technology: Evolving a Framework for its Adoption and Regulation in India on May 5, 2018. Swaraj Barooah panel on "e-Governance and Public Service Delivery using Blockchain Technology" at Consilience 2018.</b>
<ul>
<li>Click to view the <a class="external-link" href="http://nlslaw.tech/agenda-2/">agenda</a></li>
<li>Keynote speaker profile <a class="external-link" href="http://nlslaw.tech/keynote-address/">here</a></li>
<li>Session 1 speaker profile <a class="external-link" href="http://nlslaw.tech/session-i/">here</a></li>
<li>Session 2 speaker profile <a class="external-link" href="http://nlslaw.tech/session-ii/">here</a></li>
<li>Session 3 speaker profile <a class="external-link" href="http://nlslaw.tech/session-iii-2/">here</a></li>
</ul>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/consilience-2018'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/consilience-2018</a>
</p>
No publisherAdminAccess to Knowledge2018-05-12T02:04:39ZNews ItemComment: India's NTP 2018 gets digital makeover but needs complimentary policies
https://cis-india.org/telecom/news/indian-television-may-8-2018-comment-indias-ntp-2018-gets-digital-makeover-but-needs-complimentary-policies
<b>Criticism notwithstanding, Indian bureaucratic mandarins—babus as they are referred to in local lingo—do come up with draft policies that are contemporaneous, and at times when it’s least expected. </b>
<p>
<title>Comment: India's NTP 2018 gets digital makeover but needs complimentary policies | Indian Television Dot Com</title>
</p>
<p><span>The blog post was published in </span><a class="external-link" href="http://www.indiantelevision.com/iworld/telecom/comment-indias-ntp-2018-gets-digital-makeover-but-needs-complimentary-policies-180508">Indian Television</a><span> on May 8, 2018.</span></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The new digital avatar of the National Telecoms Policy 2018, slated to be operational later this year, could turn out to be just one such initiative—only if the political masters muster enough courage to push through with the proposed legislation and the will to follow up with complementary policies.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Though surprises are the new norms with this government led by the maverick PM Modi—remember the late evening 'Mitron' address to the nation by the premier few years back announcing high denomination currency notes were being made illegal—it caught many napping when the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) posted on its website the draft of the much-awaited National Telecommunications Policy 2018 very late in the evening on Labour Day. So, what?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The first surprise element was that the NTP 2018 had been rechristened National Digital Communications Policy 2018 (NDCP). The aim: put the draft in public domain to seek comments from key stakeholders and citizens, at large. But true to the government style—keeping things fluid—the deadline for comments is yet to be announced.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The renaming of the policy was welcomed by the industry as it converges with the overarching Digital India vision of the present government; hiccups along the way to implementation, notwithstanding. However, such tweaks in the suggestions made by the telecoms and broadcast carriage regulator TRAI goes not only beyond just the nomenclature but also attempts to actualise provisions of the policy.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">What’s also important that while the government wants synergies between various organisations and ministries, it gives a thumb down to a TRAI proposal to make it—or any such other body—a converged regulator.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong>A Truly Digital Communications Policy</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">For quite some time, it was being felt by the government and industry alike that a specific road map is required to guide India’s successful movement into the emerging digital realm—to truly address the issue of convergence in the telecoms and broadcast services. To spark rapid all-round deployment of digital capable technologies, it is necessary all available mechanisms be looked at in a comprehensive manner; basically, shifting the focus from just wired and wireless telephony and broadband and expanding the horizons to areas such as satellite communications and broadcast carriage services.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The industry had been demanding that already existing infrastructure assets in sectors such as broadcast and power be utilised to efficiently achieve a demanding goal of laying down high speed fibre infrastructure across India. Thus, a digital-centric telecommunications policy was required to address the crucial aspect of infrastructure sharing and integration.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Furthermore, to firmly strengthen India’s position in the digital sphere, it is necessary that the web-hosting ecosystem, including data storage, be strengthened by implementing norms and standards that are in conformity with international best practices. This gains importance with increasing reports and instances of data breaches and leaks. Also, core principles such as separation of content/applications and infrastructure/carriage layer underlying network neutrality need to be crystallised and affirmed through statutory and policy provisions.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The present draft NTP 2018—or isn’t it better to call it from now on NDCP 2018? —has taken into account many concerns and challenges and seems like an earnest effort on the part of the government to ensure that India’s broadband and digital sectors are backed by sound policy norms and principles.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong>Has DoT Planned Well for India’s Digital Future?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The DoT has gone ahead and staked its claim to the entire swathe of telecommunications technologies and the methodologies through which government’s digital goals can be rapidly deployed, e-governance included. Now, this could turn out to be an asset as also a weakness, given inter-departmental politics and power play.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">DoT has called for an overhaul of India’s archaic satcom policy in line with international standards and also advocated for greater participation by private players in commercial satellite operations --- a vision that needs to be matched with some liberalisation at Department of Space (DoS) and India’s space agency ISRO, both of which report directly to the Prime Minister’s Office. To spearhead the contribution of private satcom industry in providing broadband to far flung districts, there’s specific mention of opening Ka-band for private use and also for utilisation of high through-put (HTS) satellites.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">With a view to reducing burden of laying down fresh wireline fibre infrastructure, there’s clear mention of recommendation for “leveraging existing assets of the broadcasting and power sector to improve connectivity, affordability and sustainability”. This could reduce the tendency of telecom industry to overbuild fibre and brings the vast amounts of broadband-capable digital cable infra created under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)’s mandate of digitising cable networks across the country and within the purview of Digital India programme.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">DoT has also realised the need to formulate a coherent approach to reap the benefit of technological convergence. It has specifically called for statutory amendments to the vintage Telegraph Act, 1885 for “enabling infrastructure convergence of IT, telecom and broadcasting sectors”. This highlights the department wants to create a defined policy structure for seamless use of all broadband capable infrastructure, irrespective of differences amongst sectors. It also reflects clear intent of DoT to focus only on convergence of infrastructure, rather than convergence of applications/media running on this layer.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Therefore, DoT has focused sharply (and some may say appropriately) only on enabling carriage services and the surrounding digital ecosystem rather than delve into other unrelated areas such as media. No wonder it has called for separation of infrastructure/carriage layer from applications/content layer. Moreover, it has called for recognising the need to uphold the core principles of network neutrality by “amending the licence agreements to incorporate the principles of non-discriminatory treatment of content, along with appropriate exclusions and exceptions as necessary”.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Furthermore, the DoT has gone a step ahead and acknowledged the primacy of principles and objectives contained in the National IPR Policy related to telecommunications and sought implementation to kick start development of indigenous IPRs.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong>The Road to the Final Draft</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Though the industry, by and large, has welcomed the draft policy as it gears itself to fulfil the call for the now highly debatable “USD 100 billion” in investments, there are a few asks that still need to be fulfilled. The investment aspect itself is ambitious given the present health of the telecoms sector where a big downside of the business is the pink slips presently being handed out by telcos, big and small.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Another important aspect would be to simplify and streamline all departmental procedures such as windowing of satellite frequencies by the WPC, a part of the DoT, which has been a bottleneck in improving ease of doing business in satcom and broadcasting sectors.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Given that the DoT has already referred to National IPR Policy for the purpose of all IPRs, including patents, trademarks and copyrights, related to telecommunications, it is vital that it settles the debate between carriage and content industries once and for all and pursues the goal of harmonisation of telecom policy construct with the applicable domestic and international IPR regimes.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The key would be to now take all the constructive inputs from the industry and iron out the remaining creases to create an effective implementation framework to turn India into a truly digitally empowered society.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">While we debate the National Digital Communications Policy 2018, it would be worthwhile to go back into history and attempt reading the Communications Convergence Bill that was introduced in Parliament in 2001. A real visionary piece of draft legislation, the policy was considered so futuristic at that point of time that a joint parliamentary committee red flagged it at 70-odd places, which effectively sounded the death knell for the proposed legislation that was aimed at promoting and developing the entire communications sector—encompassing the broadcasting, telecom and multimedia sectors—keeping in view emerging convergence of techs and services. Drafted by eminent jurist Fali S Nariman-headed panel, the draft still remains as one of the finest pieces of convergence regulations that never saw the light of the day.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In the end, one cannot but agree with lawyer-researcher at India’s Centre for Internet and Society Anubha Sinha’s observations. Writing for The Wire, an online news venture, Sinha highlighted: “While the policy [NTP 2018/NDCP 2018] is broad and forward-looking, the true intent and meaning of the listed steps will only be understood when complementary legislative and granular policy actions to support these strategies are crystallised. That will make all the difference.”</p>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/news/indian-television-may-8-2018-comment-indias-ntp-2018-gets-digital-makeover-but-needs-complimentary-policies'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/news/indian-television-may-8-2018-comment-indias-ntp-2018-gets-digital-makeover-but-needs-complimentary-policies</a>
</p>
No publisherAdminAccess to Knowledge2018-05-12T01:55:06ZNews ItemRightsCon Toronto 2018
https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/rightscon-toronto-2018
<b>RightsCon is organizing the 2018 edition of the event at Beanfield Centre at Exhibition Place, Toronto in Canada. A session on Pervasive Technologies project titled "Cheap and chipper: IP in India’s affordable smartphones" is scheduled on May 17, 5.15 p.m. to 6.15 p.m. in the International Trade and the Commons track. (Room #203B, Beanfield Centre).</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>We present the findings of the Centre for Internet and Society’s "Pervasive Technologies" research project that concluded last year. The project was an endeavour to study how Internet-enabled mobile phones sold for USD 100 or less interact with India's intellectual property laws. These low-cost technologies that lie in a grey zone of IP laws have been instrumental in bringing access to the Internet and, in turn, access to knowledge and information to people. The project undertook a study of the mobile device landscape in India while developing legal strategies to ensure that consumers continue to have access to inexpensive devices; that manufacturers, software developers and content creators operating in the budget device segment are not snuffed out by litigation; and that the rights of IP holders are not infringed upon. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>Each researcher will elucidate on her findings in the areas of patents and copyright pertaining to the hardware, software and media content and the interaction of these findings with public policy.</span></span></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>Maggie Huang, Amba Kak, Rohini Lakshané, Vidushi Marda and Anubha Sinha are among the speakers at the event. For more info <a class="external-link" href="https://rightscon2018.sched.com/event/EHmz/cheap-and-chipper-ip-in-indias-affordable-smartphones">click here</a></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Amber Sinha remotely participated in a private meeting on 'Strategizing Civil Society Roles in the Artificial Intelligence Debate'. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Anubha Sinha, Maggie Huang, Rohini Lakshané and Vidushi Marda presented their findings from the Pervasive Technologies project in a panel titled "Cheap and Chipper: IP in India's Affordable Smartphones". Prof Michael Geist moderated the session. Anubha Sinha and Vidushi Marda participated remotely.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Elonnai Hickok participated in these sessions: IDRC cyber policy meeting; GNI board meeting; GNI learning session on MLATs; FOC-AN meeting; GNI session on Intermediary Liability.</li>
</ul>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/rightscon-toronto-2018'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/rightscon-toronto-2018</a>
</p>
No publisherAdminInternet GovernanceAccess to Knowledge2018-06-07T14:31:20ZNews ItemWikipedia edit-a-thon in mind? Kindly start here
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/wikipedia-edit-a-thon-in-mind-kindly-start-here
<b>Are you thinking to conduct a Wikipedia edit-a-thon? You may use this document as an initial guide. Please note: this article is written keeping specially organisations, institutions, and individuals in mind, who are new to Wikipedia world.
We are starting this post with some basic questions. Please feel free to ask questions by mailing tito "at" cis-india.org</b>
<p>Are you thinking to conduct a Wikipedia edit-a-thon? That's great. In this article I'll explain a few thinks, which might help to plan your ediit-a-thon your better?</p>
<p>First thing first, a few questions:</p>
<ol><li>Do you want to contribute to Wikipedia or other projects? Other than Wikipedia, there are a few other interesting projects such as Wikisource, Wikidata, Wiktionary, Wikimedia Commons. <br /></li><li>Do you want to contribute to other language Wikipedias/projects such as Tamil Wikipedia, Kannada Wikipedia, Telugu Wikisource, Bengali Wikisource etc., other than the same old English Wikipedia? <br /></li></ol>
<p>If you are planning to do an English Wikipedia edit-a-thon, it is comparatively more difficult, and needs much more preparation. I'll explain some of these things below.</p>
<p>Now let's talk about edit-a-thon structure:</p>
<ul><li>Do you want to do it an offline edit-a-thon? Or is it going to be an online edit-a-thon?</li><li>What is the duration?</li><li>How many people are going to participate? Are they already Wikipedians or new to Wikipedia?</li></ul>
<h2>Help pages: Getting started with Wikipedia<br /></h2>
<p>Let's start by gathering a few help pages' link which will help to get started with Wikipedia:</p>
<ul><li>Introduction to Wikipedia: <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Introduction">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Introduction</a> <br /></li><li>CheatSheet: learn how to write using Wikicode <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Cheatsheet">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Cheatsheet</a><br /></li></ul>
<p> </p>
<h2>Policies and guidelines<br /></h2>
<p>It is really important to know about a few policies before you start editing Wikipedia. Please explain these policies and guidelines to edit-a-thon participants as well.</p>
<ol><li><strong>Notability</strong>: we have "notability" policy. What are the topics we can write about? Please read here: <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability </a> Now, these are "General Notability Guidelines or in short we call it GNG (please read the "General notability guideline" in the page). Now, we have detailed explanation pages on different notability topics: <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Notability_guide">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Notability_guide</a>, please read the pages you need such as <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability_(people)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability_(people)</a>. Now in every guideline page you'll get something called "basic criteria", and/or "additional criteria". These are the guidelines you need to pass. A good argument goes like this: "The article meets Wikipedia notability because it meets "this", "this", "this", and "this" (or #1, #3, #4, and #5) of the mentioned notability guideline. <br /></li><li><strong>Verifiability</strong>: The next important policy is Verifiability. Please read <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability</a>. Please also read, what are reliable references or how to identify reliable sources: <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipediaa:Identifying_reliable_sources">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipediaa:Identifying_reliable_sources</a>. There is a fine list of references such as forum posts, personal blogs, eCommerce websites, press releases, user-generated content etc. etc. we should not use as references on Wikipedia.</li><li><strong>Neutral point of view:</strong> Neutral point of view is absolutely important. Please read: <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view</a></li></ol>
<h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>
<p><strong>Question:</strong> I do not have references, can I create pages or add information?</p>
<p><strong>Answer:</strong> No, references are important. Specially, on English Wikipedia, where content are reviewed more, reliable secondary references are absolutely needed.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong> But, I am writing the "truth".</p>
<p><strong>Answer:</strong> Wikipedia works with :verifiability, and not truth. Please read: <a class="external-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability,_not_truth">Verifiability, not truth</a></p>
<p><strong>Question: </strong>I can not provide the things you are asking, but I am working for a cause. Can't you help?</p>
<p><strong>Answer: </strong>That's a good question. A2K cares about bridging gender gap, knowledge revolution, and diversity. However, please note, it is a standard practice Wikipedia is not a soapbox or means of promotion, and Wikipedia is also not a place to do advocacy, propaganda, or recruitment of any kind. If you really want to advocated about your cause, why not try your own website, blog, or some forums?</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/wikipedia-edit-a-thon-in-mind-kindly-start-here'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/wikipedia-edit-a-thon-in-mind-kindly-start-here</a>
</p>
No publishertitoWikimediaEdit-a-thonWikipediaAccess to Knowledge2018-05-11T08:15:56ZBlog EntryApril 2018 Newsletter
https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/april-2018-newsletter
<b></b>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>Dear readers,</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Previous issues of the newsletters can be <a class="external-link" href="http://cis-india.org/about/newsletters">accessed here</a>.</p>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<table class="plain">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Highlights</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<ul>
<li>In 2016, WhatsApp Inc announced it was rolling out end-to-end encryption, but is the company doing what it claims to be doing? Sunil Abraham and Aayush Rathi explores this in an article which was <a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/asia-times-april-20-2018-aayush-rathi-sunil-abraham-what-s-up-with-whatsapp">published in Asia Times</a> on April 20, 2018.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">CIS <a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/comments-on-the-draft-digital-information-security-in-healthcare-act">submitted comments to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India</a> on the draft Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act on April 21, 2018. CIS had conducted research on the issues of privacy, data protection and data security since 2010 and is thankful for the opportunity to put forth its views.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">A <a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/a-look-at-two-problematic-provisions-of-the-draft-anti-trafficking-bill">blog post</a> by Swaraj Paul Barooah examines two badly drafted provisions of the new Anti-Trafficking bill that have the potential to severely impinge upon the Freedom of Expression, including through a misunderstanding of intermediary liability.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">A chapter by P.P. Sneha was published in '<a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/raw/making-humanities-in-the-digital-embodiment-and-framing-in-bichitra-and-indiancine.ma">Making Things and Drawing Boundaries: Experiments in the Digital Humanities</a>' edited by Jentery Sayers. The chapter throws light on some of the questions that arise around the processes by which digital objects are ‘made’ and made available for arts and humanities research and practice, by drawing on recent work in text and film archival initiatives in India.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">CIS made a <a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/cis-submission-on-statement-of-working-of-patents">submission to the Indian Patent Office on the issue of Statement of Working as per Form 27 under the Patents Act, 1970</a>. Select stakeholders were invited to the consultation meeting held on April 6, 2018. Anubha Sinha attended it along with a few other public-spirited stakeholders. She made a statement stressing on the requirement of the patent system to serve the welfare-purpose and not create mere non-working/ blocking monopolies; and that the argument of representatives of patentees about non-working of patents being the existing norm, and that they cannot be questioned about this, is absolutely against the central tenets of patent law.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>Articles:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/raw/indian-express-nishant-shah-april-8-2018-digital-native-delete-facebook">Digital Native: Delete Facebook?</a> (Nishant Shah; Indian Express; April 8, 2018).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/raw/digital-native-the-e-wasteland-of-our-times">Digital Native: The e-wasteland of our times</a> (Nishant Shah; Indian Express; April 22, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/asia-times-april-20-2018-aayush-rathi-sunil-abraham-what-s-up-with-whatsapp">What’s up with WhatsApp?</a><span> (Aayush Rathi and Sunil Abraham; Asia Times; April 23, 2018).</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span>CIS in the News:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/hindustan-times-vidhi-choudhary-and-yashwant-raj-facebook-data-breach-hit-over-5-6-lakh-users-in-india">Cambridge Analytica row: Facebook data breach hit 560K Indian users</a> (Vidhi Choudhury and Yashwant Raj; Hindustan Times; April 5, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/hindu-businessline-april-6-2018-govt-websites-face-major-outage-hacking-ruled-out">Govt websites face major outage; hacking ruled out</a> (Hindu Businessline; April 6, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/business-standard-romita-majumdar-and-kiran-rathee-after-data-leak-row-facebook-imposes-restrictions-on-user-data-access">After data leak row, Facebook imposes restrictions on user data access</a> (Romita Majumdar and Kiran Rathee; Business Standard; April 6, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/news-18-subhajit-sengupta-how-just-355-indians-put-data-of-5-6-lakh-facebook-users-at-risk">It Took Just 355 Indians to Mine the Data of 5.6 Lakh Facebook Users. Here's How</a> (CNN-News 18; April 7, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-week-anita-babu-april-8-2018-it-feeds-on-you">It feeds on you! </a>(Anita Babu; The Week; April 8, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/livemint-prashant-k-nanda-and-komal-gupta-pension-wont-be-denied-for-want-of-aadhaar-epfo">Pension won’t be denied for want of Aadhaar, says EPFO </a>(Prashant K. Nanda and Komal Gupta; Livemint; April 11, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/economic-times-nilesh-christopher-april-13-2018-facebooks-fake-news-clean-up-hits-language-barrier">Facebook’s fake news clean-up hits language barrier</a> (Nilesh Christopher; Economic Times; April 13, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/bloomberg-quint-aayush-ailawadi-april-15-2018-is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-facebook">Is This The Beginning Of The End For Facebook?</a> (Bloomberg Quint; April 15, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/deccan-herald-nina-c-george-april-17-2018-sad-truth-brutality-porn-has-many-takers-in-india">Metrolife: Brutality porn has sadly many takers in India</a> (Nina C. George; Deccan Herald; April 18, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/new-indian-express-april-26-2018-aadhaar-data-over-89-lakh-mnrega-workers-in-andhra-pradesh-leaked-online">Aadhaar data of over 89 lakh MNREGA workers in Andhra Pradesh leaked online</a> (New Indian Express; April 27, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/indian-express-asad-ali-tabassum-barnagarwala-april-29-2018-you-are-not-the-only-one-india-stares-at-a-loneliness-epidemic">You Are Not the Only One: India stares at a loneliness epidemic</a> (Asad Ali and Tabassum Barnagarwala; Indian Express; April 29, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/hindustan-times-april-30-2018-prasun-sonwalkar-vidhi-choudhury-now-twitter-too-caught-up-in-cambridge-analytica-controversy">Now, Twitter too caught up in Cambridge Analytica controversy</a> (Prasun Sonwalkar and Vidhi Choudhury; Hindustan Times; April 30, 2018).</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong>-----------------------------------</strong><br /><a href="http://cis-india.org/a2k">Access to Knowledge</a> <br /><strong>----------------------------------- </strong><br />Our Access to Knowledge programme currently consists of two projects. The Pervasive Technologies project, conducted under a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), aims to conduct research on the complex interplay between low-cost pervasive technologies and intellectual property, in order to encourage the proliferation and development of such technologies as a social good. The Wikipedia project, which is under a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation, is for the growth of Indic language communities and projects by designing community collaborations and partnerships that recruit and cultivate new editors and explore innovative approaches to building projects.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">►Copyright and Patent</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong>Submission</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/cis-submission-on-statement-of-working-of-patents">CIS' Submission on Statement of Working of Patents</a> (Anubha Sinha; April 10, 2018).</li>
</ul>
<p><span>►Wikipedia</span></p>
<div style="text-align: justify; ">Event Organized</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; ">
<ul style="text-align: justify; ">
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/sambad-health-and-women-edit-a-thon">Sambad Health and Women Edit-a-thon</a> (April 15, 2018).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; "></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; "><strong>Blog Entries</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; ">
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/article-on-telugu-wikisource-feature-book-in-pustakam">Telugu Wikisource Feature Book in Pustakam.net</a><span> (Pavan Santhosh; April 17, 2018).</span></li>
<li><span><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/institutional-partnership-with-tribal-research-training-institute">Institutional Partnership with Tribal Research & Training Institute</a> (Subodh Kulkarni; April 18, 2018).</span></li>
<li><span><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/exploring-wikimedia-platforms-in-dialogue-on-the-urban-rivers-of-maharashtra">Exploring Wikimedia platforms in Dialogue on the Urban Rivers of Maharashtra</a> (Subodh Kulkarni; April 22, 2018).</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; "><strong>-----------------------------------</strong><span style="text-align: justify; "> </span>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><a href="http://cis-india.org/internet-governance">Internet Governance</a> <br /><strong>-----------------------------------</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">As part of its research on privacy and free speech, CIS is engaged with two different projects. The first one (under a grant from Privacy International and IDRC) is on surveillance and freedom of expression (SAFEGUARDS). The second one (under a grant from MacArthur Foundation) is on restrictions that the Indian government has placed on freedom of expression online.</p>
<ul style="text-align: justify; ">
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">►Privacy</p>
<ul style="text-align: justify; ">
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong><strong>Submission</strong></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/comments-on-the-draft-digital-information-security-in-healthcare-act">Comments on the Draft Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act</a><span> (Amber Sinha and Shweta Mohandas; April 22, 2018).</span></li>
</ul>
<strong> </strong>
<div><strong>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong>Analysis</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/revenge-porn-laws-across-the-world">Revenge Porn Laws across the World</a><span> (Shradha Nigam; April 25, 2018).</span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><strong>Blog Entries</strong></strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/government-giving-free-publicity-worth-40-k-to-twitter-and-facebook">Government gives free publicity worth 40k to Twitter and Facebook</a><span> (Akriti Bopanna; April 10, 2018).</span></li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="http://https//cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/artificial-intelligence-in-governance-a-report-of-the-roundtable-held-in-new-delhi">Artificial Intelligence in Governance: A Report of the Roundtable held in New Delhi</a> (Saman Goudarzi and Natallia Khaniejo; April 19, 2018).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><br />►Free Speech and Expression</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Blog Entries</p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/a-look-at-two-problematic-provisions-of-the-draft-anti-trafficking-bill">A look at two problematic provisions of the draft Anti-trafficking bill</a> (Swaraj Paul Barooah; April 21, 2018).</li>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/didp-request-29-revenue-breakdown-by-source-for-fy-2017">DIDP Request #29 - Revenue breakdown by source for FY 2017</a> (Akriti Bopanna; April 26, 2018).</li>
</ul>
</strong></div>
<div><br /> <strong><span style="text-align: justify; ">►Cyber Security </span></strong></div>
<p><strong><span style="text-align: justify; ">Event Organized</span></strong></p>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/events/workshop-on-python">Workshop on Python</a> (April 14, 2018; CIS, Bengaluru).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div><span style="text-align: justify; ">
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>-----------------------------------<br /></span><a href="http://cis-india.org/raw">Researchers at Work<br /></a><span>----------------------------------- </span></p>
<div>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>The Researchers at Work (RAW) programme is an interdisciplinary research initiative driven by an emerging need to understand the reconfigurations of social practices and structures through the Internet and digital media technologies, and vice versa. It aims to produce local and contextual accounts of interactions, negotiations, and resolutions between the Internet, and socio-material and geo-political processes:</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong><strong>Article</strong></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/raw/making-humanities-in-the-digital-embodiment-and-framing-in-bichitra-and-indiancine.ma">Making Humanities in the Digital: Embodiment and Framing in Bichitra and Indiancine.ma</a><span> (P.P. Sneha; Making Things and Drawing Boundaries: Experiments in the Digital Humanities (2017), edited by Jentery Sayers, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, London April 1, 2018).</span></li>
</ul>
<strong> </strong>
<div class="keyResearch">
<div id="parent-fieldname-text-8a5942eb6f4249c5b6113fdd372e636c">
<div style="text-align: justify; ">
<div><strong>-----------------------------------</strong></div>
<p><a href="http://cis-india.org/">About CIS</a> <br /><strong>----------------------------------- </strong><br />The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) is a non-profit organisation that undertakes interdisciplinary research on internet and digital technologies from policy and academic perspectives. The areas of focus include digital accessibility for persons with disabilities, access to knowledge, intellectual property rights, openness (including open data, free and open source software, open standards, open access, open educational resources, and open video), internet governance, telecommunication reform, digital privacy, and cyber-security. The academic research at CIS seeks to understand the reconfigurations of social and cultural processes and structures as mediated through the internet and digital media technologies.</p>
<p>► Follow us elsewhere</p>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Twitter:<a href="http://twitter.com/cis_india"> http://twitter.com/cis_india</a></li>
<li>Twitter - Access to Knowledge: <a href="https://twitter.com/CISA2K">https://twitter.com/CISA2K</a></li>
<li>Twitter - Information Policy: <a href="https://twitter.com/CIS_InfoPolicy">https://twitter.com/CIS_InfoPolicy</a></li>
<li>Facebook - Access to Knowledge:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cisa2k"> https://www.facebook.com/cisa2k</a></li>
<li>E-Mail - Access to Knowledge: <a>a2k@cis-india.org</a></li>
<li>E-Mail - Researchers at Work: <a>raw@cis-india.org</a></li>
<li>List - Researchers at Work: <a href="https://lists.ghserv.net/mailman/listinfo/researchers">https://lists.ghserv.net/mailman/listinfo/researchers</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>► Support Us</p>
<div>Please help us defend consumer and citizen rights on the Internet! Write a cheque in favour of 'The Centre for Internet and Society' and mail it to us at No. 194, 2nd 'C' Cross, Domlur, 2nd Stage, Bengaluru - 5600 71.</div>
<p>► Request for Collaboration</p>
<div>
<p>We invite researchers, practitioners, artists, and theoreticians, both organisationally and as individuals, to engage with us on topics related internet and society, and improve our collective understanding of this field. To discuss such possibilities, please write to Sunil Abraham, Executive Director, at sunil@cis-india.org (for policy research), or Sumandro Chattapadhyay, Research Director, at sumandro@cis-india.org (for academic research), with an indication of the form and the content of the collaboration you might be interested in. To discuss collaborations on Indic language Wikipedia projects, write to Tanveer Hasan, Programme Officer, at <a>tanveer@cis-india.org</a>.</p>
<div><em>CIS is grateful to its primary donor the Kusuma Trust founded by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin for its core funding and support for most of its projects. CIS is also grateful to its other donors, Wikimedia Foundation, Ford Foundation, Privacy International, UK, Hans Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and IDRC for funding its various projects</em>.</div>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/april-2018-newsletter'>https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/april-2018-newsletter</a>
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No publisherpraskrishnaInternet GovernanceAccess to Knowledge2018-05-20T14:57:47ZPageExploring Wikimedia platforms in Dialogue on the Urban Rivers of Maharashtra
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/exploring-wikimedia-platforms-in-dialogue-on-the-urban-rivers-of-maharashtra
<b>INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and SANDRP (South Asian Network of Dams, Rivers and People) organized “A Dialogue on the Urban Rivers of Maharashtra” on 20-21 April 2018 from 9:00am-5:30pm at Yashada, Pune. </b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In the last year, we have developed good rapport with organisations and citizen science groups working on water related issues. Thematic workshops and awareness sessions were conducted with some of them. We have started discussing about 'Wiki Meets/Takes River' Campaign with these networks. INTACH and SANDRP are two potential groups which work on rivers across India with commitment. We have opportunity to collaborate in other states also.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">We gave inputs on 'Exploring Wikimedia platforms for spreading knowledge about Water, Dams & Rivers'.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><img src="https://cis-india.org/home-images/ProfMadhavGadgil.jpg/@@images/837ed740-6749-40c2-ab43-ed76d3bbfa0a.jpeg" alt="Madhav Gadgil" class="image-inline" title="Madhav Gadgil" /></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Outcome</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The river dialogue was very meaningful and action oriented. Last month, we were able to launch process to build knowledge repository called - Van Bodh - related to biodiversity, forest and tribals with Tribal Research & Training Institute & other thematic groups. Through this dialogue, various thematic groups & Govt organisations formed consensus on evolving - Jal Bodh - a knowledge repository on Water related issues. Prof Madhav Gadgil and myself prepared a concept note for further discussions and process development. Yashada will be nodal agency to execute the project.</p>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/exploring-wikimedia-platforms-in-dialogue-on-the-urban-rivers-of-maharashtra'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/exploring-wikimedia-platforms-in-dialogue-on-the-urban-rivers-of-maharashtra</a>
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No publishersubodhWikimediaMarathi WikipediaWikipediaAccess to Knowledge2018-05-07T16:25:11ZBlog EntryInstitutional Partnership with Tribal Research & Training Institute
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/institutional-partnership-with-tribal-research-training-institute
<b>CIS-A2K has been building partnerships with major state government departments in Maharashtra to promote free & open knowledge resources. One such effort resulted into official Govt.Resolution of Tribal Research & Training Institute under State Tribal Development department on Expert's Study Group Formation for developing Open Knowledge Platforms. </b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Community Advocate for Marathi Language is representing CIS-A2K in this group. The mandate of the group is given in GR. We will be facilitating primarily No.1 & 2, which says - Developing new and utilising existing Open & free platforms like Wikimedia Projects to build knowledge resources on Community Forest Management, Development of training modules in Unicode & make it accessible by common man, Digitisation of reference books, training booklets, govt docs, archives,images etc and making it accessible.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Plan</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>The Tribal Research & Training Institute(TRTI), Pune was established on 1st May, 1962.The Institute undertakes research studies on various aspects of tribals. It has Tribal Cultural Museum located in its premises. All facets of life of tribals of Maharashtra are displayed in the Museum.The Institute has got a rich Library which serves as reference library on tribals. This is a very good opportunity to explore various aspects of open knowledge with research organisation like TRTI. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>After extensive discussions, the project proposal on </span><b>Van Bodh</b><span> (a free & open knowledge repository on Biodiversity, Forest Management for Tribal communities) is prepared. The implementing agency is Vrikshamitra under leadership of Prof. Madhav Gadgil. Three other organisations - Mumbai University's Economics department, Vigyan Ashram, Dataspect, Datameet are other partners in this project. The content generation on free & open source platforms & Wikimedia Projects would be facilitated by A2K.</span></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>Impact</span></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span><span>Many tribal communities have started managing their Community forests vested under Forest Rights Act 2006. All the information pertaining to this field is not easily available in local language. The online content is also not available. Under this project, the knowledge resource would be created in collaboration with grass-root communities in tribal areas. The youth will be trained in unicode, open source applications and content generation in Wikimedia projects. The knowledge resource thus created would be accessed by people in 2500 villages active in community forest management.</span></span></span></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/institutional-partnership-with-tribal-research-training-institute'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/institutional-partnership-with-tribal-research-training-institute</a>
</p>
No publishersubodhWikimediaMarathi WikipediaWikipediaAccess to Knowledge2018-05-07T16:29:02ZBlog EntryWikipedia Will Reward You For Translating English Articles To Indian Languages
https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/beebom-tushar-mehta-wikipedia-indian-languages-translation-contest
<b>India has seen a substantial growth in the number of internet users since the introduction of attractive prices by Jio. Internet adoption is seen as the key to bridging the divide between urban and rural populations and an important means of increasing literacy, especially in the backward parts of the country.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Wikipedia, one of the leading sourcing of learning and information online, has visualized the opportunity and sought volunteers for translating the content of Wikipedia articles into local languages. This is part of <a href="https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Supporting_Indian_Language_Wikipedias_Program" rel="nofollow">Project Tiger</a>, a joint initiative started by Wikipedia Foundation, Google, Centre for Internet and Society, and Wikipedia’s Indian chapter. The initiative also promises grants such as laptops and fees for internet usage to the editors.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The free encyclopedia currently supports <a href="http://wiki.wikimedia.in/List_of_Indian_language_wiki_projects" rel="nofollow">23 Indian languages</a> yet it faces a dearth of editors who can convert articles into languages that would attract more readership from the growing Indian online.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><img alt="Wikipedia Invites Indian Users to Translate Articles Into Regional Languages" src="https://i2.wp.com/beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/wikipedia-india.jpg?resize=580%2C560&ssl=1" /></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Besides the material incentives, Wikipedia’s Indian chapter had also announced several <a href="https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Project_Tiger_Editathon_2018" rel="nofollow">contests</a> for various regional languages to attract more contributors and editors. As part of these, participants must contribute by creating new entries, or expanding on existing articles in regional languages with a minimum word count of 300.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The winners of the contest will be announced after the conclusion of the content on May 31, 2018, and granted access to various skill development courses that will help them develop a better sense of online editing.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The contests are now live for Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Telugu, Punjabi, Hindi, Odia, Malayalam, and Gujarati. As a result, Wikipedia has gained nearly 72,000 fresh views on articles in regional languages within a single month.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Google will provides insights about which topics are most popular among the Indian users and should be prioritized in the translation process. Another facet of Google’s participation in the initiative is that it plans to use Wikipedia articles to <a href="https://beebom.com/youtube-wikipedia-links-videos-conspiracy-theories/">bust conspiracy theories on YouTube</a> by supporting videos with relevant articles. Having Wikipedia articles in regional Indian languages will ensure that users in the country are not misguided by inaccurate or deceiving videos.</p>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/beebom-tushar-mehta-wikipedia-indian-languages-translation-contest'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/beebom-tushar-mehta-wikipedia-indian-languages-translation-contest</a>
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No publisherAdminWikipediaAccess to Knowledge2018-04-17T15:48:16ZNews ItemIn a first, Indian Singers Rights' Association distributes royalty
https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/the-news-minute-april-14-2018-first-indian-singers-rights-association-distributes-royalty
<b>While singers say this benefits out of job artistes, the transparency in distribution remains questionable.</b>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">This info was published by the <a class="external-link" href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/first-indian-singers-rights-association-distributes-royalty-79581">News Minute</a> on April 14, 2018.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">In a first, the Indian Singers Rights’ Association (ISRA) distributed Rs 51 lakh in royalties to singers on Friday. The beneficiaries included popular playback singers KS Chitra, P Susheela, KJ Yesudas, SP Balasubrahmanyam and Srinivas.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">Speaking to The Hindu, ISRA CEO Sanjay Tandon <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/playback-singers-get-royalty-for-first-time/article23531481.ece" target="_blank">said</a>, “This ₹51 lakh royalty money will grow 10 fold if and when radio channels, television channels and mobile companies start paying us. Right now, only IPL teams, amusement parks and few other establishments have paid the royalty money.”</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">Speaking to media persons at the event, singer SP Balasubrahmanyam said, "The government has given a rule saying that royalty should reach the singers as well. This programme is organised to give a part of the shares to singers in South India. This is a good thing to be welcomed.”</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">In March last year, SPB and others were slapped with legal notices by renowned music director Ilaiyaraaja over performing his compositions without his explicit permission and a payment of royalty to him. While this took the singers by surprise, experts had clarified that Ilaiyaraaja was right in asking for royalty as long as he owned the copyright to the music.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">Speaking to Puthiya Thalaimurai channel, singer Chitra said, "Everyone knows a singer doesn't have pension or anything. After they sing, if the song is a hit, they will get a few shows here and there. We know a lot of people who are struggling to live. This will definitely help them, especially when they are aged and cannot go to work. This royalty will really be useful. We welcome this."</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">Singer Srinivas added, "This is not the case where you give money to someone who already has money. This is for a singer who has disappeared after singing 4- 5 songs. He's probably struggling in a village. When the money reaches him, it is a big thing. If we meet that social responsibility, it would be a success."</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">However, if royalty would go to singers of all ranks remains unclear.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify; ">In a <a href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/comparative-transparency-review-of-collective-management-organisations-in-india-uk-usa" target="_blank">transparency review</a> conducted by the Centre for Internet and Society, Bengaluru, that compares the publicly available information on the websites of music collective management organisations(CMOs), ISRA did not <a href="http://isracopyright.com/distribution_scheme.php" target="_blank">detail</a> the “distribution of percentages, nor the administrative cut it seeks to take” as per the Copyright Amendment Act 2012.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/the-news-minute-april-14-2018-first-indian-singers-rights-association-distributes-royalty'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/news/the-news-minute-april-14-2018-first-indian-singers-rights-association-distributes-royalty</a>
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No publisherpraskrishnaCopyrightAccess to Knowledge2018-04-17T14:21:27ZNews ItemArticle on Telugu Wikisource Feature Book in Pustakam.net
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/article-on-telugu-wikisource-feature-book-in-pustakam
<b>An article about Telugu Wikisource feature book - Andhrula Sanghika Charitra (ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్ర) by Pavan Santhosh got published in Pustakam.net.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Pustakam.net is a web magazine dedicated to commentaries -primarily in Telugu and occasionally in English- on world literature, by book lovers. This attempt is aimed to make Telugu Wikisource community's efforts to provide free and quality books noticed among book lovers and also help Telugu Wikisource contributors to figure out ways to get such articles published in online and print platforms.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Originally published article can be <a class="external-link" href="http://pustakam.net/?p=20105">accessed here</a>.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">తెలుగువారి వెయ్యేళ్ళ జీవన చిత్రం – ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్ర (వికీసోర్సు ప్రదర్శిత గ్రంథాలు)</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“ఆ (విజయనగర) కాలమందు స్త్రీలుకూడా మంచి జెట్టీలుగా సిద్దమై కుస్తీలు జేసిరి. క్రీ.శ. 1446 నాటి యొక శాసనములో హరియక్క అను నామె తన తండ్రిని కుస్తీలో చంపిన జెట్టీలతో కుస్తీచేసి వారిని చంపి పగదీర్చుకొనెను.” (విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“మన దేశములో పొగాకును ప్రవేశ పెట్టి దేశమును నాశనం చేసిన మహనీయులు పోర్చుగీసువారు. అది క్రీ.శ. 1600-1650 ప్రాంతములో ప్రవేశ పెట్టబడెను.” (క్రీ.శ. 1600 నుండి 1757 వరకు)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“మన పూర్వులకున్న కళాదృష్టి మనలో కానరాదు. చిలుకనో పువ్వునో చెక్కని చెంబు బోడిచెంబే! అంచులేని యుడుపుల ధరించుట అమంగళమని తలంచిరి. ఇండ్ల గోడలపై చిత్తరువులు వ్రాయిస్తూవుండిరి. ద్వారముల చౌకట్లపై చక్కని జంత్రపుపని యుండెడిది. బట్టలపై అద్దకముతో బొమ్మలను వేయుచుండిరి. ధనికులు పటములను వ్రాయించెడివారు. కాకతీయుల కాలములో చిత్తరువులు జనసామాన్యమందును ఆదరణీయముగా నుండినట్లు కానవచ్చును. ఇండ్లముంగిళ్ళలో మ్రుగ్గులతో చాల చక్కని చిత్రములను పడుచులు తీర్చు చుండెడివారు….<br />ఏవిధమగు చిత్తరువులు వ్రాయుచుండిరో అవియు తెలియవచ్చినవి. దారుకావనములోని శివుడు, గోపికాకృష్ణులు, అహల్యా సంక్రందనులు, తారా చంద్రులు, మేనకా విశ్వామిత్రులు మొదలైనవి వ్రాయిస్తూ వుండిరి. చిత్తరువులను ‘మయ్యెర’తో వ్రాసిరి. (మయ్యెర అను వెంట్రుకలతో చేసిన బ్రష్షు అయి యుండును – మైర్ అన అరవములో వెంట్రుక అని యర్థము). ఓరుగల్లున ‘చిత్తరువులు వ్రాసే యిండ్లు 1500’ అని ఏకామ్రనాథుడు వ్రాసెను. భోగమువారు తమకు తగిన పటాలను వ్రాయించుకొనిన ఇతరులును వ్రాయించుకొన్న వారు కారు. ప్రజలు తమతమ అభిలాషల కొలది వ్రాయించుకొను చుండిరి. వీర పూజ కోరువారు వీరుల చిత్రాలు వ్రాయించిరి.” (కాకతీయ యుగము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“పల్లవులు, కాకతీయులు దేశమందలి అడవులను కొట్టించి, గ్రామాలను ప్రతిష్ఠించి, వ్యవసాయకులకు భూము లిచ్చియుండిరి. దీనినిబట్టి క్రీస్తుశకము 1000 కి పూర్వము కర్నూలు, బళ్ళారి మున్నగు మండలాలు అరణ్యప్రాంతాలుగా నుండెనని తెలియును. ప్రతాపరుద్రుడు స్వయముగా కర్నూలు సీమకు వెళ్ళి అడవుల గొట్టించి ఇప్పటికి కర్నూలు పట్టణమునకు 10, 15 మైళ్ళ ఆవరణములోని పల్లెల పెక్కింటిని నిర్మాణము చేసినట్లు ఆకాలపు శాసనాదుల వలన తెలియవచ్చెడివి. తెలంగాణములో నూరేండ్ల క్రిందటకూడ అడవులనుకొట్టి రైతుల ప్రతిష్ఠించుతూ వచ్చిరనిన ఆకాలపుమాట చెప్పనవసరము లేదు.”<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“బెజవాడ కనకదుర్గమ్మను గురించి నేలటూరి వేంకటరమణయ్యగారిట్లు (S-I-Temple లో) వ్రాసెను. “ఒకగ్రామమం దేడ్గురు విప్రసోదరులుండిరి. వారికి కనకమ్మయను చెల్లె లుండెను. ఆమె శీలమును వారు సందేహింపగా నామె బావిలోపడి చనిపోయి జనుల బాధించు శక్తికాగా, జనులామెకు గుడికట్టి పూజింప దొడగిరి”. నెల్లూరిలోని దర్శి తాలూకాలోని లింగమ్మ అను బీదరాలొక ధనికునింటి సేవకురాలుగా నుండెననియు, ధనికుల సొత్తు లపహృత మగుడు ఆమెపై నిందవోపగా నామె బావిలో పడి చచ్చి దేవరయ్యెననియు, నెల్లూరు జిల్లాలోని పొదిలమ్మయు, సందేహింపబడి చంపబడిన యొక స్త్రీశక్తిగా మారినట్టి దనియు, నూరేండ్ల క్రిందటగూడ కోటయ్య అను లింగబలిజి ఒక గొల్ల మగనాలినిగూడి ఆమె భర్తచే వధింపబడి కోటప్పకొండ దేవరగా ప్రసిద్ధు డయ్యె ననియు శ్రీ నేలటూరివారు వ్రాసినారు.” (రెడ్డిరాజుల కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“నేటికిని తెనుగు అక్షరాలను “ఓనమాలు” అని దేశమంతటను అందురు. శైవుల ప్రాబల్యమే తెనుగుదేశాని కుండినదనుట కీ ఓనమాలే సాక్ష్యమిస్తున్నవి. “ఓం నమ: శివాయ” అను షడక్షరీ శివమంత్రముతో విద్య ప్రారంభమగుచూ వచ్చినది. ఉత్తర హిందూస్థానములోను, మళయాళములోను “శ్రీ గణేశాయ నమ:” అని అక్షరాభ్యాసము చేతురు. కాని మన తెనుగు దేశమందును, కర్ణాట మందును ఈం నమశ్శివాయయే కాక ‘సిద్ధం నమ:’ అనియు వ్రాయింతురు. మొదట జైనమత వ్యాప్తియై జైనులే విద్యాబోధకు లగుటచేత వారు “ఓం నమ: సిద్ధేభ్య:” అని అక్షరాభ్యాసము చేయిస్తూ వుండిరేమో !” (కాకతీయ యుగము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“ఆ కాలమందు గడియకాలములో నీటిలో మునుగునట్లుగా నొక చిల్లిగల గిన్నెను నీటిపై నుంచి అది మునిగిన వెంటనే లెక్కప్రకారము గంట కొట్టుతూ ఉండిరి.” (కాకతీయ యుగము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“రాజులు కావ్యనాటకాలను, సాహిత్యశాస్త్రమును, సంగీతనాట్యశాస్త్రములను ఎక్కువగా నభ్యసించి రనుటకు రెడ్డిరాజులు వ్రాసిన శాస్త్రాలు, చేసిన వ్యాఖ్యలే ప్రథమసాక్ష్యములు. అవికాక వారికి అశ్వశిక్షణము, అశ్వశాస్త్రము, గజ శాస్త్రము, రాజనీతి, యుద్ధతంత్రము ముఖ్యములైన విద్యలు, రాజనీతిని గూర్చిన శాస్త్రములు సంస్కృతములో నెక్కువగా నుండెను. తెనుగులో మడికి సింగన సకలనీతిసమ్మతము వ్రాసెను. అందతడు పలువురి తెనుగు నీతికవుల నుదహరించెను. ఆ కవులలో పెక్కుకవుల గ్రంథాలు మనకు లభించుటలేదు. సంగీత నాట్యశాస్త్రములలో కొన్నిరచనలు రాజులే చేసిరి. కుమారగిరి వసంతరాజీయ రచనల కుదాహరణముగా అతని యుంపుడు కత్తెయగు లకుమాదేవి నాట్యము చేస్తూవుండెడిది.” (రెడ్డిరాజుల కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“రెడ్డిరాజుల కుండిన బ్రాహ్మణభక్తి భారతదేశ చరిత్రలో వేరుచోట కాన వచ్చునో లేదో అత్యంత సంశయమే. ఓరుగంటి చక్రవర్తు లిచ్చిన దానాలు తురకవిజేతల చేతులలోనికి పోయెను. రెడ్డిరాజులు తాము గెలిచిన ప్రాంతములందంతటను పూర్వరాజులు దానము లన్నింటిని స్థిరపరిచిరి. పైగా తామున్నూ అసంఖ్యాకముగా భూములను, అగ్రహారములను బ్రాహ్మణులకు దానము చేసిరి. వీరి దానములచే ఆకర్షితులై తూర్పుతీర మందలి కృష్ణా గోదావరీ మండలములలో బ్రాహ్మణులు కొల్లలుగా నిండుకొనిరని పలువురు చరిత్రకారు లభిప్రాయ పడినారు.” (రెడ్డిరాజుల కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“ఆంధ్రులు సముద్ర వ్యాపారము విశేషముగా చేసినప్పుడు తత్సంబంధమగు సాంకేతికపదములు వాఙ్మయములో నుండవలసియుండెను. కాని యట్టివి విశేషముగా గ్రంథస్థము కాలేదు. అయినట్టివి కొన్ని కూడా జనుల కర్థము కానివై పోయెను.” (రెడ్డిరాజుల కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“తెలంగాణాలో నిర్మల కత్తులు జగద్విఖ్యాతి కాంచియుండెను. అచ్చటి కత్తులు అచ్చటి యుక్కు డెమాస్కస్ నగరాని కెగుమతి యగుచుండెను. మెరుగు టద్దాలుకూడా సిద్ధమవుతూ వుండెను. వాటిని శుభ్రము చేయుటకేమో మెరుగురాతి పొడిని వాడినట్లు కానవస్తున్నది.” (రెడ్డిరాజుల కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“చతురంగపు ఆట చక్రవర్తులనుండి సాధారణజనులవరకు ఆసక్తిని కలిగించినట్టిది. దీనిని మోసిన్ పుట్టకముందే హిందువులు కనిపెట్టిరని ప్రతీతి నౌషీర్వాన్ అను ప్రసిద్ధ పారసీకచక్రవర్తి యీ యాట గొప్పదనమును విని హిందూస్థానమునుండి అదేపనిగా చతురంగపు పలకలను, కాయలను తెప్పించుకొని ఆ విద్యను నేర్పు గురువును పిలిపించుకొనెను.” (విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“ఈ కాలము(రెడ్డిరాజుల కాలము)లో కళాపోషణము ఉచ్చస్థాయి నందెను. తుది రెడ్డిరాజులు వసంతరాజ బిరుదాంచితులగుట ఈ కళాపోషణమున కొక ప్రబలతర నిదర్శనము. కవిసార్వభౌముడును, ఆసేతువింధ్యాది పర్యంతము తన కీడుజోడు లే డనిపించుకొన్నవాడును, బహుశాస్త్ర పురాణ పారంగతుడును, కవితలో నూతన యుగస్థాపకుడునునగు శ్రీనాథుడు విద్యాధికారియట! అఖిలాంధ్ర వాఙ్మయమునకు ప్రామాణికాచార్యత్రయములోనివాడగు ప్రబంధ పరమేశ్వరుడు ముఖ్యాస్థానకవి యట ! శివలీలా విలాసకర్తయగు నిశ్శంక కొమ్మన రెడ్డి రాజుల కీర్తనల చేసినవాడట ! సహస్ర విధాననవాభినయ కళాశ్రీశోభితలకుమాదేవి రాజసన్నిధిలో నిత్యనూత్నముగా నటంచినదట ! బాలసరస్వత్యాది మహాపండితు లాస్థాన దివ్యజ్యోతులట ! స్వయముగా రెడ్డి, వెలమప్రభులు కవులై, వ్యాఖ్యాతలై, సాహిత్యాచార్యులై సర్వజ్ఞులై సర్వజ్ఞ చక్రవర్తులైన దిగంత విశ్రాంత యశోవిశాలురట ! కర్పూర వసంతోత్సవములకు సుగంధ భాండాగారాధ్యక్షు లుండిరట ! ఇక కళాభివృద్ధికి కొదువయుండునా ?” (రెడ్డిరాజుల కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“గారడీ అను విద్యను ఇంద్రజాల మనిరి. ఇంగ్లండులోని ఇంగ్లీషు పత్రికలలో ఇంచుమించు 40 ఏండ్లనుండి యొక చర్చ కొన్నిమారులు చేసినారు. ఇంచుమించు 150 ఏండ్ల క్రిందట ఒక ఇంగ్లీషు వాడొక ఇంద్రజాల ప్రదర్శనమును హిందూస్థానములో చూచి దాన్ని చాలా మెచ్చుకొని అనాడే పత్రికలో వ్రాసెను. ఆ ఇంద్రజాలమ లో ఒకడు త్రాటి నొకదానిని పైకి నిలువుగా విసరి గాలిలోనిలబెట్టి దానిపై కెగబ్రాకి మాయము కాగా, వాని యంగములు ఖండ ఖండములుగా క్రిందబడె ననియు, మరి కొంతసేపటికి వాడు త్రాటినుండి గబ గబ దిగివచ్చెననియు వ్రాసెను. అది యబద్ద మనియు, అట్టి విద్యను ప్రదర్శించు వానికి ఇంగ్లండుకు రానుపోను వ్యయమును భరించి వేలకొలదిగా బహుమానము లిత్తుమనియు కొందరు ప్రకటించిరి. కాని కొరవి గోపరాజు ఒక కథలో ఇదేవిధమగు ఇంద్రజాలమును వర్ణించినాడు.<br />ఒకడు తనభార్య అనుదానిని వెంటబెట్టుకొని రాజసన్నిధిలో ఆమెను రక్షణార్థమై విడిచి, తాను దేవసహాయార్థమై యుద్ధముచేయ వెళ్ళుతున్నాని చెప్పి ఒక త్రాటిని పైకి నిలువుగా విసరి, దాన్ని నిలబెట్టి, దానిపై కెగబ్రాకి మాయమయైను. కొంతవడికి వాని కాలుసేతులు, తల, మొండెము తుంటలై క్రిందబడెను. వాడుంకువగా నుంచిపోయిన వానిభార్య రాజును వేడి సెలవు పొంది సహగమనము చేసెను.<br />వెంటనే త్రాడు పైకి ప్రాకిపోయిన భటుడు పైనుండి దిగివచ్చి తనభార్యను పంపుమనెను. రాజు విచారగ్రస్తుడై ఆమె సహగమనము చేసెనని చెప్పెను.” (రెడ్డిరాజుల కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“హిందూ సైనికులు ముసల్మానులవంటి సైనికభటులు కారు. ముసల్మాను సైన్యములో అరబ్బులు, ఖురాసానీ తురకలు, పారసీలు, అబిషీలు (అబిసీనియనులు), పఠానులు, బిల్లులు, మున్నగు అటవికులు ఉండిరి. తమ సైనికులు తురక భటులకు సరిరారని విజయనగర చక్రవర్తులు గుర్తించి, తురకలను తమ సైన్యములో భర్తీచేసి, వారికొక “తురకపేట”ను ప్రత్యేకించి వారికి మసీదులు కట్టించి సకల సదుపాయములు చేసిరి. అట్లు చేసినను వారికి హిందూ రాజులపై విశ్వాస ముండినటుల కానరాదు. వారు తమ ఏలికలకు సలాములు కూడ చేయుటకు ఇష్టపడనందున ఏదోవిధముగా తమ గౌరవము నిలుపుకొనుటకు తన గద్దెపై ఖురాను నుంచుకొని దానికిచేసిన తురక సలాములను తానును పంచుకొనెను.” (విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“ద్వంద్వయుద్ధము కేవలము విజయనగర రాజ్యమందే నెగడెను. ద్వంద్వయుద్ధము చేయువారు మంత్రి లేక రాజు సెలవు పొందవలసి యుండెను. గెలిచినవానికి ఓడినవాని ఆస్తి యిప్పించెడివారు.” (విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“జనులు మాడలను బిందెలలో నింపి ఇండ్లలో, దొడ్లలో, చేలలో గుర్తుగా దాచుకొంటూవుండిరి. తరాలుగా దాచిన జాడలు వృద్ధులు తమవారికి తెలుపకముందే చచ్చుటయు, దానికై వాని సంతతి వారు వెదకుటయు సంభవించెడిది. ధనాంజనము వేసి ధన మెక్కడున్నదో కనిపెట్టే మంత్ర తంత్రవేత్తలు బయలుదేరిరి. పలుమారు దాచిన ద్రవ్యము పరులకు హఠాత్తుగా దొరుకుతూ వుండెను. ద్రవ్యమును భూమిలో పూడ్చి దాచుకొను నాచారము నేటికికూడ మన పల్లెలలోని కొందరిలో కానవస్తున్నది.” (విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“దేశమందు బాటల నిర్మాణము చాలా తక్కువ. అందుచేత బండ్లపై వ్యాపారము చేయుట కనుకూలముగా లేకుండెను. వ్యాపారస్థులు ఎద్దులపై కూలీల కావళ్ళపై, గుర్రపు తట్టువులపై, గాడిదలపై కంచర గాడిదలపై సరుకులను తీసికొనిపోతుండిరి. ఈవిషయమును మన సారస్వతమందు పలుతావులలో తెలిపినదేకాక ఆగంతుక వైదేశికులగు పీస్, బార్బోసా పభృతులు తాము చూచినట్లు తెలిపినారు. బాటలు లేక అడవులెక్కువగా నుండినప్పుడు దొంగలు కూడా ఎక్కువగానే యుండిరి…. దొంగలభయానికి వ్యాపారులు గుంపులుగాపోయిరి.” (విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“కొల్లూరు పట్టణములో ఒకదేవుడు వెలిసెను. ప్రతి జనుడు ధాన్యమును తన మూత్రములో తడిపి ఆ దేవతా విగ్రహముపై వేసిన అవన్నీ రత్నాలై రవ్వ లవుచుండెనట. అందరును ఆ క్రియను చేయుచు మేడలు కట్టిరి. ఆ పట్టణములో ఒక పేద బాప డుండెను. అందరివలె నీవును చేసి సుఖపడరాదా అని అతనిభార్య తొందరపెట్టుచుండెను. ఏమైననుకాని నేనా తుచ్చపుపని చేసి అపచారము చేయనని అ శిష్టు డనుచుండెను. ఒకనాటి మద్యరాత్రి మరొక వృద్ధ బ్రాహ్మణు డా పేదబాపని కుటుంబ సహితముగా పట్టణము బయటకు పిలుచుకొని పోయి అదిగో కొల్లూరుపట్టణ వైభవము చూడు అని ధగద్ధగితముగా మండుచుండే పట్టణమును వారికి చూపి మాయమయ్యెనట. అది కొల్లూరు పట్టణం వలె వెలిగినది అనేకథ. ఆ కథ నిజముగా ఈ వజ్రాలగనికి సంబంధించినదని పైననే కనబడుచున్నది.” (క్రీ.శ. 1600 నుండి 1757 వరకు)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“ఆ కాలమందు కోర్టులు లేకుండెను. ప్రతిగ్రామమందు గ్రామపెద్దలు ప్రతిఫలాపేక్ష లేక తగవులు తీర్పుచేసిరి. విజ్ఞానేశ్వరీయమే ముఖ్యాధార భూతశాస్త్రము. బ్రాహ్మణులే సభాసదులు. వారి తీర్పులపై రాజువద్ద పునర్విమర్శ(అపీలు) కావచ్చును. సాధారణముగా వారి తీర్పునకు తిరుగు లేకుండెను. ధనోద్బవ (సివిల్), హింసోద్బవ (క్రిమినల్) అభియోగములను (కేసులను) వారే విచారించిరి. ముఖ్యమైన నేరములను రాజు స్వయముగా విచారించెనను. ‘సభ’వారిని పిలిచి వారి సహాయముతో తీర్పు చెప్పెడివారు.<br />“సభ”ను చావడిలోనో, దేవాలయమందో, ఊరిమధ్య నుండు “రచ్చ” కట్టపైననో చేసిరి. అందుచేత వివాదమునకు సభగా కూడుటకును “రచ్చ” యనిరి.” (విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“”కృష్ణ” అను పేరుగల విద్వాంసుడు రాయలవారికి సంగీతము నేర్పెను. అతడు రాయలకు వీణావాద్యముకూడా నేర్పినందులకుశిష్యుడు గురువునకు గురుదక్షిణముగా నిలువైన ముత్యాల హారాలను, వజ్రాల హారాలను నిచ్చెనని కర్ణాటభాషలో నారాయణ కవిచే వ్రాయబడిన రాఘవేంద్రవిజయములో తెలిపినారు. సంగీతము శాస్త్రప్రకారము అత్యంతాభివృద్ధి నొందెను. ఒక్కొక్క ఋతువులో ఒక్కొక్క రాగమునకు ప్రాధాన్యముండెను. వసంతకాలమందు హిందోళరాగము పాడిరి. రాయలకు పోర్చుగీసు రాయభారి తమ దేశపు వాద్యములను కానుక యివ్వగా వారు చాల సంతోషించిరట!” (విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య కాలము)<br />*****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">పై విశేషాలన్నీ సాహిత్య, చారిత్రకాధారాలను విశ్లేషించి, పదాలను అర్థాలను వింగడించి వెయ్యేళ్ళ తెలుగువారి జీవన చిత్రంగా సురవరం ప్రతాపరెడ్డి రాసిన ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్ర అనే పుస్తకం నుంచి తీసుకున్నవి. ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్రలో తెలుగు వారు వెయ్యేళ్ళ కాలంలో ఎలా జీవించారన్న విషయాన్ని వివరించే అపురూపమైన గ్రంథం. “తారీఖులు దస్తావేజులు ఇవి కాదోయ్ చరిత్రకర్థం” అని సంప్రదాయ చరిత్ర రచన లక్ష్యాలు, పద్ధతులు తప్పుపట్టాడు మహాకవి శ్రీశ్రీ.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">అదే కవితలో<br />చారిత్రక విభాత సంధ్యల/ మానవకథ వికాసమెట్టిది?/ ఏ దేశం ఏ కాలంలో/ సాధించిన దే పరమార్థం?/ ఏ శిల్పం? ఏ సాహిత్యం?/ ఏ శాస్త్రం?ఏ గాంధర్వం?/ ఏ వెల్గుల కీ ప్రస్థానం?/ ఏ స్వప్నం? ఏ దిగ్విజయం?<br />అన్న కవితాపాదాలకు రూపమిస్తూ ఒక జాతి జనుల సంఘర్షణకు, అలవాట్లకు, పద్ధతులకు రూపంగా వెలువరించారు సురవరం ప్రతాపరెడ్డి ఈ పుస్తకాన్ని. ఒక సాంఘిక సముదాయంగా తెలుగు జాతి ఏ కష్టనిష్టూరాలు ఎదుర్కొన్నది, ఏ అలవాట్లు చేసుకున్నది, ఏ పద్ధతుల్లో జీవించినది, ఏయే పడికట్లు కలిగివుండేది అన్నవి అన్వేషిస్తూ వెయ్యేళ్ళ తెలుగు వారి జనజీవితానికి అద్దంగా ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్ర రూపొందింది.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">ప్రామాణికత, ఆసక్తిదాయకమైన అంశాల మేలుకలయిక అయిన ఈ పుస్తకం వెలువడిన తొలిముద్రణకే ఆంధ్ర పండిత లోకంలో ప్రముఖులైన రాళ్ళపల్లి అనంతకృష్ణశర్మ, వేటూరి ప్రభాకరశాస్త్రి వంటివారి మన్నన పొందింది. తర్వాత ఎన్నో విశ్వవిద్యాలయాల్లో పాఠ్యగ్రంథంగా నిర్ణీతమైంది, ప్రస్తుతం గ్రూప్ పరీక్షలకు పాఠ్య పుస్తకాల్లో ఇదీ ఒకటి. ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్ర రచనకు గాను సురవరం ప్రతాపరెడ్డి కేంద్ర సాహిత్య అకాడమీ పురస్కారం అందుకున్నారు. 20వ శతాబ్ది ముగిసి కొత్త సహస్రాబ్దిలోకి అడుగుపెడుతున్న తరుణంలో 1999లో వెల్చేరు నారాయణరావు, జంపాల చౌదరి రూపొందించిన 20వ శతాబ్ది ఉత్తమ తెలుగు పుస్తకాల జాబితా “<a href="http://eemaata.com/em/issues/199907/836.html">ఈ శతాబ్దపు రచనా శతం</a>” సహా అనేక ఉత్తమ పుస్తకాల జాబితాలో చోటుచేసుకుంటూనే ఉంది.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://te.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%B0%86%E0%B0%82%E0%B0%A7%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0%E0%B1%81%E0%B0%B2_%E0%B0%B8%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%82%E0%B0%98%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%95_%E0%B0%9A%E0%B0%B0%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%A4%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0">ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్ర</a> పుస్తకాన్ని తెలుగు వికీసోర్సు సముదాయ సభ్యులు (శ్రీరామమూర్తి, డాక్టర్ రాజశేఖర్, ప్రభృతులు) యూనీకోడ్లో పాఠ్యీకరించి, ఇ-పుస్తకంగా తయారుచేశారు. ఈ పుస్తకం ఎవరైనా తిరిగి వాడుకోవచ్చు, పంచుకోవడానికి వీలుగా లభ్యమవుతోంది. 2018 మే మొదటి పక్షంలో ఈ పుస్తకాన్ని విశేషగ్రంథంగా తెలుగు వికీసోర్సు వారు ప్రదర్శిస్తున్నారు.</p>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/article-on-telugu-wikisource-feature-book-in-pustakam'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/article-on-telugu-wikisource-feature-book-in-pustakam</a>
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