The Centre for Internet and Society
http://editors.cis-india.org
These are the search results for the query, showing results 71 to 85.
International School at the Digital Media program of the University of Texas at Austin - Portugal Collaboratory (CoLab)
http://editors.cis-india.org/news/international-school-at-the-digital-media-program-of-the-university-of-texas-at-austin-portugal-collaboratory-colab
<b>Applications are now open for the first International School on Digital Transformation, to be held July 19-24, 2009, at the University of Porto in Porto, Portugal. The School is accepting applications from advanced students and recent graduates from around the world with an interest in how digital technologies are changing societies and the world as a whole.</b>
<p><a href="http://colab.ic2.utexas.edu/dm/international-school/isdt-student-registration-page/">Applications are now open for the first International School on Digital Transformation</a>,
to be held July 19-24, 2009, at the University of Porto in Porto,
Portugal. The School is accepting applications from advanced students
and recent graduates from around the world with an interest in how
digital technologies are changing societies and the world as a whole.</p>
<p><a href="http://colab.ic2.utexas.edu/dm/international-school/isdt-student-registration-page/"><img title="Application" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-248" src="http://colab.ic2.utexas.edu/dm/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/app_button.jpg" alt="Application" height="35" width="150" /></a></p>
<p>The International School on Digital Transformation will be an
intensive six-day residential program, conducted in English and
bringing together emerging and established scholars and professionals
from around the world. During the week-long session, innovators in
digital communications will serve as teachers and mentors, presenting
their current projects and research and participating in discussions
with advanced students and professionals beginning careers in the
field. Presenters and students will be regarded as peers during the
School.</p>
<p>The School will focus on these themes:</p>
<p>• Democratic transformations of society through digital media<br />
• Innovations in transparency and political participation using new online tools<br />
• Grassroots civic activities using digital technologies<br />
• Building effective communities with the Internet<br />
• Reaching out to new users with mobile and online technologies<br />
• Prospects for digital communication in developing regions<br />
• Digital arts and culture in a globalized, online world</p>
<p>The goals of the International School include:</p>
<ul><li>Combining lectures on current research and innovation with practical experience, using accessible, low-cost digital technologies</li><li>Providing an informal venue for sharing expertise, perspectives, and best practices and for mentoring advanced students</li><li>Fostering a sustainable network of scholars and activists in the field of digital technology, communication and social change</li></ul>
<p><strong>Program</strong></p>
<p>The basic daily schedule will consist of one 90-minute session of
lecture and discussion in the morning: free time for teachers and
students to interact, converse and explore the city in the afternoon;
and two more 90-minute lecture and discussion sessions in the evening,
folowed by a communal meal.</p>
<p>The confirmed speakers for the International School on Digital Transformation include:</p>
<ul><li>Sunil Abraham<br />
Director of Policy at the Center for Internet and Society, Bangalore, India; and current board member of Mahiti Infotech</li><li>Patricia Aufderheide<br />
Professor, School of Communication, American University; director,<br />
Center for Social Media at American University</li><li>Warigia Bowman<br />
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy Leadership,<br />
University of Mississippi</li><li>Fiorella De Cindio<br />
Associate Professor, Computer and Information Science Department,<br />
University of Milan</li><li>Martha Fuentes-Bautista<br />
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of<br />
Massachusetts at Amherst</li><li>Stephanie Hankey/Marek Tuszynski (tentative)<br />
Co-founders and directors, Tactical Technology Collective</li><li>Lisa Nakamura (associate faculty)<br />
Professor, Institute of Communication Research; Director, Asian<br />
American Studies Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</li><li>Tapan Parikh<br />
Assistant Professor, School of Information, University of California<br />
at Berkeley</li><li>Tiago Peixoto<br />
Researcher, European University Institute, Florence, Italy</li><li>Alison Powell<br />
SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford University</li><li>Andrew Rasiej<br />
Founder of Personal Democracy Forum and techPresident</li><li>Nicholas Reville<br />
Executive director, Participatory Culture Foundation</li><li>Scott Robinson<br />
Professor, Department of Anthropology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana</li><li>Jorge Martins Rosa<br />
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences; Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, New University of Lisbon</li><li>Christian Sandvig<br />
Associate Professor, Department of Communication; faculty member,<br />
Project on Public Policy and Advanced Communication Technology,<br />
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</li><li>Doug Schuler<br />
Program Director, Public Sphere Project, an initiative of Computer<br />
Professionals for Social Responsibility</li><li>Leslie Regan Shade<br />
Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University</li><li>Maripaz Silva (associate faculty)</li><li>Laura Stein<br />
Assistant Professor, Radio-Television-Film Department, University of<br />
Texas at Austin</li><li>Siva Vaidhyanathan<br />
Associate Professor, University of Virginia, Media Studies and Law;<br />
Fellow, Institute for the Future of the Book</li><li>Katrin Verclas<br />
Co-founder and editor of Mobileactive.org</li></ul>
<p>The International School on Digital Transformation is a program of
the University of Texas Austin-Portugal Colaboratory, or CoLab. The
co-directors of the School are Drs. Sharon Strover and Karen Gustafson,
and Gary Chapman, of the University of Texas at Austin.</p>
<p>The School will be held at the Rectory, a building of the University
of Porto in the center of the city. Student housing will consist of
nearby hotels, and the cost of the School will include a shared hotel
room, two meals per day (breakfast and dinner) and the program itself.
The week will also include a cultural activity offered to all School
participants.</p>
<p>The estimated cost of the International School on Digital
Transformation will be between €300 and €400. Travel to Porto,
Portugal, is not supported; students must find and pay for their own
travel to Porto.</p>
<p>The student application, and more specific information for students, are available at this link.</p>
<p><strong>Porto, Portugal</strong></p>
<p>Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, Porto is known
for its spectacular architecture and medieval alleyways, and it is also
compact, allowing visitors to easily explore the central city on foot.
Porto is on the Douro River and also near the Atlantic Ocean. It is
famous for its port wine from the inland Portuguese wine region along
the Douro River valley.</p>
<p>During the free afternoons, students and teachers may explore the
sidewalk café culture on Santa Catarina Street, a nearby pedestrian
shopping area, or walk across the Dom Luís I Bridge spanning the Douro
River to the promenade, restaurants, and port houses in Vila Nova de
Gaia, directly opposite central Porto. Short river cruises may be taken
in barcos rabelos, flat-bottomed boats traditionally used to ferry
shipments of port wine.</p>
<p>While Porto is famous for its ancient Roman ramparts and Gothic
churches, it is also home to the Casa da Música concert hall, a superb
example of modern architecture, finished in 2005, that has become an
icon of the city. The Serralves Museum is a major cultural institution
which hosts rotating exhibitions of contemporary art and which features
a world-class garden.</p>
<p>In the late evenings, Porto hosts a thriving clubbing culture, and the city’s nightspots attract DJs from around the world.</p>
<p>Porto has an international airport and is also served by trains from
Lisbon and from Spain. By train, Porto is approximately three and a
half hours north of Lisbon.</p>
<p>Please direct questions regarding the program to Karen Gustafson, at <a href="mailto:kegustafson@mail.utexas.edu.">kegustafson@mail.utexas.edu</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/news/international-school-at-the-digital-media-program-of-the-university-of-texas-at-austin-portugal-collaboratory-colab'>http://editors.cis-india.org/news/international-school-at-the-digital-media-program-of-the-university-of-texas-at-austin-portugal-collaboratory-colab</a>
</p>
No publishersachia2009-03-27T09:55:53ZPageOpen access conference seeks to free research
http://editors.cis-india.org/news/open-access-conference-seeks-to-free-research
<b>Article by Amulya Gopalakrishnan in the Indian Express (New Delhi), 26 March 2009</b>
<p>When Newton famously remarked that if he had seen further than others, it was by “standing on the shoulders of giants”, he wasn’t just being modest. He was stating the simple fact that knowledge builds on previous knowledge, that the back and forth of ideas is vital for scientific achievement. Though the current proprietory publishing model is stacked against scholars, an emerging open access movement across the world aims to free scientific content - and India has big stakes in it.</p>
<p>A conference in New Delhi brought together open access evangelists including Prof. John Willinsky of Stanford University, Prof Leslie Chan of the University of Toronto, Prof Surendra Prasad of IIT Delhi, Dr D K Sahu of MedKnow Publications, and Narendra Kumar of CSIR.</p>
<p>Now, all research papers published from CSIR labs will be made open access, either by putting the full text on freely available institutional repositories or publishing directly in open access journals. Meanwhile, across the world, MIT has become the first university to throw open all its research papers through the online repository software DSpace.</p>
<p>Globally, academic tenure and promotion is traditionally linked to research published in reputed, peer-reviewed journals. These journals are owned by commercial behemoths like Springer and Reed Elsevier, who own stables of journals in various disciplines, and dictate terms to university libraries. But in recent years, journal prices have shot through the roof. </p>
<p>Now, after years of weary negotiation, and empowered by new digital infrastructure, universities are teaming up via free institutional repository systems, to pool and circulate their collective research. In India, institutes like NIT Rourkela have adopted super-archives like DSpace for another reason — to showcase their scientific output to global peers. “NIT doesn’t have the research legacy of IIT or IISC — they needed the visibility,” says NIT director Sunil Kumar Sarangi.</p>
<p>Such a knowledge commons is especially valuable to developing countries — for instance, in agricultural research or public health, it is inexcusable that countries which could benefit most from the scientific debate are left out of the loop, simply because of prohibitive pricing (some journals cost up to 20,000 dollars, annually). This only widens the gulf between the state of research here and the US or Europe.</p>
<p>Even research produced in India with our taxpayer money is sent to big-name commercial journals and all copyright signed away, putting it out of reach for the Indian scholarly community. But all that could change if open access journals become the norm. S K Sahu, who runs MedKnow publications (over 80 open access journals), also busted claims that content on such journals tends to vanish into the ether after a few years online.</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>To read the article at the Indian Express website, click <a class="external-link" href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/open-access-conference-seeks-to-free-research/439228/">here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/news/open-access-conference-seeks-to-free-research'>http://editors.cis-india.org/news/open-access-conference-seeks-to-free-research</a>
</p>
No publishersachiaOpenness2011-04-02T16:10:58ZNews ItemHindi Translation of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/blog/hindi-translation-of-web-content-accessibility-guidelines-2.0
<b>A Hindi translation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 was commissioned by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and is now available for download. </b>
<p>The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) has supported the
Centre for Internet and Society and its campaign for web accessibility for the disabled. In addition to sponsoring
the first National Workshop on Web Accessibility to train web developers, held in February 2009, the NIXI has
now brought out a Hindi translation of the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. It is hoped that this translated version will help Indian web developers to get a better understanding of the guidelines for
creating accessible web pages.</p>
<p>To view a copy of the translated guidelines, in HTML format, click <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/blog/uploads/wcag-guidelines-for-accessibility-html" class="external-link">here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/blog/hindi-translation-of-web-content-accessibility-guidelines-2.0'>http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/blog/hindi-translation-of-web-content-accessibility-guidelines-2.0</a>
</p>
No publishersachia2011-08-17T08:50:41ZBlog EntryResponse from MSJE on web accessibility measures
http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/response-from-msje-on-web-accessibility-measures
<b></b>
<p></p>
<p align="right" style="text-align: right;"><u>RTI MATTER</u></p>
<p align="right" style="text-align: right;"> <u>MOST
IMMEDIATE</u></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;">F. No 32-6/2009 DD
III</p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;">Government of India</p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;">Ministry for Social
Justice & Empowerment</p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;">(Disability Division
III)</p>
<p align="right" style="text-align: right;">Room No 630, Wing A,</p>
<p align="right" style="text-align: right;">Shastri Bhawan, New
Delhi</p>
<p align="right" style="text-align: right;">Dated 23.02.2009</p>
<p>To</p>
<p>Ms Nirmita Narsimhan,</p>
<p>D2, 3<sup>rd</sup> Floor, Sheriff Chambers,</p>
<p>14, Cunningham Road,</p>
<p>Bengaluuru-560052</p>
<p>Sub.:- Information sought by Ms Nirmita Narsimhan under RTI,
regarding.</p>
<p>Sir,</p>
<p>I am directed to refer to your letter dated 28.01.2009
received in this Ministry on 02.02.2009 under RTI Act 2005, on the above
mentioned subject and to say that the information in respect of this division
is as under-</p>
<table class="MsoTableGrid">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Serial No</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Question</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Reply</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p class="MsoListParagraph">1.
</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>What steps has the government taken to fulfil its commitments under
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(UNCRPD) and provision 39 of the national policy to make websites of
government as well as private and public sector organisations accessible for
persons with disabilities? If no such steps have been taken by the government
then kindly furnish reasons and explanation for the same and the time frame
within which such steps will be taken.</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>All the Ministries/Departments of the central government, including
attached and subordinate offices and autonomous organisations have been
advised that their offices under their administrative control should ensure
expeditious implementations of the provisions of the convention in so far as
it concerns them including through appropriate laws, rules, orders etc.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All state governments and UT administrations have also been requested
to bring the provisions of the convention and all resultant obligations to
the notice of all concerned, especially government bodies, district
collectors, and local bodies, for suitable action. It has been requested that
NGOs and the civil society in general should be associated in the effort to
empower persons with disabilities.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The ministry is monitoring the progress and implementation of the UNCRPD.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copy of the national policy
for persons with disabilities has been circulated by the ministry on
to all the Ministries/Departments/State Governments/UT
Administrations/Autonomous Bodies/Statutory Bodies/PSUs etc for
implementation of the provisions of the policy. Relvant information has also
been placed on the Ministry’s website. <a href="http://www.socialjustice.nic.in/">www.socialjustice.nic.in</a></p>
<p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">2. .</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"> </p>
</td>
<td>
<p>What are the surveys
which have been conducted by your department to check accessibility of
various government web sites? If no such surveys have been conducted, kindly
furnish reasons and explanation for the same. If such surveys have been
conducted, kindly provide me with a copy of the same</p>
</td>
<td rowspan="3">
<p>No such survey has been made by this ministry. The office of chief
commissioner for persons with disabilities has responsibility to check
accessibility of various government websites. Except above, the Ministry has
no such information about accessibility of the websites. However, a copy of
your application is being sent to them for necessary action.</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoListParagraph">3. </p>
</td>
<td>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Please
furnish me with details of the standards or criteria used for measuring
accessibility to persons with disabilities?</p>
<p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoListParagraph">4. </p>
</td>
<td>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Please
provide me with the details of circulars issued to various departments for
making their web site accessible to persons with disabilities. Kindly provide
me with a copy of the same as well. </p>
<p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoListParagraph">5. </p>
</td>
<td>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Please
provide me with information about any other applications under the Right to
Information Act, 2005, which have been filed with the Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment requesting similar/related information and the
consequent replies given and action taken by the departments in those
instances.</p>
<p> </p>
</td>
<td>
<p>No other application under the act has been filed requesting for such
information.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>2. Appellate authority in the case is Dr Arbind Prasad,
Joint Secretary, Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment, Room No 612, A-
Wing, 6<sup>th</sup> floor, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi, 110001.</p>
<p>Yours faithfully,</p>
<p>(Sd- Kaul)</p>
<p>(Vandita Kaul)</p>
<p>Director DD-II</p>
<p>Tel: 23388541</p>
<p>Copy to:-</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">1.
Chief Commissioner for Persons with
Disabilities, 6, sarojini House, Bhagwan Das Road, New Delhi, together with a
copy of application by Ms Nirmita Narsimhan W. R. T. Questions 2 to 5 of the
application is pertains to your department. You are requested to please send
reply directly to the applicant under intimation to this Ministry.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">2.
Ms Kamna S Dikshit, Section Officer (FC and RTI)
), Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi, for
information. </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">3.
Pay and Account Officer, Ministry for Social
Justice and Empowerment, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. Please find a Demand Draft
No 171033 for Rs 10/- received from Ms Nirmita Narsimhan for providing
information under RTI Act 2005.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/response-from-msje-on-web-accessibility-measures'>http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/response-from-msje-on-web-accessibility-measures</a>
</p>
No publishersachia2009-03-25T11:33:22ZPageApplication to MSJE on web accessibility measures
http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/application-to-msje-on-web-accessibility-measures
<b></b>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>To</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Shri K.S. Sawhney,</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Director - Ministry of Social</p>
<p>Justice and Empowerment</p>
<p>Shastri
Bhawan,</p>
<p>Dr Rajendra Prasad Road,<br />
New Delhi - 110 001<br />
Tel: (011) 23387690.</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Dear Sir</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u>Sub</u></strong><u>:</u> Application for information required under
the Right to Information Act, 2005 regarding the steps taken by the Government
to make web sites of the government as well as public and private sector organizations
accessible to persons with disabilities.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Name of the Applicant</strong>: Nirmita Narasimhan<strong><br /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Address</strong>: D-2, 3rd floor, Sheriff Chambers,
No.14 Cunningham road, Bengaluru - 560052.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Information Sought</strong>:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">1.
What
steps has the Government taken to fulfill its commitments under the United
Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) and
provision 39 of the National Policy to make web sites of government as well as
public and private sector organizations accessible for persons with
disabilities? If no such steps have been taken by the Government then kindly
furnish reasons and explanation for the same and the time frame within which
such steps will be taken.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">2.
What
are the surveys which have been conducted by your department to check
accessibility of various government web sites? If no such surveys have been
conducted, kindly furnish reasons and explanation for the same. If such surveys
have been conducted, kindly provide me with a copy of the same.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">3.
Please
furnish me with details of the standards or criteria used for measuring
accessibility to persons with disabilities?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">4.
Please
provide me with the details of circulars issued to various departments for
making their web site accessible to persons with disabilities. Kindly provide
me with a copy of the same as well. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">5.
Please
provide me with information about any other applications under the Right to
Information Act, 2005, which have been filed with the Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment requesting similar/related information and the
consequent replies given and action taken by the departments in those
instances.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">6.
If
the required documents or information are unavailable, please furnish reasons
and explanations for the same.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> <br />
I request you to kindly supply the documents, wherever possible in English.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Further as provided under Section 6
(3) of the Right to Information Act, in case this application does not fall under
your authority, I request you to transfer the same in the designated time (5
days) to the concerned authority and inform me of the same immediately.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">To the best of my knowledge the
information sought does not fall within the restrictions contained in Section 8
and 9 of the Act and it pertains to your office.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This to certify that I, Nirmita
Narasimhan, d/o late Shri.B.Narasimhan, am a citizen of India.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">A fee of Rs. 10 (Rupees Ten Only) has
been deposited through ____________________ Dated: _________________</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Place:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Date:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> Sd/- Nirmita Narsimhan<strong> <br /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>(Nirmita
Narasimhan)</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>E-mail</strong>:<span class="MsoHyperlink"> nirmita@cis-india.org</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Mobile
No</strong>:
098458 68078</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Address:</strong> D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff
Chambers, No.14 Cunningham Road, Bengaluru: 560052.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/application-to-msje-on-web-accessibility-measures'>http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/application-to-msje-on-web-accessibility-measures</a>
</p>
No publishersachia2009-03-25T11:33:59ZPageResponse from MSJE on fund allocation
http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/response-from-msje-on-fund-allocation
<b></b>
<p><u>RTI MATTER</u></p>
<p> <u>MOST IMMEDIATE</u></p>
<p align="center">F. No 32-6/2009 DD III</p>
<p align="center">Government of India</p>
<p align="center">Ministry for Social
Justice & Empowerment</p>
<p align="center">(Disability Division III)</p>
<p align="right">Room No 630, Wing A,</p>
<p align="right">Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi</p>
<p align="right">Dated 23.02.2009</p>
<p>To</p>
<p>Ms Nirmita Narsimhan,</p>
<p>D2, 3<sup>rd</sup> Floor, Sheriff
Chambers,</p>
<p>14, Cunningham Road,</p>
<p>Bengaluuru-560052</p>
<p>Sub.:- Information sought by Ms Nirmita
Narsimhan under RTI, regarding.</p>
<p>Sir,</p>
<p>I am directed to refer to your letter
dated 28.01.2009 received in this Ministry on 02.02.2009 under RTI
Act 2005, on the above mentioned subject and to say that the
information in respect of this division is as under-</p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Serial No</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Question</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Reply</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<ol><li>
<p> </p>
</li></ol>
</td>
<td>
<p>Please provide us with complete details of the utilization of
3% funds of each department of the central government towards
welfare of disabled persons from the time when the eleventh year
plan came into force, ie, January 2008 – October 2008.</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Information regarding utilization of funds should be available
with the concerned Ministries/Departments, the Planning
Commission, and the Ministry of Finance.</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<ol start="2"><li>
<p> </p>
</li></ol>
</td>
<td>
<p>What are the detailed rules and guidelines which have been
formulated for each Ministry/Department after approval of the
eleventh plan? Kindly provide a copy of the same.</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Identification of specific activities to be taken up by various
Ministries/Departments as a consequence of the directives
contained in the eleventh plan is underway.</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<ol start="3"><li>
<p> </p>
</li></ol>
</td>
<td>
<p>What are the monitoring mechanisms which have been set up at
various levels to monitor progress and implementation of
legislations and policies relating to disability welfare? In case
no such monitoring mechanisms have been set up kindly furnish
reasons and explanation for the same.</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>As per section 2 (a) of the PWD act,
1995, all the Ministries/Departments/State Governments are
appropriate governments and are responsible for monitoring the
progress and implementation of these legislations and policies.</p>
<p><br /></p>
<p>Further, as per section 57 (1) of
the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, protection of
Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, the Central Government
has appointed Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
(CCPD) by notification for monitoring and evaluation of the Act.
The functions of the CCPD are as under—</p>
<p><br /></p>
<ol type="i"><li>
<p>Coordinate the work of the
commissioner.</p>
</li><li>
<p>Monitor the utilization of
funds disbursed by the central government.</p>
</li><li>
<p>Take steps to safeguard the
rights and facilities made available to persons with
disabilities.</p>
</li><li>
<p>Submit reports to the central government on the
implementation of the act at such intervals as that Government
may prescribe.</p>
</li></ol>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<ol start="4"><li>
<p> </p>
</li></ol>
</td>
<td>
<p>Please provide me with information on any other applications
under the RTI act 2005 which have been filed with the Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment requesting similar/related
information and the consequent replies given and action taken by
the departments in those instances.</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>A copy of your application is being sent to all concerned
Divisions in this Ministry for necessary action.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /></p>
<p>2. Appellate authority in the case is
Dr Arbind Prasad, Joint Secretary, Ministry for Social Justice and
Empowerment, Room No 612, A- Wing, 6<sup>th</sup> floor, Shastri
Bhawan, New Delhi, 110001.</p>
<p>Yours faithfully,</p>
<p>(Sd- Kaul)</p>
<p>(Vandita Kaul)</p>
<p>Director DD-II</p>
<p>Tel: 23388541</p>
<p>Copy to:-</p>
<ol><li>
<p>Sri Col. Saran, Director (NII and
DD-I), Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shastri Bhawan,
New Delhi, together with its enclosures seeking information under
RTI Act 2005, by Ms Nirmita Marsimhan. You are requested to please
send reply directly to the applicant under intimation to this
Ministry.</p>
</li><li>
<p>Sri R K Srivastva, Director (DD-IV
& V), Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shastri
Bhawan, New Delhi, together with its enclosures seeking information
under RTI Act 2005, by Ms Nirmita Marsimhan. You are requested to
please send reply directly to the applicant under intimation to this
Ministry.</p>
</li><li>
<p>SMT. Vandita Kaul, Director (DD-II
and DD-V), Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shastri
Bhawan, New Delhi, together with its enclosures seeking information
under RTI Act 2005, by Ms Nirmita Marsimhan. You are requested to
please send reply directly to the applicant under intimation to this
Ministry.</p>
</li><li>
<p>Ms Kamna S Dikshit, Section
Officer (FC and RTI) ), Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment,
Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi, for information.</p>
</li></ol>
<p><br /></p>
<p><br /></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/response-from-msje-on-fund-allocation'>http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/response-from-msje-on-fund-allocation</a>
</p>
No publishersachia2009-03-25T11:27:48ZPageApplication to MSJE on fund allocation
http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/msje-funds-application
<b></b>
<p></p>
<p><a name="OLE_LINK4"></a><a name="OLE_LINK3"> </a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="visualHighlight"><br /></span></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>To</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Shri K.S. Sawhney,</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Director - Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment</p>
<p>Shastri
Bhawan,</p>
<p>Dr Rajendra Prasad Road,<br />
New Delhi - 110 001<br />
Tel: (011) 23387690.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Dear
Sir</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u>Sub:</u></strong> Application for information required under
the Right to Information Act, 2005 regarding the manner of utilization of 3%
funds out of the annual outlay of each department of the Central Government from
January 2008 - October 2008.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Name of the Applicant</strong>: Nirmita Narasimhan</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Address</strong>: D-2, 3rd floor, Sheriff
Chambers, No.14 Cunningham Road, Bengaluru - 560052.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Information Sought</strong>:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">1.
Please
provide us with complete details of the utilization of 3% funds of each
department of the Central Government towards welfare of disabled persons from
the time when the eleventh year plan came into force, i.e., January 2008 -
October 2008.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">2.
What
are the detailed rules and guidelines which have been formulated for each Ministry/
Department after approval of the eleventh plan? Kindly
provide a copy of the same.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">3.
What
are the monitoring mechanisms which have been set up at various levels to
monitor progress and implementation of legislations and policies relating to
disability welfare? In case no such monitoring mechanisms have been setup,
kindly furnish reasons and explanation for the same.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">4.
Please
provide me with information about any other applications under the Right to
Information Act, 2005, which have been filed with the Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment requesting similar/related information and the
consequent replies given and action taken by the departments in those
instances.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">5.
If
the required documents or information are unavailable, please furnish reasons
and explanations for the same. <br />
<br />I request you to kindly
supply the documents in English.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Further
as provided under Section 6 (3) of the Right to Information Act, in case this
application does not fall under your authority, I request you to transfer the
same in the designated time (5 days) to the concerned authority and inform me
of the same immediately.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">To
the best of my knowledge the information sought does not fall within the
restrictions contained in Section 8 and 9 of the Act and it pertains to your
office.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This
to certify that I, Nirmita Narasimhan, d/o late Shri. B.Narasimhan, am a
citizen of India.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">A
fee of Rs. 10 (Rupees Ten Only) has been deposited through
____________________
Dated:_________________</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Place:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Date:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> Sd/- Nirmita Narsimhan<strong> <br /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>(Nirmita Narasimhan)</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>E-mail:</strong><span class="MsoHyperlink"> nirmita@cis-india.org</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Mobile
No:</strong>
- 098458 68078</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Address:</strong> D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff
Chambers, No.14 Cunningham Road, Bengaluru: 560052.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/msje-funds-application'>http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/publications/uploads/msje-funds-application</a>
</p>
No publishersachia2009-03-25T11:25:56ZPage'The Dark Face of Google'
http://editors.cis-india.org/events/the-dark-face-of-google
<b>Talk by Patrice Riemens</b>
<p>The extraordinary rise of Google Inc. from a 'confidential' search site in the late nineties, the heydays of Altavista, to its present preminent status on the internet, has attracted a lot of attention. The admirers see Google as the incarnation of things to come, not only in information retrieval & management, and not even on the Internet only, but in the economy and society as a whole. The nay-sayers variously view Google as a flattening behemoth of digital information, or as a cultural war machine, bent on the Americanisation of the planet, and generally as a mendacious commercial monopoly pretending to 'do no evil' while hypocritically promoting open source, access, and life in general.</p>
<p>Outside this discussion stand an ever growing mass of millions of users who ask no questions, profess neither admiration or hatred (and if so, rather the former), but are happy to use the search engine and the many other services provided by Google. That they hereby gladly if unwittingly contribute to reinforcing the assets of Google, in the words of Yann Moulier Boutang, "the only company in the world that is able to make 14 million people work for it at any given moment, for free", is one of the many starkly under-lighted aspects of this Internet giant's operative mode.</p>
<p>'The Dark Face of Google' is the title of the book written two years ago by the Italian Ippolita Collective, which Patrice Riemens is currently translating. Ippolita's brief is neither eulogizing nor demonising Google, but to understand it, especially in its less advertised aspects. Their aim is to educate Google's users, not to wean them away from it, and to politicise the discussion about search, digital services, and the management of information and knowledge in general. Patrice Riemens will discuss a few points in this context.</p>
<p>* The ways in which Google determines, undermines, or enforces existing power and knowledge structures</p>
<p>* The Google Books Project and how it reinforces IPR tyranny</p>
<p>* Google's local policies and how they affect fundamental civil liberties</p>
<p>This talk, like Ippolita's book, is intended as a general, informed introduction to an issue that has been insufficiently discussed, due to media hype, and the apparent innocuousness of a readily available, extremely fast and effective, free, Internet service.</p>
<h3>Speaker</h3>
<p>Patrice Riemens is a social geographer by education and a private intellectual and internet activist by choice. He is a promoter of Open Knowledge and Free Software, and has been
involved as a "FLOSSopher" (a 'philosopher' of the Free/Libre and Open
Source Software movements) at the Asia Source and Africa Source camps,
held to promote FLOSS among non-governmental
organisations. He is a member of the Dutch hackers' group Hippies from hell.</p>
<p>He has formerly worked with De Waag Center for Old and New Media, an institute housed
in an old castle in Amsterdam, on the cutting edge of technology,
culture, education and industry. Patrice has also been on the staff of Multitudes, a French philosophical, political and artistic monthly journal founded in 2000 by Yann Moulier-Boutang. <br /><a title="Yann Moulier-Boutang (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yann_Moulier-Boutang&action=edit&redlink=1"></a></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/events/the-dark-face-of-google'>http://editors.cis-india.org/events/the-dark-face-of-google</a>
</p>
No publishersachiaLecture2009-03-24T06:51:47ZEventTechnology and the Mediation of Place
http://editors.cis-india.org/events/technology-and-the-mediation-of-place
<b>Talk by Emma Ota</b>
<p>When mediated space surrounds us and our sense of place is increasingly
constructed through technology, how do we locate ourselves? Challenging
notions of location and locality, Emma Ota will present an overview of
two years of research into the mediation of place through technology
and the developments of media art in Asia.</p>
<p>We carry many
locations with us, virtual, physical, psychological and cultural
locations which have a complex relation to each other; this
presentation will consider the impact of new media upon the
construction of these locations and how they interact with each other,
as these technologies increasingly become part of the reality of our
located experience, no longer separate apparatus, not merely a portal
to elsewhere but part of our encounter of place.</p>
<p>When identity,
community and culture are formulated upon mediated experiences we are
led back to Benjamin’s discussion of the loss of aura, debating what
meaning can still lie in the original; yet, arguably, such an original
state has never existed, all phenomena encountered and assimilated
through one form of mediation or another. But to be mediated is to
transform and, as Heidegger has demonstrated, technology presents an
enframing of its content, which may lead to new revealings but also a
loss of that which lies beyond the frame. We have perhaps reached a
stage where we can no longer comment upon mediated localities, but must
turn to the localities of mediation.</p>
<p>These are just some of
the critical debates which Ota has been investigating in her research.
While pursuing theoretical research into this topic, Ota has also
followed studies in Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore
and Indonesia in an examination of new media art provision and
development in East/South East Asia. Interviewing artists, curators,
theorists etc. over the course of a year, a large body of documentation
has been accumulated which will be presented as a small glimpse into
the new media condition of the region.</p>
<h3>Speaker</h3>
<p>Emma Ota
is a curator and researcher based in Tokyo, the Director of Dislocate,
Project for Art, Technology and Locality, and a Researcher at Musashino
Art University, Department of Visual Imaging and Sciences. Her
practices focus upon media arts and international exchange. She has
worked for the media arts organization Trampoline, based in Germany and
the UK and co-curated the Radiator Festival for Art and Technology in
2005. She initiated the project Traversing Territories, fostering
collaboration between students and young artists in Japan and the UK
(which has since continued annually). In 2006 she established the
project Dislocate for art, technology and locality which brings
together international artists and experts in the discussion and debate
of the role of new media in relation to our surrounding environment.</p>
<p>Ota
is guest curator at Ginza Art Lab, an independent artist run space and
was also co-curator of Space Rabi Adesso, Koenji in 2008. Ota is highly
concerned with promoting international cross-cultural communication
between children and is co-founder of Inter-play, an organization which
runs collaborative workshops and projects between children in Japan and
other countries around the world.</p>
<p>Other projects have included
‘The Moon’, a groundbreaking contemporary art exhibition of Japanese
and UK artists held in the historic gardens of Kodaiji Temple, Kyoto,
and ‘A Gift to Those who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the
Marvels of Travelling’, an artist in residency exchange project with
participant artists Erika Tan (UK) and Mio Shirai (Japan).</p>
<p>As a
researcher Ota is investigating the development of media arts in Asia
and its relation to specific social and cultural contexts, in
particular ideas of place, these investigations have led her to China,
Korea, India, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. For more
information please see <a class="external-link" href="http://www.dis-locate.net">www.dis-locate.net</a> and <a class="external-link" href="http://www.eonsbetween.net">www.eonsbetween.net</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/events/technology-and-the-mediation-of-place'>http://editors.cis-india.org/events/technology-and-the-mediation-of-place</a>
</p>
No publishersachiaInternet Governance2011-04-05T04:37:18ZEventOpen Access to Science Publications--Policy Perspective, Opportunities and Challenges
http://editors.cis-india.org/events/oasp
<b>One-day conference on Open Access</b>
<p>Open Access to scientific literature means the removal of barriers, including price and legal barriers, from accessing scholarly work. With the advent of the internet, widespread and easy access to scientific information is facilitating research and innovation, crucial in today‘s knowledge based society. Open Access is not only changing the nature of scholarly communication but even that of scientific work.</p>
<p>To take stock of the current developments as regards Open Access and to highlight some of the issues that would need to be addressed to enable a wider access to scientific information, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is organizing a Conference on 'Open Access to Science Publications: Policy Perspective, Opportunities and Challenges' on 24 March 2009 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.</p>
<p>The conference will cover the emerging global trends in Open Access and focus on what needs to be done in India. This event would be of interest to scientists, social scientists, policy makers, funding agencies, heads and senior managers of academic and research institutions, editors of research journals, etc.</p>
<p>The Conference will have sessions focused on:</p>
<ul><li>Open source and changing research</li><li>Research Impact through Open Access</li><li>Open Access around the World</li><li>The Economics of Open Access</li></ul>
<h3><strong>Date and Time</strong><br /></h3>
<strong></strong>
<p>24 March 2009; 9.00 am - 5.30 pm</p>
<h3>Venue </h3>
<p>India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003 </p>
<h3>
Speakers</h3>
<p>Speakers at the event include:</p>
<ul><li>
Leslie Chan, University of Toronto and Bioline International <a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/%7Echan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~chan/</a> </li><li>John Willinsky, Stanford University and Public Knowledge Project <a class="external-link" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Willinsky">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Willinsky</a></li><li>Samir K Brahmachari, CSIR <a class="external-link" href="http://www.csir.res.in/External/Heads/aboutcsir/leaders/DG/igib/bio1.pdf">http://www.csir.res.in/External/Heads/aboutcsir/leaders/DG/igib/bio1.pdf</a></li><li>Subbiah Arunachalam, Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/about-us/people/distinguished-fellows" class="external-link">http://cis-india.org/about-us/people/distinguished-fellows</a></li></ul>
<p>Please see the programme below for names of the other speakers.</p>
<h3>Contact <br /></h3>
<p>Dr Naresh Kumar</p>
<p>Head, R&D Planning Division</p>
<p>Council of Scientific & Industrial Research</p>
<p>2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi - 110 001</p>
<p>Fax: (+91) 11 23710340, 23713011</p>
<p>Phone: (+91) 11 23710453, 23713011</p>
Email: headrdpd@csir.res.in
<h3>Programme <br /></h3>
<div>
<a name="0.1_table01"></a>
<div align="left">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a name="0.1_graphic02"></a></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<a name="0.1_table02"></a>
<div align="left">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>0900
– 1000 </strong></td>
<td><strong>Registration</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1000 - 1100</strong></td>
<td><strong>Inaugural Session</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1000
– 1005</strong></td>
<td>Lighting of Lamp</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1005 - 1010</strong></td>
<td>Welcome: <strong>Naresh Kumar</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1010 - 1025 </strong></td>
<td>Inaugural address: <strong>Open Source
& changing research</strong>
<p align="justify"><strong>Prof.
Samir K. Brahmachari, DG,CSIR and Secretary DSIR</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1025 - 1100</strong></td>
<td>Keynote address 1: <strong>Global
and Local Support for Making Research and Scholarship Publicly Available:</strong>
<p align="justify"><strong>Prof. John
Willinsky, Stanford University, USA</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1100 - 1130</strong></td>
<td><strong>Tea</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1130 - 1300</strong></td>
<td><strong>Plenary Session I : </strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td><strong>Chair:
Prof. Surendra Prasad </strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1130 - 1205</strong></td>
<td>Keynote address 2: <strong>From
Institutional Repositories to a Global Knowledge Commons:</strong>
<p align="justify"><strong>Prof. Leslie
Chan, University of Toronto, Canada</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td>Presentations:</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1205 -
1225</strong></td>
<td><strong>Eight facts and myths about
open access journals: An experience of eight years and eighty journals: </strong>
<p align="justify"><strong>Dr. D. K. Sahu,
Medknow Publications</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1225 - 1240</strong></td>
<td><strong>Prof. Sunil Kumar Sarangi,
Director, National Institute Technology-Rourkela :</strong> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1240 - 1300</strong></td>
<td><strong>Chair</strong> & <strong>Q&A</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1300
– 1400</strong></td>
<td><strong>Lunch</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1400
– 1530</strong></td>
<td><strong>Plenary Session II :</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td><strong>Chair: Dr. Gangan Prathap</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td>Presentations:</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1400 -
1420</strong></td>
<td><strong>Prof. V. N. Rajasekaran Pillai,
VC , IGNOU</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1420 - 1440</strong></td>
<td><strong>Prof. Mangala Sunder Krishnan,
(NPTEL), IITM</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1440 - 1500</strong></td>
<td><strong>S. Arunachalam:</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1500 - 1530</strong></td>
<td><strong>Chair</strong> & <strong>Q&A</strong> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1530
– 1600</strong></td>
<td><strong>Tea</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1600 - 1700</strong></td>
<td><strong>Panel Discussion on
“Open Access to Science and Scholarship”</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td><strong>Moderator:
Prof. Leslie Chan </strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td><strong>Prof. John Willinsky </strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td><strong>Prof.
K L Chopra</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td><strong>Prof. A S Kolaskar</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <br /></td>
<td><strong>Dr.
RR Hirwani</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>1700
– 1730</strong></td>
<td><strong>Valedictory : Dr. Naresh Kumar
/ Dr. R. R. Hirwani </strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<p> </p>
<h3>Video<br /></h3>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZD9dQA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZD%2BcQA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZD_EQA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZGALgA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZGAfQA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZGCGwA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZGCQAA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZGCfgA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZGiDQA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZGmLwA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZHDfAA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZHEJAA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZHEcAA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZK2YAA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZLTUAA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZLUMAA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZLVFQA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZLVWwA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZLXBQA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZLbEwA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/g_dIgZOXQgA"></embed>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/events/oasp'>http://editors.cis-india.org/events/oasp</a>
</p>
No publishersachiaOpenness2011-04-05T04:39:39ZEventReport on National Workshop on Web Accessibility
http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/blog/report-on-national-workshop-on-web-accessibility
<b>This entry contains links to download a report on a workshop on web accessibility organised by CIS for web developers (16-18 February 2009). </b>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The first
National Workshop on web accessibility for web developers from different sectors
around the country was held at the CSIR premises in Ghaziabad from 16-18<sup> </sup>February <sup></sup>2009. The workshop was organized by the Centre
for Internet and Society (CIS), Bangalore,
and the UN Solution Exchange, and sponsored by NIXI<a name="_ftnref1" href="#_ftn1"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"></span></span></a>. 29
participants attended the workshop on all the three days. <a name="_ftnref2" href="#_ftn2"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"></span></span></a></p>
<p>Please use the relevant links below to read a report on the workshop in the format you prefer.</p>
<p>PDF format: click <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/uploads/CIS%20Accessibility%20workshop%20report.pdf" class="internal-link" title="Workshop report pdf">here</a> to download.</p>
<p>MS Word format: click <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/uploads/CIS%20Accessibility%20workshop%20report.doc" class="internal-link" title="Workshop report word">here</a> to download.</p>
<p>Open Document format: click <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/uploads/CIS%20Accessibility%20workshop%20report.odt" class="internal-link" title="Workshop report odt">here</a> to download.</p>
<div></div>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/blog/report-on-national-workshop-on-web-accessibility'>http://editors.cis-india.org/accessibility/blog/report-on-national-workshop-on-web-accessibility</a>
</p>
No publishersachia2011-08-17T08:50:36ZBlog EntryCan you read me?
http://editors.cis-india.org/news/can-you-read-me
<b>Article by Sahana Charan in the Bangalore Mirror, 11 March 2009</b>
<p>Over 90% of govt websites can’t be accessed by people with disabilities; A Bangalore-based social research organisation has now initiated a nation wide campaign to make the web more accessible to them.</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>Would it come as a shock to you that more than 90 per cent of government websites, including those dealing with social welfare issues, can be of no use to visually or hearing impaired persons or even some senior citizens? At least, that is what the Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) found out when it did a random check on 23 websites of important government organisations. Of the 23 websites that were checked, 21 failed to meet basic standards which could make them accessible to persons with disabilities including those with visual and hearing impairment and motor disabilities.</p>
<p>The study revealed that The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B) websites were the only ones that were designed to meet the needs of all persons including those with disabilities.</p>
<p>When Nirmitha Narasimhan, Programme Manager at CIS, who is visually-impaired herself, ran an automated tool over these websites, she found that most of them failed to meet basic standards. “We carried out accessibility testing on the homepages of 23 sites using an automated tool and of these 21 failed automated verification and only the RBI and IIM-B websites passed verification on the basis of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Priority 1 checkpoints. But even these websites had some problems. Overall the sites that failed the fewest tests were RBI, IIM-B, RTI and CMC Vellore,” she said.</p>
<h3>Access for All</h3>
<p>Considering that some of the websites that failed the accessibility test were important for all citizens, including the Railways, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, RTI and National Informatics Centre (NIC) websites, the research organisation decided to take this exercise forward by launching a national campaign for electronic accessibility. Their campaign has been so successful that they are now in talks with the central government to formulate a draft policy on electronic accessibility.</p>
<p>“Persons who have disabilities such as blindness or low vision, deafness, cognitive impairment and so on are unable to browse through websites like other persons, since they are unable to see graphics, flash presentations, hear audio clips etc. They use technologies such as screen readers (like Jaws and NVDA which read out whatever appears on the screen for a blind user) or other kinds of devices to perform the functionalities associated with using the computers. For deaf persons, it is necessary to have captioning for an audio clip to tell them what is being played,” says Nirmitha. But she adds that even for assistive technologies to be used, the websites need to have built-in features that will make them accessible to everyone.</p>
<h3>Guidelines</h3>
<p>“Most websites have features such as graphics which cannot be interpreted by technologies such as screen readers. In such a case, the website creator has to take care to give alternative texts which describe what the graphic is about. For instance, under a picture of a dog on a website, there should also be a line describing the picture,” adds Nirmitha, who is now working with web developers across the country to create awareness about guidelines for creating a website.</p>
<p>The World Wide Web Consortium (www) has come out with guidelines on how to build websites which are accessible to persons using assistive technologies. These guidelines are called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and address the needs of all disabilities and inabilities. “In the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and many other countries, it is mandatory to implement these guidelines for all websites. Since ours is an internet-savvy nation, it is high time these rules were made mandatory here,” says Nirmitha.</p>
<p>CIS has conducted a series of workshops for web developers from organisations including NIC, JNU and many voluntary agencies so that they could incorporate WCAG. In Karnataka, all government websites are designed by NIC, so it goes without saying that none of them are disabled-friendly.</p>
<h3>Their Own Site Too</h3>
<p>Karnataka has over 9.4 lakh persons with disabilities of whom at least 10-15 per cent are able to use assistive technology and can access the net. In Bangalore city alone, close to one lakh persons are disabled and quite a few of them have knowledge of computers.</p>
<p>But it is a pity that the website of the Directorate for the Welfare of the Disabled and Senior Citizens cannot be accessed by people who need to use it the most.</p>
<p>Forget being disabled-friendly, the website has not been updated since 2007 and the gallery section still shows pictures of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.</p>
<h3>What the guidelines say</h3>
<p>For sites which have graphics, alternative text should be given at the bottom describing the graphic for the benefit of visually impaired persons.</p>
<ol><li>For the hearing impaired, video clips should be accompanied by text running at the bottom of the clip so that they will know what is being said.</li><li>Flickering text that cannot be deciphered by a screen reader (a technology used by the visually impaired that reads out test on the computer screen aloud) should be avoided.</li><li>For those with motor impairment, options can be given to avoid the use of mouse and where only one single key could be used. <br /></li></ol>
<p>
-----</p>
<p> To read the article at the Bangalore Mirror website, click <a class="external-link" href="http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=10&contentid=20090311200903110104094299c3f999f&sectxslt=&pageno=1">here</a>. </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/news/can-you-read-me'>http://editors.cis-india.org/news/can-you-read-me</a>
</p>
No publishersachiaAccessibility2011-04-02T16:11:00ZNews ItemScholarly Communication in the Age of the Commons
http://editors.cis-india.org/events/scholarly-communication-in-the-age-of-the-commons
<b>One-day conference on Open Access</b>
Organised by National Aerospace Laboratories (as a part of their Golden
Jubilee celebrations), Indian Academy of Sciences and Centre for
Internet and Society
<h3>
Background<br /></h3>
<p>
Open-access (OA) literature is digital, online, free of charge, and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. OA removes price
barriers (subscriptions, licensing fees, pay-per-view fees) and
permission barriers (most copyright and licensing restrictions) and
ensures free availability and unrestricted use.</p>
<p>In today’s knowledge-based society, the advent of the Internet and
widespread and easy access to scientific information are facilitating
research and innovation. Open Access is not only changing the nature of
scholarly communication but even the way research is carried out.
Indeed Open Access is the bedrock on which the emerging Global Research
Library initiative is being built.</p>
<p>
Scientists and scientific institutions in India - some of them, to be
precise - have moved up in the value chain in that they access
information and disseminate their findings often through barrier-free
electronic channels. Out of about 3,900 open access journals, India
accounts for 108 titles as seen from the Directory of Open Access
Journals. The major Indian publishers of OA journals are Indian Academy
of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, MedKnow Publications and
National Informatics Centre. According to the Registry of Open Access
Repositories there are 40 open access repositories in India including
those at Indian Institute of Science, National Aerospace Laboratories,
National Institute of Oceanography, Raman Research Institute, National
Institute of Technology - Rourkela, and Indian Institutes of
Technology. Prof. Samir Brahmachari, Director General of CSIR, has
initiated the Open Source Drug Discovery programme as an alternative to
the traditional patent-driven model of drug research. Recently CSIR
has adopted an open access policy. Indian National Science Academy is
one of the early signatories to the Berlin Declaration.</p>
<p>
Thus Open Access - both for accessing worldwide information and for
making our own research more visible - is not new to India. But one
must admit that considering the size of India's research and higher
education enterprise what we have achieved so far is utterly inadequate
and incommensurate with our ambition to become a knowledge power. We
have a long way to go. And the first step is to adopt open access
nationwide.</p>
<p>
This one-day “Conference on Scholarly Communication in India in the Age
of the Commons” is organized to take stock of the current developments
in Open Access and to highlight the issues that would need to be
addressed to enable a wider access to scientific knowledge and to
enhance the visibility of research performed in India.</p>
<h3><strong>Date and Time</strong><br /></h3>
<strong></strong>
<p>26 March 2009; 9.30 am - 5.00 pm</p>
<h3>Venue <br /></h3>
<p>S R Valluri Auditorium, National Aerospace Laboratories, (Old) Airport Road, Bangalore</p>
<h3>Speakers</h3>
<p>Speakers at the event include:</p>
Prof Leslie Chan, University of Toronto and Bioline International <a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/%7Echan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~chan/</a>
<p>Prof John Willinsky, Stanford University and Public Knowledge Project <a class="external-link" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Willinsky">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Willinsky</a></p>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Willinsky" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>
<p>Please see the programme below for names of the other speakers.</p>
<h3>Contact <br /></h3>
<p>Dr I R N Goudar</p>
<p>Scientist ‘G’ and Head, ICAST</p>
<p>National Aerospace Laboratories</p>
<p>
Airport Road, Bangalore-560017</p>
<p>Telephone: (+91) 80 2508 6080</p>
<p>Fax: (+91) 80 2526 0862</p>
<p>Email: goudar@nal.res.in</p>
<p>While you can register on the spot, we encourage you to kindly register through e-mail. Please provide name, designation, address, contact telephone number and e-mail address. Participants may make their own arrangements for travel and accommodation.</p>
<h3>Programme</h3>
<p><strong>9.30 am-10.15 am -- Inaugural session</strong></p>
<p>Welcome by Dr I R N Goudar</p>
<p>About the conference: Prof Subbiah Arunachalam</p>
<p>Talk by Prof D Balasubramanian</p>
Remarks by Dr A R Upadhya
<p> </p>
<p><strong>10.15 am-10.45 am -- Tea</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>10.45 am-11.35 am -- Prof Leslie Chan, University of Toronto and Bioline International</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>11.35 am-12.25 pm -- Prof John Willinsky, Stanford University and Public Knowledge Project</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>12.25 pm-1.15 pm -- Dr D K Sahu, MedKnow Publications</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>1.15 pm-2.15 pm -- Lunch</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>2.15 pm-2.45 pm -- Mr Sunil Abraham, Centre for Internet and Society</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>2.45 pm-4.15 pm -- Panel discussion</strong></p>
<p>Moderator: Prof P Balaram</p>
<p>Panelists: Subbiah Arunachalam, Leslie Chan, N V Sathyanarayana, A R Upadhya, and John Willinsky</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4.15 pm -- Tea</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
VIDEOS
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTmg0A"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTmmwA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTnVsA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTnjwA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTujAA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTunUA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTvB0A"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTvRkA"></embed>
<embed height="250" width="250" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYGTvV4A"></embed>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/events/scholarly-communication-in-the-age-of-the-commons'>http://editors.cis-india.org/events/scholarly-communication-in-the-age-of-the-commons</a>
</p>
No publishersachiaOpenness2011-04-05T04:37:37ZEventGetting the net out of its web
http://editors.cis-india.org/news/getting-the-net-out-of-its-web
<b>Article by Malvika Tegta in Daily News and Analysis (DNA), 8 March 2009</b>
<p>Artists, academicians, tech heads and lawyers have come together to give the country a voice in technology, study, polity and discourse, says Malvika Tegta</p>
<p>-----<br />The Internet has changed lives in ways we haven't stopped to grasp — the real feeding into the virtual and the other way round. Also, how the Internet interacts with individuals varies across cultures and societies. Narratives on the medium originating in the West cannot size up the complexities of the developing world. In the absence of a voice from the "global south" in affecting the direction of the Internet, technologies continue to be designed for a certain kind of end user, with underlying assumptions. "That apart, as the Internet grows, it doesn't necessarily always grow for the better, with things like cyber terrorism, cyber bullying, pornography, identity theft, gambling, internet addiction, being the by-products of the information revolution," says Nishant Shah, director-research and one of the brains behind the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), initiated in August 2008, set up to take note of what we passively allow to direct our lives.</p>
<p>These are the issues that led Gibraltar-based Anurag Dikshit, co-founder of PartyGaming, parent company of online poker site PartyPoker.com, to think that "the time had come for India to have a voice in technology study, polity and discourse, as we quickly find ourselves becoming an Information Society". He, along with Alternative Law Forum's legal theorist Lawrence Liang, Shah and Sunil Abraham, brought CIS into being, pooling in the finest minds from the field of arts, academia, law and technology. CIS, since, has set out to produce local and contextual histories of the Internet to make voices "emerging out of Asia more visible in international dialogues around technology".</p>
<p>Their approach: research, awareness and advocacy. Their goal: to make sense of how the Internet is changing the world around us, with India at the heart.</p>
<p>CIS looks at, among other things, the way copyrights, closed standards and an absence of public policy in certain areas have affected access, innovation and kept the Internet from being less democratic and vibrant. "Copyright law is kind of a monolithic thing, like a 'one size fits all' kind of solution for encouraging creativity. It doesn't really work especially when you look at an equitable system of access," says programme manager Pranesh Prakash. He adds: "Copyright proves to be a huge barrier to promotion of accessibility, and in the Indian context needs some kind of relaxation." Programme manager at CIS, Nirmita puts this in perspective, in the particular case of internet access for the visually impaired and those with cognitive disabilities. "A blind person cannot read the written word, so you record an audio cassette or you have an e-version of it and a screen reader reads it for you. That inverts the conversion of a format, which is not permitted legally under the copyright law in India. Every time you want to convert it, you need to take permission of the copyright holder. So what that is essentially doing is depriving you of your right to read," she says. "Our country should have a law that is universal. We have signed United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that says that everything on the Internet should be in accessible formats, but it's not binding and we don't have a law on it."</p>
<p>In the area of science and academics, copyrights pose another challenge, that of impeding innovation by keeping from the taxpayer, results of at least the research that is funded by tax a notion CIS has been pushing for. "Scientific literature is propounded on the principles like everyone is allowed to review it and that knowledge spreads to a number of people," says Prakash. Both the scientist and the reader want that. But what we see today is that a few publishers control most of all scientific literary output, so most of it is not accessible because a month's subscription sometimes amounts to the entire library budget of an institution. That is especially a big problem for developing countries.</p>
<p>By the end of this year, CIS hopes that individual institutions take up open access policy. "It may not always have to be a top down approach," he says.</p>
<p>In the realm of governance, CIS identifies use of closed standards software as not only unwise strategy, but also socially and ethically a bad decision, and is looking at policy change in the area. Explains Sunil Abraham, director-policy, in his paper: "If I were to store data, information or knowledge in .doc, .xls or .ppt format, my ability to read my own files expires the moment the licence for my copy of Microsoft Office expires." He adds that governments have a responsibility to use open standards, especially for interactions with the public and where the data handled has a direct impact on democratic values. "In developing countries, governments have greater responsibility because most often they account for over 50% of the revenues of proprietary software vendors," he writes.</p>
<p>They are also exploring bridging digital divides without ignoring the "complex interplay, in the case of India for instance, of caste, language, affordability, education, literacy, and in some cases, even religion" and how the Internet is changing the landscape of higher education in India.<br />As Shah puts it: "Internet technologies are now becoming tools that we think with. We cannot write without the cursor blinking on an empty screen, we cannot talk in public without the aid of a digital presentation..."</p>
<p>It's about time, then, that we thought about the one thing that's becoming one of the bigger movers in our lives and build a discourse around it. </p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>To read the article in DNA's e-paper, click <a class="external-link" href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/dnabangalore/newsview.aspx?eddate=3/8/2009&pageno=14&edition=20&prntid=2819&bxid=27996052&pgno=14">here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/news/getting-the-net-out-of-its-web'>http://editors.cis-india.org/news/getting-the-net-out-of-its-web</a>
</p>
No publishersachiaResearch2011-04-02T16:11:22ZNews Itemvhg4
http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/histories-of-the-internet/blogs/the-cyborgs/uploads/vhg4.jpg
<b></b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/histories-of-the-internet/blogs/the-cyborgs/uploads/vhg4.jpg'>http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/histories-of-the-internet/blogs/the-cyborgs/uploads/vhg4.jpg</a>
</p>
No publishersachia2009-03-02T06:26:52ZImage