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9th January 2007
Dear Mr.
Prime Minister,
Recognising that the internet constitutes a powerful and
democratic source of information and knowledge, the National Knowledge
Commission (NKC) deliberated on ways to create a series of web portals. These
web portals should become a decisive tool in the popular movements in support
of the right to information, decentralisation, transparency, accountability and
people’s participation. In order to increase openness and enhance accessibility
the NKC recommends the creation of web portals to aggregate, organise and
present relevant and useful content in local languages, in a highly uniform,
customisable, user friendly and personalised way for several key areas related
to basic human needs. In this context the Commission recommends the following:
1. Create national portals for basic needs: National
web-based portals should be set up on certain key sectors such as Water,
Energy, Environment, Education, Food, Health, Agriculture, Employment, Citizen
Rights etc. These would serve as a single point of access for consolidated
information, applications and resources on the sector and will cater to a wide
spectrum of users from citizens, entrepreneurs, small scale industries,
students, professionals, researchers, local practitioners etc.
2. Management and ownership by consortium: While the
government will be a key partner in the initial set up, the portals should be
managed by a consortium with adequate representation from a wide range of
stakeholders from the sector including NGOs, Research and Scientific Groups,
Academic Institutions, Advocacy Groups, Government Agencies/ Departments,
International Bodies, Other Funding Agencies, Private Sector, Technology
Experts, Educators, eLearning experts, etc.
This will ensure that:
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The portal remains a dynamic repository of information from multiple
sources to aggregate content.
- A collaborative model is adopted so that all stakeholders such as
citizens, NGOs, businesses etc. participate in the creation, collaboration,
sharing and discussions in a rich and meaningful way such that information
cannot be monopolized by any one group.
- The portal would have greater community
ownership in order to ensure its success
- Experiences, technology, processes etc.
would be shared between various portals
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