AnnuAl RepoRt

09-10

the Centre for Internet

& SocietyAnnual Report:

1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010

contentsHighlights ..................................................................................... 3

Researchers At Work ................................................................... 4

Digital Identities ........................................................................... 8

Digital Learning And Pedagogy ................................................... 10

Accessibility .................................................................................. 14

Intellectual Property Rights ......................................................... 18

Openness ...................................................................................... 21

Internet Governance ................................................................... 26

Others Projects ............................................................................ 29

Telecom / Broadband ................................................................... 31

Media Coverage ........................................................................... 33

Credibility Alliance Norms Compliance ...................................... 35

highlights• The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) and the Institute of Network Cultures,

Amsterdam entered into a collaboration to produce a Reader titled Critical Point of View ontheWikipediaandtobuildaWikipediaknowledgenetwork.ThefirstofthethreeeventsWikiWarswashostedon12and13 January2010atTheEnergyandResearch Institute,Bangalore. The second event was held in Amsterdam on 26 and 27March 2010. Theevents brought together scholars, researchers, academics, artists and practitioners fromvariousdisciplines todiscuss theemergenceandgrowthofWikipediaandwhat itmeansfor the informationsocietieswe inhabit.Thirty fourparticipants from15countriesmadepresentationsaboutWikipediaandtheknowledgeecologywithinwhichitexists.Theeventsmarkedthebeginningoftheprocessthathopestoproducethefirstcriticalreader–Critical Point of View thatcollectskeyresourcesforresearchandinquiryaboutWikipedia.

• CIS inpartnershipwithHivospublishedareport,Digital Natives with a Cause?,whichdocumentsthescholarship,research,practicesandpoliciestoidentifytheknowledgegapsinunderstandingpotentialsforsocialtransformation,politicalparticipationandsustainedlivelihood in the youth – technology practices in emerging information societies in theGlobalSouth.

• CISalsoenteredintoresearchcollaborationswiththeCentreforStudyofCultureandSociety,BangaloreforThe Networked Higher Education Initiative,aprojectontechnologyandeducation.ThreeprojectsarebeingconsideredundertheNHEI.ThesearethePathwaysProject,theIndiaArchivesProjectandtheInstitutionalRepositoriesforLearning.

• UndertheHistoriesofInternet,CISinitiatednewprojects.TheseincludeRevolution 2.0 byDr.AnjaKovacs,Gaming and Gold byArunMenon,Internet, City and Public Space byPratyushShankarandQueer Histories of the Internet by Nithin Manayath and Nitya Vasudevan.

• CISdesignedandtaughtcoursesat theCentre forMediaandCulturalStudies, theTataInstitute of Social Sciences,Mumbai,Women’s Studies Centre, Pune University, ChristUniversity, Bangalore, Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, ShanghaiUniversityandtheNewMediaLab,JadavpurUniversity.

• CISisaco-organiserofthenationwideRight to Read Campaign.ItwasinitiatedinChennaiandtakenupinothermetrocitieslikeKolkata,DelhiandMumbai.Thecampaignwastakenuptoacceleratechanges intheprovisionsof theIndianCopyrightAct,1957andgarnersupportfortheWIPOTreatyfortheBlind,VisuallyImpairedandOtherReadingDisabled.

• CIS created aWiki on Accessibility usingWikipedia technology and standards for theNationalInternetExchangeofIndia.

• CISisastrategicpartnerofInclusivePlanetinthepolicyaspectsoffurtheringanagendaofinclusioninaccessforeducationthroughICT.CISalsopowersthecontentdatabaseforInclusivePlanet’sportalforVisuallyImpairedPersons.Ithasmorethan2000registeredusersacross75countries,and14,300books.

• CIScampaignedforeducatingIndiansoftwareprofessionalsandcompaniesontheproblemscreatedbysoftwarepatentsviaacampaigninvolving10000handbills,250posters,andameetingtodebatetheutilityofsoftwarepatentsandnumerouspostingsinvariousonlineforaandviralmarketingviaTwitter.

• InresponsetotheUSSpecial301Report,ConsumersInternationalbroughtoutanIPWatchList.CIScontributedthe India Country Report fortheWatchList.

• CISalsowasthemainorganiserofMaps for Making Change: Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to Support Struggles for Social Justice in India.Thiswasafive-monthprojectthatprovidedactivistsandsupportersofmovementsandcampaignsforprogressivesocialchangeinIndiawiththeopportunitytocollectivelydebateandexploreindetailthepotentialofdigitalmappingasatooltosupporttheirwork.Twoworkshopswereheld.ThefirstonewasinNewDelhiandthesecondinAhmedabad.

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RAW is a multidisciplinary research initiative. CIS believes that in order to understand the contemporary concerns in the field of Internet and society, it is necessary to produce

local and contextual accounts of the interaction between the Internet and socio-cultural and geo-political structures. To build original research knowledge base, the RAW programme has been collaborating with different organisations and individuals in order to focus on its two year thematic of Histories of the Internets in India. Under this programme, five projects which were initiated since September 2008 are now coming to a completion:

Asha Achutan Affiliation:CentreforContemporaryStudies,IndianInstituteofScience(IISC),Bangalore Project: Rewiring Bodies Thisprojectwasconceivedinanattempttopreparethegroundforthefieldof

critical technologystudies in India, thusprovidingbetterpurchasepoints thanhithertoavailable foranadequate response to technology,both in the formofpolicyandcritique.

Itbeganwiththeporositiesofthepresent,visibleinpreliminaryunderstandingsof digital technologies, and has been looking through that lens at the historyof technology. It uses thewomen – technology relationship as a unique entrypointofinvestigation.KavitaPhilip(UniversityofCalifornia),IrvineandSanilK. (DepartmentofPhilosophyat IIT,Delhi),haveagreed towrite theprefaceandintroductiontothemonograph.AcurriculumdevelopedfromthisresearchhasbeenacceptedtobetaughtattheWomen’sStudiesCentreattheJadavpurUniversityasapilotproject.Thefinalmonographisputupforpublicreview.

Rochelle Pinto, Aparna Balachandran and Abhijit Bhattacharya Affiliation:DepartmentofEnglish,UniversityofDelhi,DepartmentofHistory,Universityof

DelhiandCentrefortheStudyofSocialSciences,Kolkata Project: Archive and Access Thisprojectisanattempttolookatthewaysinwhichthenotionofthearchive,

the role of the archivist and the relationship between the state and privatearchiveshasundergoneatransitionwiththeemergenceofInternettechnologiesin India.

Layingoutatheoreticalreviewofthehistoryoftechnologiesofarchivinginthecountry,theprojectaimsatbuildingcasestudiesofpublicandprivatearchivesinthecountryandtheneedsforalocalcapacitybuildingnetworkofhistorians,archivists,technologistsandstatebodieswhichexploitsthedigitalandInternettechnologiesforbuildingnewarchivesofIndianmaterial.NotedhistorianShahidAminhasagreedtowritetheprefaceforthemonograph.

TheprojecthasfoundfurthersupportfromtheDorabjiTataTrust,wherefunds

researchers at work

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havebeenmadeavailabletodocapacitybuildingandtrainingworkshopsoveraperiodofoneyear,undertherubricofPublicArchivestobuilddigitalcataloguesandrepositoriesacross20differentprivatecollectionsandarchives.

Event AworkshopwasorganisedattheCentreforCultureandSociety.Librariansand Organised: archivistsfrom20institutionsacrossthecountryparticipatedintheevent.

Zainab Bawa Affiliation: CentrefortheStudyofCultureandSociety Project: Transparency and Politics Inthisproject,ZainabBawavisualisestheemergenceofInternettechnologies,

the rise of e-governance initiatives and the ways in which the rhetoric of‘transparency’hasinformeddifferentwaysbywhichtherelationshipbetweenthestate and the citizen in India have been imagined.

The project produces case-studies of various e-governance models that havebeenvariouslyexperimentedwithinIndia,toseehowtheInternettechnologiesthrough their material presence, through different paradigms of interaction,andthroughtheimaginationinpolicyhavebroughtaboutasignificantchangein the state – citizen relationship. The project lays out a review of practices,policiesandscholarshipinthefieldofe-governanceinIndiaandaimstoproducedemonstrativecase-studiesoffailedandsuccessfule-governanceinitiativesinthecountry.

Event Asapartoftheproject,aroundtableseminartitledOfTransparency–When Organised: theStateWatchesItselfwasorganisedatCIS,invitingstake-holderslikeBarun

Mitra,PeterGriffithandDinaMehta.

Namita Malhotra Affiliation: TheAlternativeLawForum,Bangalore Project: Pornography and the Law Thisprojectprovidesahistoricaloverviewof thepublicand legal imagination

of the Internet as promoting obscenity, pornography and Western behaviourwithin the Indian society.Drawing fromdifferent discourses andmedia forms,it foregrounds the relationship that technology haswith the construction andimaginationofpornographytoemphasisetheneglectandmakinginvisibleoftheaffectivevalueofpornography–pleasureinthisdiscourse.

Lookingatpleasureandthesocio-legalconstructionsofpleasureandhowit issituated in thediscussionsaroundInternetandpornography, theprojectoffersinsights into ways by which Internet pornography can be de-demonised anddealtwith as a socio-cultural phenomenon.Namita’s project also feeds into aparallelinvestmentintheproductionofadocumentaryfilmonCensorshipandSurveillanceinAsiawhichissupportedbytheOpenNetInitiative.AnexcerptofthedocumentarywasairedattheInternetGovernanceForum(IGF)andcanbeaccessedonCIS.

Ashish Rajadhyaksha Affiliation: CIDASIA,CentrefortheStudyofCultureandSociety,Bangalore Project: Re-thinking the Last Mile Problem Theprojectproposesthatthe‘lastmile’isacommunicationstermwhichhasa

specificIndianvariant,wheretechnologyhasbeenmappedontodevelopmentalist–democraticprioritieswhichhavepropelledcommunicationstechnologiessinceat least the inventionof theradio in the1940s.Forat least50yearsnow, the‘lastmile’hasbecomeamodeof a techno-democracy,where connectivityhasbeendirectlytranslatedintodemocraticcitizenship.Ithasprovidedrationaleforsuccessive technological developments, and produced an assumption that thefinalfrontierwasjustaroundthecornerandthatInternettechnologiesnowcarrythesameburdenofbreachingthatlastmajorbarriertoproduceatechno-nation.

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Beginningwithaninquiryintothepre-digitaltechnology-staterelationship,theprojecthopes toprovideahistoryandananalysisof thecontemporaryhistorybylookingatvariousstateinitiativesforproducingdigital/Internetidentitiestoarguethatthetheoryofthe‘lastmile’hasbeenfoundedonfundamental(mis)apprehensionsaroundjustwhatthisbridgeconstitutes.Theproject istoresultintoabook.NokiawasoneofthepartnersforthecoursecalledDigitalClassroom,whichwastaughtatChristUniversityinBangalore.

Anja Kovacs Affiliation: Fellow,CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore Project: Revolution 2.0? This project explores the emerging field of online activism in India.Although

theymayattractthelargestnumbersofactivistsoffline,themanyso-called‘new’socialmovementsthathaveemergedsincethe1970sandwhichremainimportantactorspushingforsocialchangeseemmostconspicuousbytheirrelativeabsenceonline.Instead,middle-classactorsaddressingmiddleclassaudiencesonmiddleclassissuesseemtobetheflagbearersofInternetactivisminIndia.

Bymapping the actors, audiences,messages andmethods privileged by onlineactivismas it isemerging in India, this researchhopes tomakeabeginning tounderstanding theways inwhich such activism reconstitutes receivednotionsof activism and activists in the country.As online activism, in the process ofitsmaterialisation, reworksmaster narratives, and refashionswhat are seen as‘appropriate’processes,methodsandgoalsforpoliticalengagement,whatarethenewcontoursofthepublicsphere—ofwhichthelargerlandscapeofstrugglesforsocialjusticeinIndia,too,ispart—thatemerge?

Pratyush Shankar Affiliation: CentreforEnvironmentalPlanningandTechnology,Ahmedabad Project: Internet, Society and Space in Indian Cities The project concentrates on exploring the relationship between city spaces

andtheriseofInternettechnologiesinIndia.Withateamofstudentsfromthefieldsofarchitectureandurbandesign,Shankarinvestigateshowtheaesthetics,mechanicsandpoliticsofITaffectthebuiltformoftheglobalisedcitiesinIndia.Intheintroductiontotheproject,helaysoutthetheoreticalandpracticebasedframeworksthatinformcontemporaryspace-technologydiscoursesintheabovementioned fields.Theproposal articulates theconcerns, theanxieties and thelackofspace-technologydebatesinthecountrydespitetheoverwhelmingwaysinwhichemergenceofInternettechnologieshasresultedinmaterialandimaginedpracticesofpeopleinurbanisedIndia.

The project draws variously from disciplines of architecture, design, culturalstudiesandurbangeography to startadialogueabout thenewkindsofpublicspaces that inform themakingof the ITCity in India.Theproject alsohas acomic strip visual introduction.

Arun Menon Affiliation: ResearchConsultant,CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore Project: Gaming and Gold Theprojectaimstoexamine‘attention’asaconduitformaterialandnon-material

transactionswithinandoutsideofgameworlds.Thisincludestheinternalmarketin the gameworld aswell as the secondarymarketwhich operates outside ofthegameworld.Thepossibilitiesoftransactionin‘attentioncurrency’andtheintricacies of the ‘attention economy / gaming economy’ in the gameworld isexploredthroughaseriesofposts.

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Nitya Vasudevan and Nithin Manayath Affiliation: CentrefortheStudyofCultureandSocietyandMountCarmelCollege,Bangalore Project: Queer Histories of the Internet Through this project, Nitya Vasudevan andNithinManayath bring forth the

relationship between queer identity and technology. The Internet is treatedasasiteofknowledgeandpractice, involvingnot just the imagined individualwithhisorherpersonal computerbut asphysical spaces, categoriesof subjectformation,waysofknowing,aestheticsandmodesofidentification.Theprojectwilltheoreticallyinterrogatetherelationshipbetweentechne/technologyontheonehandandidentity(sexualorotherwise)ontheotherwheretechnologyandidentityaredefinedinabroadfashion.

It will also locate the arguments in a specifically Indian context to tease outculturalspecificitiesofthenatureofthequestionsbeingaskedandthecontoursof the possible answers and follow the case study approach including cases ofeventsandjudgments.Debatesshallbeconductedtoexplorehowthequestionoftechnology(oritslackthereof)isimplicatedinbeingandactingqueer,andtolookathowaqueerhistoryoftheInternetastechnologywouldreadorunderstandsuch an event or an occurrence.

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digitalidentities

CIS has interest in developing Digital Identities as a core research area and looks at practices, policies and scholarships in the field to explore relationships between Internet, technology

and identity.

Digital Natives with a Cause?A Knowledge Survey and Framework by Nishant Shah and Sunil Abraham

Youthareoftenseenaspotentialagentsofchangeforreshapingtheirownsocieties.By2010, theglobalyouthpopulation isexpected to reachalmost1.2billionofwhich85percentresideindevelopingcountries.Unleashingthepotentialofevenapartofthis

groupindevelopingcountriespromisesasubstantialimpactonsocieties,especiallynowwhenyouths thrivingondigital technologies flooduniversities,work forces, andgovernments andcouldfacilitateradicalrestructuringoftheworldwelivein.So,itistimewestartlisteningtothem.Althoughthereismuchattentionforthepotentialimpactofyouthase-agentsofchange,thereislimitedknowledgeaboutthesubjectandthisknowledgeismostlyfocusedonWesternsocieties.

Asyoungergenerationsgrowingupinemerginginformationsocieties learn toengagewith theirgeo-politicalandsocio-culturalenvironments,aformof technology-mediated identity, popularlydubbedas‘DigitalNative’hasbeenattheheartof a growing public and intellectual debate.Movingbeyondtheexistingresearchinthisarea,whichoriginatesintheNorthWesterncountriesand takes theperspectivesof ICTdevelopmentor adult-centric concern, we seek to constructa developmentalist perspective that aims to explorethelargerfieldofyouth,technologyandengagement with specific questions at hand:What constitutes a Digital Native Identity and how do we theoretically and conceptuallyunderstand this new form of technology-mediatedidentity?Whataretheimplicationsforthesame?Whatistheformofcurrentknowledgeinthisareaandwhatnewquestionsneedtobeposed in order to look at youth and technology interaction towards social transformation andpoliticalparticipation?Whataretheknowledge

gapsinexistingscholarshipandpracticethatneedtobebridgedtoarticulateanuancedandcontextuallysensitiveapproachtowardsunderstandingDigitalNativesandtheirlives?Digital Natives with a Cause? firstmapsthepopularcharacteristicsofDigitalNativesthathavebeen

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atthecentreofalldiscourseinthefield...thereviewalsoconsiderssomeofthemostinfluentialmodelsoftheorisationandconceptualisationfromvariousdisciplinesthathavecontributedtotheunderstandingoftheDigitalNative,andoffersamorenuancedwayofdealingwiththeiridentities,ratherthanmerelywiththeiractions.

HivosisparticularlyinterestedinthesystemicchangesthattheseDigitalNatives,ase-agentsof change, induce in their socio-cultural andpolitical environments andhaspartneredwithCIStoassessthestateofknowledgeontheintersectionbetweenyouth,ICTandengagementworldwideandwithaspecificattentionfordevelopingcountries.

Children’s Forum on the Internet and New MediaAtalocallevel,forapilotintervention,on28August2009,CISpartneredwiththeRangashankaraTheatre,ITforChangeandtheatrepersonKirtanaKumarReddy,tohostaday-longworkshopfordigitalnatives inBangalorewhichresulted inanopen-floordiscussionbetween28youngusersoftechnologyandotheradultsonthechangesthattheInternettechnologiesareusheringin their lives.

The Promise of Invisibility – Making of an IT CityNishantShahspentsevenmonthsonthisresearchproject,whichwasfundedbyAsiaScholarshipFoundation,Thailand,inShanghaiUniversity,fromJanuarytoJuly2007.Thepaper,Promise of Invisibility – Making of an IT City,whichemergedfromthisproject,hasbeenacceptedforpublicationintheAsiaScholarshipFoundation’sannualpeer-reviewedjournal.TheresearchhasalsobeenturnedintoacourseonImaginingtheAsianITCity.ThiswastaughtattheCentreforContemporaryCulturalStudies,ShanghaiUniversity,China.

Youngsters are all attention during the workshop

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digital learning and pedagogy

CIS and the Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam join hands for WikiWars

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CIS has entered into a collaboration with the Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam, to produce a Reader on the Wikipedia titled Critical Point of View. Three conferences will be held. The three events will bring together researchers, practitioners, artists and stakeholders from

around the world, to build a Wikipedia knowledge network, and feed into the Reader. The first of the three events, WikiWars was hosted in Bangalore on 12 and 13 January 2010. The second event was held in Amsterdam on 26 and 27 March 2010, it built upon the debates and discussions that were initiated at the first event.

Critical Point of View: WikiWars 12 & 13 Jan ’10, Bangalore CISand the InstituteofNetworkCultures,AmsterdamhostedWikiWars–an internationalevent that brought together scholars, researchers, academics, artists and practitioners fromvariousdisciplineson12and13January2010.Thirtyfourparticipantsfrom15countriesmadepresentationsaboutWikipediaandtheknowledgeecologywithinwhichitexists.Eightpanelsacross two days dealtwith fourmajor thematic areas: Education, Pedagogy andKnowledge;Resistance,DiversityandRepresentation;PoliticsofFree,OpenandExclusionandCollaborationandProductionandDesign.ShunlingChen,StuartGeiger,BeatrizMartinandDiptiKulkarnispokeontheWikiTheory,MarkGraham,AlokNandiandDrorKamirspokeonGlobalPoliticsofExclusionandLindaGross,HeatherFord,EladWiederandNathanielTkaczspokeaboutCritiqueofFreeandOpeninthefinalsessiononthefirstday.

Onthesecondday,UshaRaman,NupoorRawalandSrikietTadepalispokeonWikipediaandEducation,WilliamBuetler,EricIlyaLee,TawilehandZonaYi-PingTsouspokeonWikipediaandthePlaceofResistance.JohannaNiesyto,EricZimmerman,StianHåklevandHanTengLiaospokeonWikipediaandCritiqueofWesternKnowledgeProduction.Finally,ScottKildallandNathanielSternandRutJesusandAnneGoldenbergpresentedWikipediaandArt.

Critical Point of View: WikiWars 26 & 27 Mar ’10, Amsterdam

Thesecondeventwasheldon26and27March2010atthePublicLibrary in Amsterdam near the

AmsterdamCentralStation.Itwasagainco-organisedbyCISandtheInstituteofNetworkCultures.Theeventbuiltuponthe debates and discussions initiated at theWikiWars that launched off theknowledge network in Bangalore inJanuary2010.

RamonReichert, JeanetteHofmann,MathieuO’Neil andGerardWormser spoke onWikiTheory,JosephReagle,CharlesvandenHeuvel,DanO’SullivanandAlanShapirospokeontheEncyclopaediaofHistories,ScottKildall,PatrickLichtyandHendrik-JanGrievinkspokeonWikiArt,FelipeOrtega,StuartGeiger,RichardRogersandHansVergheseMathewswerethespeakersforWikipediaAnalytics,AndrewFlamiglietti,TeemuMikkonen,FlorianCramerandLawrenceLiangspokeonDesigningDebateandMayoFusterMorell,AmitBasole,MajavanderVelden,AthinaKaratzogianniwerethespeakersforGlobalIssuesandOutlooks.

Networked Higher Education Initiative (NHEI)

Continuing its efforts at exploring new pedagogic practices influenced by networked campuses and the rise of ubiquitous connectivity, CIS collaborated with the HE Cell at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS), to explore the incipient and informal learning and

knowledge production practices in undergraduate colleges and networked campuses in the country. The initiative has a research component that explores the education – technology policies in the country and builds a database of e-education programmes and models available. The implementation component, which shall be spearheaded by the HE Cell, looks at building of institutional repositories for the students and faculty to publish and disseminate their own research and scholarship to feed into curriculum development in social sciences in India. The projects being considered under the NHEI are:

Pathways Project:HECell’sinitiativeonsocialjustice,incollaborationwithCIS,hasinitiatedthe Pathways ProjectforLearninginHigherEducation.ItissupportedbytheFordFoundation.Underthisproject,nineunder-graduatecollegesindifferentpartsofIndiawillbeidentifiedtoprovide special skills in livelihood,knowledgeandtechnology tounderprivilegedstudents inthosecolleges.Workshops,training,facultydevelopment,curriculumbuildingandsettingupofinstitutionalrepositoriesforknowledgeareallpartofthisthreeyearproject.

The Pathways Project had its firstorientationatCSCSon19and20February2010.Nineparticipating colleges from the three states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala senttwoprofessors each.St.AloysiusCollege,Mangalore,Dr.A.V.BalingaCollege,Kumta, andVidhyavardhaka College, Mysore, all from Karnataka, St. Xaviers College, Mumbai, SIES,MumbaiandAhmednagarCollege,Ahmednagar,all fromMaharashtra,andFarookCollege,Kozhikode,UnionChristianCollege,AluvaandNewmanCollege,Thodupuzha,allfromKeralaparticipated in the orientation.

Institutional Repositories for Learning: TheNHEIaimstobuildaconsortiumofeducationalinstitutions,academicorganisations,universitiesandundergraduatecollegesinsocialsciencesinIndia,topromotetheestablishmentofOpenAccessInstitutionalRepositoriesthathostacombinationofpeerreviewedandopenlypublishedresearchandacademicmaterial,toinformnewcurriculabuildingandpedagogicpracticesininstitutionsofhighereducationinIndia.Thefirststepforthisprojectwastheformulationofa‘digitalclassroom’coursedesignedandtaughtattheChristUniversity,incollaborationwiththeCIDASIAProgrammeattheCSCS,supportedbyNokiaLabs.Aclosed-door,day-longworkshoponUnderstandingInstitutionalRepositorieswasalsohostedattheCSCS,wherepotentialpartnersfromorganisationsliketheINFLIBNET,OneLaptopPerChild,IndianInstituteofScience,M.S.SwaminathanFoundationandChristUniversitywereinvitedtounderstandanddecideonIRstructuresandmodelsforthefuture.

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Other Events Organised• Experimental Economy Camp (Centre for Internet and Society, 22 November 2009).N.E.W.S.contributorsRenéeRidgway,StephenWrightandPrayasAbhinavpresentedcertainideas,seekingcounter-points,informationandqueries,whichlenddifferentperspectivestothequestionsathand,inordertooutlinepossiblestrategiesandtargets.

• Preserving Digital Memories: APatrimonialApproach:ATalkbyDr.BrunoBachimont(Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore, 10December 2009). CIS co-organised theeventalongwithCSCS.

Events Participated• Inter Asia Cultural Typhoon Conference (TokyoUniversity of Foreign Studies, Tokyo(Japan),3–5July2009).NishantShahpresentedthe‘DigitalNativesReport’.

• Asian Digital Cultures Conference (Academia Sinica, Institute of Ethnology, Taipei(Taiwan),7July2009).NishantShahpresentedapapertitled ‘OfPranksters,JestersandClowns:DigitalNativesandPoliticalEngagementinAsia’.

• Digital Avatars: The Post-human Question (Tata InstituteofSocialSciences,Mumbai(India),21August2009).NishantShahgaveapublictalkaspartoftheCultureCafeseriesattheCentreforMedia,CultureandCommunication.

• Conference on Creating a Lexicon for New Research and Practice in Our Times in collaboration with N.E.W.S., a Dutch organisation (Periferry, Guwahati (India), 30September2009).NishantShahparticipatedinaworkshop‘UnspeakablyMore:Naming,Deframingalexiconforcontemporarycuratorship(ArtafterSpace)’.

• Shadow Search (28October–15November2009).CIS incollaborationwithN.E.W.S.conductedanopencallforproposalstoexploretheuseofnaturallanguagesearchalgorithmsthatareabletofindpeopleandactivitiesthatembodytheselfunderstandingofthekindofartweareseekingwithoutspecificallyusingtheword‘art’orarelatedvocabulary.

• The Future of Moving Image (MediaLab,JadavpurUniversity,Kolkata(India)).NishantShahpresentedaresearchpaperattheinternationalseminarontheFutureofCelluloid.

TeachingCISdesignedfourcoursesandalsotaughtthematthefollowingspaces:• CentreforAdvancedTraininginFreeandOpenSourceSoftware(CATFOSS),Ernakulam:SunilAbrahamgavea lectureonOpen Source Software to CATFOSS students on 13 August2009.CATFOSSisaninitiativeofCDIT.

• Centre forMediaandCultureStudies,TataInstituteofSocialSciences,Mumbai:CreditCourse on ‘Introduction to Cybercultures: An Internet and Society Perspective’. The coursewas taughtbyNishantShahandSunilAbrahamto the finalyear studentsat thecentre,whoproducedblog-postsexploringvariousquestionsastheirfinalassignmentfrom19 to 21 August 2009.

• Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad: ‘Metaphors and Narratives of the Internet’wastaughtbyNishantShahfrom24to26August2009.ThecoursewasofferedasanelectivetofinalyearstudentsintheCommunicationsSchool.Itwasattendedby30studentswhowroteresearchpapersonthechangingpracticeincommunicationsstudiesandindustryduetotheriseoftheInternetTechnologies.

• ChristUniversity,Bangalore:‘Digital Natives: Participation and Pedagogy’.ThecoursewastaughtbyNishantShahon27August2009.Itwasco-designedwiththeHigherEducationCell,CSCS,Bangalore.Thecourse,whichwasco-taughtwiththeHECellattheCSCS,involvedthestudentsinconductingqualitativesurveysthathelparticulatetheconcerns,anxietiesandimaginationsofthedigitalclassroomwithinasocialscienceshighereducationcampus in India.

• Women’sStudiesCentre,PuneUniversity:‘Technology and Gender in Asia’. The course wastaughtbyNishantShah.Thetwodayworkshopheldon24and25September2009wasattendedby40students fromdifferentdepartments in theUniversity, to lookat therelationship between Internet technologies and gender in Asia. The workshop was alsoattendedbysixfacultymembersfromdifferentdisciplinesasacapacitybuildingexerciseforthemtoteachthiscourseintheirowndepartments.

• Christ University, Bangalore: Nishant Shah gave a lecture on ‘Technology for Social Change’ on 12 December 2009.

• MudraInstituteofCommunications,Ahmedabad:NishantShahtaughton‘Metaphors and

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Narratives of the Internet’,2–4February2009.• Goethe Institute and Khoj Artist Collective, Delhi: Nishant Shah gave a lecture on‘TechnologyandCulture’atthefellowshipprogrammecalled“ArtThinkSouthAsia”on23March 2010.

Publications• Outreach and Public Participation: TheInter-AsiaCulturalStudieshasinvitedCIStobeonitsreviewboardforaspecialsectiononInternetandSociety,tobehostedonitswebsite.CIS has also entered into collaborationwith Bibliomagazine, to host a special issue onInternetandSociety,in2010,tobeeditedbytheCISresearchportfolio.

• Reaching the Unreached: Community-based Village Knowledge Centres & VillageResourceCentres’(SuchitNandaandSubbiahArunachalam,MSSwaminathanResearchFoundation, Chennai, ‘Transformative-impact of ICT: Change Stories from Rural India’(Arundhati, Suchit Nanda and Subbiah Arunachalam, MS Swaminathan ResearchFoundation,Chennai,2009).

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accessibilityThe Constitution of India guarantees all its citizens the fundamental rights

to life, dignity, speech, expression and information, including the Right to Read. The ability to seek, receive and impart information and ideas is vital to ensure that all persons are able to participate productively in the cultural,

scientific and economic life of the country. It is estimated that India has approximately 70 million disabled persons who are unable to read printed materials due to some

form of physical, sensory, cognitive or other disability. This includes persons with blindness, learning disabilities such as dyslexia and cerebral palsy and persons who do not have full control over their limbs.

For these people, the material needs to be converted into alternate formats such as Braille, audio or electronic formats (for ex .txt, Word or PDF) which

they can access using assistive technologies. Since publishers as yet do not provide accessible versions of their books readily in the market, very few books are available for those who are unable to read print. The percentage

of available accessible books is as low as 0.5 per cent in India and 5 per cent in developed countries around the world. Under the present legal

regime, the conversion and use of printed material in alternate formats requires the permission of the copyright holders that is more often than not, cumbersome, highly cost ineffective and extremely lengthy.

CIS campaigns for change in this area:

Right to Read (R2R) Campaign Anationwidecampaignwasco-organisedbyCISalongwiththeDaisyForumof India and InclusivePlanet tohighlight

thelackofcontentinaccessibleformatsandsupportcopyrightreformfor the blind, visually impaired and other reading disabled persons. The

campaignisaffiliatedwiththeglobalR2RcampaignstartedbytheWorldBlindUnionin April 2008. Many more national and international organisations have lent their support tothecampaigntoformastrategicnationalrighttoreadalliance.ThecampaignkickedoffinChennaiandwastakenupthereafter,inothercities,namelyKolkata,DelhiandMumbai.ThechiefobjectiveofthecampaignistoacceleratechangeintheprovisionsoftheIndianCopyrightAct,1957,whichpresentlydoesnotpermittheconversionofbooksintoaccessibleformatsforthebenefitofpersonswithprintimpairment.

Right to Read campaign launched in ChennaiThiswasthefirstmajoreventwithrespecttotheRighttoReadcampaign.ItwasheldatLoyolaCollege,Chennaion26September2009.Theaudienceincludedstudents,socialactivistsandvisuallychallengedpeople.About400studentsfrom100collegesaroundChennaiand150NSSvolunteersattended fromoutsideandanalmostequalnumberof studentsparticipated fromwithinLoyolaCollegetomakethisaverylargegatheringofalmost800–1000persons.Theeventwasorganizedbystudentsof theDepartmentofSociologyatLoyolaCollege,Chennai

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incollaborationwiththecampaignmanagers.SreekumarVerma(Writer,SocialActivistandProfessorofCreativeEnglishandEnglishliterature)wasthechiefguest.Otherdignitarieswhohonoured the eventwereDr.N.RajaHussain (ProgrammeCoordinator,NSS,University of

Madras),DipendraManocha(President,DaisyForumof India)and Chandrasekar (Treasurer, National Association for theBlind).Allofthemspokeabouttheneedfortheamendmentandimportanceofspreadingawarenessabouttheissue.Thelaunchwasfollowedbyasignaturecampaignwhereabannersupportingthecampaignwassignedbythedignitariesandotherparticipantsoftheevent.

Right to Read Campaign in DelhiTheDelhiRighttoReadcampaignwasorganisedinLalChowk,PragatiMaidanon30 January 2010.About300–400personswith disabilities from aroundDelhi gathered to protest againsttheinadequacyofcopyrightlawsinIndia.Thisincludedpersonswith blindness and deafness aswell as persons having cerebral

palsy,andothercognitiveandsensorydisabilities.WellknownpersonslikeChrisFriend(WorldBlind Union Representative and Chairman of the Global Right to Read campaign), G.R.Raghavender(RegistrarofCopyrights,MinistryofHumanResourceandDevelopment),JavedAbidi(ConveneroftheDisabledRightsGroup),ManasSaikia(Head,CambridgeUniversityPressinIndia),VivekMehra,(ManagingDirectorandCEOofSagePublications)andDineshKaushal participated in the campaign.

Right to Read Campaign in KolkataThesecondeventoftheNationalRighttoReadCampaignwasheldattheNationalInstituteofJuridicalSciences(NUJS)Calcuttaon7November2009.EminentpersonslikeDr.SuranjanDas(ViceChancellorof theCalcuttaUniversity),ChandrimaBhattacharya(Telegraph)andothers participated at this event.

Right to Read for the Print Impaired and Copyright ChallengesThiseventwasheldon11November,2009inNewDelhi.Itwasco-organisedbyCISalongwiththeNationalInstitutefortheVisuallyHandicappedandDaisyForumofIndiainhonourofthevisitoftheDirectorGeneral,WIPO.ItsoughttoraiseawarenessontheneedsoftheIndiandisabilitycommunitywithrespecttoavailabilityofaccessiblebooks.Leadersfromthedisabilitycommunityattendedandvoicedtheirsupport fortheTreatyfortheBlind,VisuallyImpairedandOtherReadingDisabledwhichiscurrentlyunderdiscussionattheWIPO.TheDirectorGeneralofWIPOalsotookthisopportunitytoexpresshissupportforthecauseandsaidthatWIPOwouldbeopentofundingsmallprojectsfortheVisuallyImpairedcommunityindeveloping countries especially in India.

National Policy for Electronic Accessibility CISisworkingwiththeDepartmentofInformationandTechnology(DIT),NationalCentrefor Promotion of Employment for Disabled People and other civil society and industryorganisationsaroundthecountrytoformulateandimplementanewpolicytoensurethatallIndian informationandcommunicationtechnologiesandelectronic infrastructure(includingtheInternet)andresearchwhichispublicallyfunded,isaccessibletopersonswithdisabilities.IthasbeeninvolvedrightfromthefirstmeetinginJanuary2008andhaspresentedresearchfindingstotheDepartmentofInformationandTechnology(DIT)inordertounderstandthepossiblescopeandapplicationofthepolicy,attendedmeetings,engagedinconsultations,andhelpedwithdraftingthepolicy.NirmitaNarasimhanwaspartofthepolicydraftingcommittee.

AmeetingondraftNationalPolicyonUniversalElectronicAccessibilitywasheldon17August2009 inE-GovernanceHall, FirstFloor,ElectronicsNiketan,CGOComplex inNewDelhi.SunilAbrahamandNirmitaNarasimhanattendedthismeeting.

National Conference on ICTs for the Differently-abled/ Under Privileged Communities in Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship CIS along with Loyola College, Chennai organised a three days National Conference on

Kapil Sibal, Minister of HRD, Govt of India, receives invitation for the R2R campaign

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ICTs for the differently-abled/under privileged communities in education, employment andentrepreneurshipfrom1to3December,2009.Theconferencewassplitintothreetracks:• PresentationsonTechnologyandResearch,• WebAccessibilityforWebDevelopers,and• CapacityBuildingforVisuallyImpairedStudentsSudhirKrishnaswamy(Professor,NUJS)andRajenVarada(Moderator,ICTSolutionsExchange)wereamongstthespeakers.MembersoftheOCRconsortiumanddevelopersofIndianTexttoSpeechsoftwarefordifferentlanguagespresentedtheirworkinthisareaandsoughtfeedbackandsuggestionsastothefuturecourseoftheirwork.Morethan50blindstudentsparticipatedin the third trackwhich includedmodule on confidence building and communication skillswhichwasconductedbyEnableIndia,acivilsocietyinBangalore.

Wiki on AccessibilityAgrantofINR2,00,000wassanctionedbytheNationalInternetExchangeofIndiaforthisproject.CIShascreatedawebsiteonaccessibilityusingWikipediatechnologyandstandards.About 125 articles have been uploaded on the site.

G3ict and CIS CollaborationGlobalInitiativeforInclusiveInformationandCommunicationTechnologies(G3ict)isaflagshipadvocacyinitiativeofUN-GAID,theUnitedNationsGlobalAllianceforICTandDevelopment.G3ictandCIShavecollaboratedonaWhitePapercomparingInternetaccessibilitypoliciesandlegislativeframeworksof17countriesacrosstheworld.ThepaperseekstoidentifyinitiativeswhichdifferentcountrieshavetakentomaketheInternetmoreaccessible.IthasbeenpublishedontheG3ictwebsiteande-AccessibilityPolicyToolkitforPersonswithDisabilities.Thepaperispartofthee-accessibilitytoolkitforpolicymakers,whichwasjointlypublishedbyG3ictandtheInternationalTelecommunicationsUnion.CIShascontributedtoothersectionsofthetoolkitaswellandNirmitaNarasimhanwasamemberoftheeditorialteam.

Call for Comments for Paper on Copyright Law and the Print ImpairedCIScommissionedapaperonCopyrightandExceptionstotheVisuallyImpairedinIndiaandsubmittedittotheMinistryofHumanResourceandDevelopmenttoappraiseitoftheneedsofthe print disabled community.

Response to Call from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for Review of the Copyright ActFICCIhadconstitutedaConsultativeWorkingGrouptoanalysevariousissuesintheCopyrightAct.ThishastheapprovaloftheDepartmentofIndustrialPolicyandPromotion(DIPP).RahulCherian(Advocate,Indojuris)andNirmitaNarasimhansubmittedareportontheprovisionsoftheIndianCopyrightAct,1957withrespecttothelimitationforprintdisabledpersons.TheReportwassubmittedintheformofalettertoSheetalChopra(SeniorAssistantDirectorandHead,IPRDivision)inJuly2009.

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Treaty for Improved Access for Blind, Visually Impaired and Other Reading Disabled PersonsInNovember2008,CIShadorganisedanationwidesignaturecampaigntosupporttheTreatyfor the Blind, Visually Impaired andOther ReadingDisabled proposed by theWorld BlindUniontotheWIPO.CISsentanotherlettertotheDepartmentofHigherEducation,MinistryforHuman Resource andDevelopment, petitioning it to support theWIPOTreaty for thereadingdisabled.InDecember2009,NirmitaNarasimhanattendedthemeetingoftheSCCRStandingCommitteeMeetingontheWIPOinGenevaandpresentedcommentsontheissuesoftheBroadcastingTreatyandtheTreatyfortheBlind,VisuallyImpairedandOtherReadingDisabled.NirmitaNarasimhanalsogavereplycommentstotheUSCopyrightOffice’sCallforCommentsontheproposedWIPOdraftproposaltofacilitateaccesstocopyrightedworksforpersonswhoareblindorhaveother readingdisabilities, in response to theFederalRegisterNoticeof13October2009.

Inclusive PlanetCISisastrategicpartnerofInclusivePlanetinpromotingelectronicaccessibilityforthedisabledand conducting the Right to Read campaign to amend copyright law. CIS also powers the

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contentdatabaseforInclusivePlanet’sportalforVisuallyImpairedpersons.Theportalhasover2000registeredusersatthemomentspreadacross75countries,and14,300books.Atpresent,threestaffmembersofInclusivePlanet,AnantGopal(Head,ProductDesign),UjjvalaBallal(Manager,MarketingandInternationalRelationships)andKumarRay(Head,NewProducts)areworkingoutoftheCISoffice.

Other Events Organised• Third National Workshop on Web Accessibility (Christ Nagar International School,Thiruvananthapuram (India), 25 and 26 September 2009). The thirdNationalWorkshoponWebAccessibility forWeb developers was organised in collaborationwith (Society forPromotionofAlternativeComputingandEmployment(SPACE)andKeralaStateITMission.

• Second National Workshop on Web Accessibility (Centre for Internet and Society,Bangalore(India),5–7June2009).ThetrainerswereRahulGonsalves,DineshKaushaland Dr. Ajay Kolhatkar.

• Bookshare.org Seminar (CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore(India),1July2009).Ademonstrationonbookshare.org(anonlinedigitallibraryforpeoplewithprintdisabilities)washeldinCIS.

• Access India Meet-Up (Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore (India), 16 May2009).Morethan30membersoftheAccessIndiamailinglistgatheredattheCISofficeonCunninghamRoad.PresentationsweremadebyAreaPal, 3I Infotechand iVolunteer.InclusivePlanet,thelargestonlineportalforthedisabledinIndiawasintroduced.

Events Participated• Seminar on Exceptions and Limitations in Copyright (organisedbytheDepartmentofHigherEducation,MinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment,Kochi(India),14and15May2009).LawrenceLiangpresentedapapertitled‘ExceptionsandLimitationsinCopyrightLawforEducation:AnAssessment’,RahulCherianpresentedcommentsonMadhukarSinha’spaper titled ‘LimitationsandExceptions inCopyrightLawfor theVisuallyChallenged intheDigitalContext’andAchalPrabhalapresentedcommentsonG.R.Raghavender’spapertitled‘UseofWorksforSocialandCulturalPurposesintheIndianCopyrightAct,1957’.NirmitaNarasimhanfromCISchairedthesession.

• Workshop on Mainstreaming ICT Technologies for Disabled Persons in the Asia-Pacific Region(Bangkok(Thailand),24–28August2009).TheeventwasorganisedbyG3ICTandITU.NirmitaNarasimhanpresentedapapertitled‘PolicyFormulationforPersonswithDisabilities’.

• 19th WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (Geneva(Switzerland),18December2009).NirmitaNarasimhanattendedthemeeting.

• Civil Society Summit, 2010 (Bangalore(India),26January2010).NirmitaNarasimhanandSunilAbrahammadepresentationsontwodifferentdaysintheevent.

Other Articles• Web Accessibility as a Government Mandate: BrianWesolowskihaswrittenanarticleonWebAccessibilityasaGovernmentMandate.WesolowskiexaminesthisinlightofthestepstakenbyictQATARtomakeitswebsiteaccessibletoW3Cstandards,andhopesthateventuallyallotherArabnationswillfollowsuitandmakeWebaccessibilitymuchmoreofamandate.InthisarticlehereferstothecomparativestudyjointlypublishedbyCISandG3icton global electronic accessibility policies.

• DFI and Cambridge University Press Join Hands for Getting Print Access to the Print Impaired: CIS helped to facilitate an agreement between CUP and DFI for enablingconversion of CUP books into accessible formats. This agreement is to be the globalagreementforCUPinaround60othercountries.

• Reading Options for Persons with Print Disabilities: DipendraManocha(President,DaisyForumofIndia)hasguestbloggedonthereadingoptionsavailablefortheblind.

• Copyright v Fundamental Rights: Rahul Cherian guest blogged about the legal and ethical frameworkaroundtheissueofcopyrightinrelationtoconvertingmaterialsintoaccessibleformatsfortheprintimpaired.

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intellectual property rights

On the Internet the most important components of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are: copyrights, patents and trademarks. The divide between the closed nature of IPRs and the open nature of cyberspace have been discussed in great detail by many scholars, activists and

practitioners. CIS believes that access to knowledge and culture is essential, and that such access promotes creativity and innovation, and helps bridge the differences between the developing world and the developed in a positive manner. Towards this end, it is campaigning for an international treaty on copyright exceptions for print-challenged people, advocating against laws (such as the PUPFIP Bill) that privatise public-funded knowledge, calling for the WIPO Broadcast Treaty to be restricted to broadcast, questioning the demonization of ‘pirates’, and supports endeavours which explore and question the current copyright regime. The endeavour has resulted into the following:

Consumers International IP WatchlistPraneshPrakashpreparedtheIndiasurveyreportfortheConsumersInternationalIPWatchlist,whichisarankingofcountriesbythefairnessandbalanceoftheircopyrightregime,createdinoppositiontoreports(suchastheUSTR’sSpecial301Report)thatsolelypromoteincreasedIPprotectionandenforcement.

National Coordination Meeting on IP & Development, New DelhiThis meeting brought together like-minded Indian groups critiquing IP from a Southernperspective, includingthose fromtheareasofaccess toknowledge(including freesoftware),accesstomedicines,seedsandagriculture,whilelookingatissuesrelatedtocopyright,patents,trademarks,plantvarieties,traditionalknowledgeandtraditionalculturalexceptions.

IPandDevelopment:CISattendedaseriesofworkshopsinthisarea:• World IT Forum 2009 organisedbytheCommissiononSocial,EthicalandLegalIssuesin Hanoi, Vietnam on 26 August 2009. Pranesh Prakash made a brief presentation onintellectualpropertyrights,howill-suitedtheyaretobeconsidered ‘property’ rights,andhowtheyhavebeenimposedonthedevelopingworld.

• Third World Network Meeting on Intellectual Property Rights and Development in Geneva between18and21September2009.SunilAbrahamattendedthemeeting.

• Fifth South Asia Conference on Trade and Development on24November2009inNewDelhi. Pranesh Prakash spoke on Intellectual Property and Development.

• ART Workshop on Art and Social Media heldinBangaloreon16and17January2010.Theworkshopwasco-organisedbyArt,ResourceandTrainingandCIS.AnitaGarimellaalongwithPraneshPrakashtookasessiononCopyright,ArtandCultureIndustryintheAgeofSocialMedia.

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Protection and Utilisation of Public Funded Intellectual Property (PUPFIP) BillThe PUPFIP Bill is a new legislation being considered by the Parliament of India. It wasintroduced in the 2008 winter session of the Rajya Sabha. It is an Indian version of theAmericanBayh-Dole(UniversityandSmallBusinessPatentProcedures)Actof1980.Asperitsstatementofobjectsandreasons,itseekstopromotecreativityandinnovationtoenableIndiatocompetegloballyandforthepublicgood.Itaimstodosobyensuringtheprotectionofallintellectualproperty(meaningcopyright,patent,trademark,design,plantvariety,etc.)thatistheoutcomeofgovernment-fundedresearch.TheIPrightswillbeheldbythegrantrecipientorbythegovernmentiftherecipientdoesnotchoosetoprotecttheIP.Ifintroduced,thislawwouldshiftthefocusofresearch.Researcherswillconcentratetheireffortsonissuesof interestto industrywhichcanhave immediatebenefit.Thiswill forcevital fundamentalresearch intoneglectsince itcannotbecommercialisedwithease. Itwillalsohavechillingeffectsonscholarlycommunicationsandpromotesecrecy.

TheBillhasrequirementsofnon-disclosurebythegranteeandtheresearchertoenablethecommercialisation of the research, and requires researchers and institutions to inform thegovernmentbeforeallpublicationofresearchandleadtoourpillarsoflearningandresearchbecominglikebusinesses.Further,theBillassumes—erroneouslythatintellectualpropertyisthebestandonlywaytopromotecreativityandinnovation.CISbelievesthatthecommendableaimofensuringknowledgetransfercanbeaccomplishedmuchbetterifallofusrefrainfromgiving away to private corporations (whether pharmaceuticalmanufacturers or publishers)exclusiverightstotheproductofpublicly-fundedresearch.Scientistsandresearcherscanbeencouragedtobeconsultantstovariousindustrialprojects,therebyensuringthattheirexpertiseis tapped. Importantly, openaccesspublishingwhichhelps to ensurewidedistributionanddisseminationofknowledgeissurelymoredesirable.CISparticipatedinaseriesofmeetings:

• ConferenceofIndianBayh-Dole:(NUJSAuditorium,SaltLake,Kolkata,12September2009).PraneshPrakashmadeapresentationon ‘Deficiencies inthePUPFIPBill:OpenAccessandAcademicFreedoms’.

• LawyersCollectiveonPUPFIPBillandA2M:(Bangalore,2–4October2009).PraneshPrakash attended this meeting on the PUPFIP Bill, and presented on CSIR patentingstatistics.

• PlanningMeetingon thePUPFIPBill: (NewDelhi, 22December2009).Thismeetingwas co-organised with the Centre for Trade and Development (CENTAD). EighteenparticipantsattendedtocoordinateadvocacyandresearchstrategiesaroundthePUPFIPBill.

• 97thIndianScienceCongress(Thiruvananthapuram,3–5January2010).PraneshPrakashattendedthisannualcongress tomeettopscientistsandsciencepolicypeople fromtheGovernmentforthePUPFIPBillcampaign.

• MeetingwithDepartmentofBiotechnologyandtheDepartmentofScienceonthePUPFIPBill(Delhi,7February2010).PraneshPrakashwasinvitedtopresenthissuggestionsonthePUPFIPBill,afterwhichaconsensusdocumentwascreatedfortheMinisterofScienceandTechnology.

Learning to Floo AnandRamachandran,agraphicartistandvideogameindustryconsultant,wascontractedtoproduce a serialized comic book. Learning to Flooisacomicthatpaintsagrimfuture.Thisisbestcapturedinthestanza,“Youcan’tevenhumatune,orquotefromabook,orhaveasingleoriginalthoughtwithoutpayingalicenseefee.”

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Events Participated• Democracy Biennial (Turin,Italy,22–26April2009).SunilAbrahamparticipatedinthediscussions and expressedpreviouslyunpublishedviewsonpiracy, attribution and the IPregimeinapaneldiscussiononInternetandDeliberativeDemocracywithPhilippeAigrain(Sopinspace),andProf.MarioLosano(Jurist,Univ.PiemonteOrientale)moderatedbyJ.C.DeMartin(NEXACentreforInternetandSociety)attheDemocracyBiennial,Torino25May 2009.

• First Edition of the Biennale Democrazia (Turin,22–26April2009).SunilAbrahamparticipatedinthepaneldiscussionon‘HousingtheDemocraticCity’featuringBillDunsterand Cino Zucchi. Sunil Abraham replied to the questions on the role of democracy incontemporaryurbanform.

• Panel on India (Turin, 22 – 26 April 2009). Sunil Abraham participated in the paneldiscussionon‘DemocracyandIndia’withProf.FedericoSquarcini.

• Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Stakeholders’ Briefing Meeting on the WIPO Broadcast Treaty, (NewDelhi, 8May 2009). Pranesh Prakashmade a presentation onwebcasting,highlightingthedifferencesbetweenwebcastingandbroadcasting,andarguingthatwebcastingshouldnotbepartoftheWIPOBroadcastTreaty.

• Annual Congress of the International Communications Association Pre-Conference on India and Communication Studies (Chicago,21May2009).SunilAbrahamparticipatedinapaneldiscussiononMedia,TechnologyandGovernance.

• Third Annual Conference on Counterfeiting and Piracy organisedbytheConfederationof Indian Industry (India Habitat Centre, NewDelhi, 19 to 20 August 2009). PraneshPrakashattendedtheevent,andmadeinterjectionsfromthefloor.

• WIPO International Forum on the “Creativity Inventions - A Better Future for Humanity in the 21st Century”(NewDelhi,11–13November2009.Theeventwasco-organisedbytheFederationofIndianChambersofCommerceandIndustry(FICCI)andtheDepartmentforIndustrialPolicyandPromotion(DIPP).PraneshPrakashattendedthismeeting,intervenedfromthefloor,andparticipatedonthelastdayaspartofthesub-groupon IP and National Policy.

• National Conference on Copyright Law Limitations and Exceptions: Pranesh Prakash assistedLawrenceLiangforthepapertitled‘EducationExceptions’andNirmitaNarasimhanassistedRahulCherian for the paper titled ‘Exceptions forVisualDisabilities’. CIS is atpresentpreparingtheresponsepaperonSocialandCulturalexceptions.

Other Articles• AchalPrabhalahaswrittenanarticleonAccess to Online Information and Knowledge –

Advancing Human Rights and DemocracyintheGlobalInformationSocietyWatch2009.ThearticlewaspublishedontheCISwebsite.

• SiddharthChadhawas contracted to produce ten blog entries. The published ones are:Are You Game?, Of My Struggle With A Broadband Connection, Steal this Film and the Pirate Bay Trial, Cable TV Technology for Dummies, The Grey Market Deficit, Interview with a Cable Operator, Interview with Jamie King and Peter Mann, At the End of the Niche Optical Pirate, Enforcement of Anti-Piracy Laws by the Indian Entertainment Industry and Piracy Studies in India.

• Ajay Narendran, the architect of Vidya and former Content Manager andWebmaster,AmritaUniversityhasbloggedontheCISwebsite.Hisblogentry,The Project Vidya Story: ‘Study Locally, Learn Globally’attemptstocapturetheexperienceofbuildinganIntranetarchiveatAmritaUniversity,Coimbatore.

Teaching• A lecture on ‘Legal and Technical Control and Resistance on the Internet’ by SunilAbraham at the International School on Digital Transformation in Porto (Portugal),organisedbytheUniversityofTexason24July2009.

• Guest lecture byPraneshPrakashon Intellectual Property and Development at Christ Universityon9March2010.

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openessCIS believes that innovation and creativity should be fostered through openness and

collaboration. The advent of the Internet has radically redefined what it means to be open and collaborative — just try to think of projects such as the Linux kernel or Wikipedia having been developed without the Internet. Even the Internet itself is built upon open standards and free/libre/open source software. Hence, CIS is committed towards promotion of open standards, open access, and free/libre/open source software and its involvement has resulted into these:

Software Patents Bycreatinglegalgridlocksaroundvarioustechnologicalinnovationsharmthefreeandopensourcesoftwaremovementandendangeropenstandards.InIndiaasperthepatentlaw

“computerprogramsperse”arenotpatentable.However,thepatentofficesometimesstill(unlawfully)grantspuresoftwarepatents.Additionally,varioussoftwareMNCshavesoughttogettheIndianlawonsoftwarepatentschanged.TocounterthisCISsoughttoeducateIndiansoftwareprofessionalsandcompanieson the problems created by softwarepatentsviaacampaigninvolving10000handbills,250posters,ameetingtodebatethe

utilityofsoftwarepatentsandnumerouspostingsinvariousonlineforaandviralmarketingviaTwitter.

Events OrganisedMozilla Open Web Talks (TheEnergyandResources Institute,16December2009).Theeventfeatureda20minutetalkbyMozilla’sMarkSurmanonDrumbeat:YouandtheOpenWeb.Mozilla Developer’s Day (Centre for Internet andSociety,Bangalore, 27February 2010).PraneshPrakashmadeapresentationon‘SoftwarePatentsandtheOpenWeb’.

Blog PostPraneshPrakashhaswrittenablogpostonArgumentsagainstSoftwarePatentsinIndia.Inthisposthelooksatthephilosophical,legalandpracticalreasonsforholdingsuchapositionin India.

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Open Video SummitCISorganisedtheOpenVideoSummittodiscussthepossibilities,potentials,mechanicsandpoliticsofOpenVideo.ThisworkshopmodelledafterasimilarmeetinginOctober2008atYaleUniversitydrewtogetherexpertsfromtech,art,film,NGOsandbusinessestoexplorethefutureofonlinevideo.NishantShahsummarisedtheimpressionsandideasthatensuedintheday.

Second Response to Draft National Policy on Open Standards for e-GovernanceCIS sent its comments to the draft version 2 of theNational Policy on open standards fore-governancewhichwasreleasedbytheNationalInformaticsCentre.

Free & Open Source Solutions (FOSS) Community Network India Meeting (FOSSCOMM)FOSSCOMM is a civil society allianceof organizations and individualsworking to promotetheadoptionofFreeandOpenSourceSoftware(FOSS)inIndia.SunilAbrahamandPraneshPrakash from CIS attended the second FOSSCOMM meeting held in Jawaharlal NehruUniversity,Delhi on 4 July 2009. Themeeting discussed the background and gave updatesofthepreviousBangaloremeetingheldinJune2009,itwasdecidedthattheproposedOpenStandardsPolicywillbeapplicableonalle-governanceprojectsofDIT.OtherthingsdiscussedincludedFOSSineducationandwhattheFOSScommunitycandointhis,softwarepatentsandother legal issuesandbuildingapoliticalconsensusaroundFOSSas India’sbestbet fordevelopment.TheFOSSCOMMKarnatakameetingwas held on 15 January 2010. PraneshPrakash participated in this meeting.

Letter to Education Secretary, Government of KarnatakaCISwas a signatory to a letter sent to the Education Secretary,Government ofKarnataka,advocatingtheadoptionofFOSSatstateITacademies.

Interview with Arjen KamphuisCISconductedane-mailinterviewwithDutchFOSSactivistArjenKamphuis.

Free Access to Law – Is it Here to Stay?CIS partnered with the South African LegalInformation Institute and LexUM, Montreal toexamine the sustainability of open access legalpublishing online through a comparative focuson initiatives throughout Asia, Africa, Canadaand Australia. CIS will be overseeing researchin the Asian region, including one research inIndia,Indonesia,HongKongandthePhilippinesrespectively.

The project is funded by the Open SocietyInstituteandtheInternationalDevelopmentResearchCentre.TheCentrewillreceiveatotalofUSD50,000toaccomplishthisworkovereighteenmonths.GraceArmstrong,aninternatCISfromYaleUniversityhasvisitedManila,Jakarta,Bangkok,andKualaLumpurtoidentifypotential researchers. SunilAbraham and local researcher for India, Prashant Iyengar alsotravelledtoJohannesburgfortheorientationmeeting.RecentlyinNovember2009,PrashantIyengartravelledtoDurbanforaMethodologyMeeting.

Aresearchmethodologyguidewasdevelopedandcirculatedtolocalresearchers,preliminaryresearch reports on the legal publishing environments were prepared and a methodologyworkshophasbeenplannedfor13March2010,bringingtogetherthefourlocalresearchersfromeach respective country to reviewproject goals, directions, and tooverall build teamresearch capacity.

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The National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT) A one billion dollar fund was allocated by the Department of Higher Education, Ministryof Human Resource Development to produce the Open Educational Resources. ProfessorArunachalamisaspecialinviteetotheNMEICTworkingcommitteemeetings.

Setting up of Open Access Portal AsaresultofProfessorArunachalam’sadvocacy,theIndianAcademyofScienceshasagreedtosetupanopenaccessportaltoprovidefreeaccesstothefulltextofallpapersbyallfellows.

Initiation of Open Access RepositoryUpon the requestofProfessorArunachalam,anopenaccess repository forMadrasDiabetesResearchFoundationwasinitiated.

Journals from NISCAIRAsa resultofProfessorArunachalam’s advocacy, all the19 journalspublishedbyNISCAIR(CSIR)arenowopenaccess.

Other Events Organised• An Introduction to Chinese Wikipedia: Talk by TingChen: (Centre for Internet andSociety,Bangalore,(India)19September2009).TingChen,aTrusteeontheWikimediaBoardgaveatalkabouttheChineseeditionofWikipedia.

• ICT, Transaction Cost and Development: The Flip Side: (Centre for Internet andSociety,Bangalore,(India)25November2009).Prof.PradoshnathfromNISTADSgaveapresentationonICT,TransactionCostandDevelopment:TheFlipSide.

• Free Culture Roadshow: (IIT-B,TISS,AnnaUniversity, IIT-M,MountCarmelCollege,NLS,CEPT,IndiaInternationalCentre,DelhiandJadavpurUniversity,(allinIndia)7–22December 2009).CIS in associationwithdifferent institutions across India co-organisedthisevent.Thetalkexploredhowvariousconceptionsof“freedom”haveshapedthesocialmovementsforfreesoftware,freeculture,andfreeknowledge,andhowthis ideologyhasmanifesteditselfinrealaction.ElizabethStark,DeanJansenandBenMoskowitzwerethespeakers.

• Creative Common Salon: (Jaaga, Bangalore, December 2009). CIS co-organized thismeeting of artists, copyright lawyers, andCreativeCommons enthusiasts. Jon Phillips ofStatus.Net (and formerly with Creative Commons) spoke on the ideas behind CreativeCommons.

• Opening India’s Spectrum: (CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore,14January2010).RobertHorowitz,directorofOpenSpectrumFoundationgaveatalkabouthispreliminaryfindings.

Events Participated • OAL Methodology Workshop:(Johannesburg(SouthAfrica),28–30April2009).SunilAbrahamandPrashantIyengarattendedtheeventorganisedbyLexUM,CanadaandtheSouthAfricanLegalInformationInstitute(SAFLII).

• PublicKnowledge Project 2009Conference (Vancouver (BritishColumbia), 8 – 10 July2009).Prof.SubbiahArunachalamparticipatedintheconferenceandspokeon‘Scholarly Communication in the Age of the Commons: A Southern Perspective’.

• Eighteenth Meeting of the SAC to the Cabinet (27August2009).ProfessorArunachalamwas invited by Dr. R Chidambaram (Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government ofIndia).Heprovidedhisviewsonintellectualpropertyrightsinpubliclyfundedresearch.

• Second Round of Paris Accord II (Paris(France),23–24October2009).SunilAbrahamparticipatedinsoftwaretrackofthisongoingattempttogetcreatorsandconsumerstogetherforadialogueonIPissues.

• Global Conference on Open Source (Jakarta(Indonesia),25–29October2009).SunilAbrahamparticipatedintheconferenceandmadeapresentationon‘MakingOpenSourcetheDriverforDevelopment’.

• NUID Conference: (Bangalore (India), 23 November 2009). Sunil Abraham, PraneshPrakashandMalavikaJayaramattendedameetingontheNUIDschemeorganizedbytheNUIDA.

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• Software Principles for the Public Sector, with Focus on Public Education (Bangalore(India),1–2February2010).PraneshPrakashattendedthismeetingwhichwasco-organizedbyITforChangeandUNSolutionExchange,andwasattendedbyanumberofbureaucrats.

• iTech Law Conference (Bangalore(India),5February2010).PraneshPrakashpresented‘ArgumentsagainstSoftwarePatentsinIndia’atapanelonsoftwarepatents.

• Meeting at National Institute of Open Schooling on Open Educational Resources (NewDelhi (India),9–12February2010).CIS isactingasaconsultant for theNIOS-IndianConsortium for EducationalTransformation (I-CONSENT) project on developingOpenEducationalResourcesanddeployingthemviapilotcourses.

• Workshop on Wiki Academy (Mangalore(India)22August2009).HariPrasadNadigofsampada.net organised this event.

Wikipedia|Wikimedia Meet-upsWikipedia|Wikimedia meetups are opportunities to make friends with otherWikipedians,discussWikipedia-relatedtopics,andexchangeknowledgeandexperiencesfromtheuniversethatisWikipedia–anonlinecollaborationbymillionsofusersaroundtheworld.

Thusfar,thesemanyhavebeenheldatCIS:• WikipediaBangaloreMeet-up –16August2009• WikipediaBangaloreMeet-up –13September2009• WikipediaBangaloreMeet-up –11October2009• WikipediaSanskritAcademyMeet-up –23January2009• WikipediaMalayalamAcademyMeet-up –21March2009

Other Articles• Second Response to Draft National Policy on Open Standards for e-Governance CISsentitscommentstoversion2ofthedraftoftheNationalPolicyonOpenStandardsfore-Governance.

• Impaired Social Mobility: Leading e-mail providers like Gmail and Yahoo Mail haveintroducedopenprotocolsforcopyinge-mailsofflinethroughMicrosoftOutlookorMozillaThunderbirdbutpopularsocialnetworkingwebsiteslikeFacebook,Myspace,etc.,generallydonotallowtheusertobackuptheirowndata.SunilAbrahamthroughthisarticlepointsoutthatifcompetitionandtechnologicaldevelopmentdonotrectifythesituationthenthegovernmentneedstointerveneforthesakeofitscitizens.

• Open Content and Access in the Knowledge Society: MadanmohanRaohadwrittenanarticleinKMChroniclesonopencontentandaccess.ThisispublishedontheCISwebsiteas a blog entry.

Publications• ‘Open Access: A Giant Leap towards Bridging Health Inequities’ (LeslieChan,SubbiahArunachalamandBarbaraKirsop,BulletinoftheWorldHealthOrganization).

• ‘The Chain of Communication in Health Science:FromResearcher toHealthWorkerthrough Open Access’ (Leslie Chan, Subbiah Arunachalam and Barbara Kirsop, OpenMedicine,Vol3,No3,2009).

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Blog posts by Rebecca Schild• Does the Social Web Need a Googopoly? In this blogpost,Rebeccaposits thatBuzzhighlightstwoprivacychallengesofthesocialweb.First,theapplicationhassidesteppedthe consensual and contextual qualities desirable of social spaces and second,Google’smovehighlightsthe increasinglycompetitiveandconvergentnatureofthesocialmedialandscape.

• The (in)Visible Subject: Power, Privacy and Social Networking: In this blog entry,RebeccaSchildargues that the interplaybetweenprivacyandpoweron socialnetworksitesworksultimatelytosubjectindividualstothegazeofothers,ortoalternativelyrenderthem invisible.

• Reconceptualizing Privacy on Social Network(s) Sites: Inthisblogentry,RebeccaSchildarguesthatassocialplatformsbecomesitesfordiverseformsof‘networking’,privacymustalsobepopularlyconceptualizedascontroloverpersonaldataflows.

• Is Copyright Law Censoring the Art World?Inthisblogentry,RebeccaSchildexaminesthatalthoughartistsarebecomingmorerightsconscious,theincreasingcopyrightabilityofarttodayiscompellingmanyartiststocriticallyrethinktheroleoflawintheartworld.

• After 15 Years, Is Free Access to Law Here to Stay? InthisblogentryRebeccaSchildpoints out that free access to law study will provide future initiatives and existing LIInetworks with proven and adoptable best practices which will support the continuedgrowthofthelegalinformationcommons.

• The Role of ICT in Judicial Reform – An Exploration: Rebecca Schild haswrittenan article about a seminarheld byCommunications andManufacturingAssociationofIndiawhichexploredtherolethatinformationandcommunicationtechnologycanassumeintheprocessofIndia’sjudicialreformefforts.Whethertechnologywillbeharnessedtoactuallyfacilitatemuchneededtransparencyandaccesstothejusticesystem,orbesimplyusedtoimproveefficiencywithinthejudicialbranchstillremainsunclear,saysRebeccainher blog entry.

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internet governance

Although there may not be one centralised authority that rules the Internet, the Internet does not just run by its own volition: for it to operate in a stable and reliable manner, there needs to be in place infrastructure, a functional domain name system, ways to curtail cybercrime

across borders, etc. The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), paragraph 34 has defined Internet governance as “the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” Within the larger field of Internet governance, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a multi-stakeholder policy dialogue forum that was instituted by the WSIS processes and that is their only formal outcome, has fast emerged as one of the key institutions.

As the definition quoted above indicates, a unique feature of the field of Internet governance is that, unlike many other governance spheres, it does not only involve governments. Historically, not only governments but also the technical community and private players have played a crucial role in the development of the Internet. In the context of the IGF, that role is not only explicitly acknowledged but also institutionalised as the IGF formally brings together governments, private players and civil society actors from all areas of and organisations involved in Internet governance. Moreover, now that the open and egalitarian potential of the Internet is increasingly under attack, this unique nature of the IGF, in addition to its WSIS roots, has made it a prime venue to remind stakeholders in all areas of Internet governance of the commitment they have made earlier to building a “people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society” (WSIS Geneva Principles, para 1). During the past year, CIS’s involvement in the field of Internet governance has therefore, taken the following shape:

CIS at the Internet Governance Forum in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

CISparticipatedinthe2009InternetGovernanceForum(IGF)inanumberofways:• SunilAbrahamwasapanellist in themainsessionon ‘Emerging Issues: ImpactofSocialNetworks’, along with Rachel O’ Connell (Chief Security Officer, Bebo), Grace Bomu(Manager,ActorandPolicyAdvocate,Kenya),RebeccaMacKinnon(OpenSocietyInstituteFellow)andSergioSuima(ProsecutorfromBrazil).

• AnjaKovacsspokeonbehalfofthecivilsocietyduringtheclosingceremonyoftheIGF.OtherspeakersincludedShaZukang(UnitedNationsUnder-Secretary-GeneralforEconomicand

Sir Tim Berners-Lee speaking at the event co-organised by CIS

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SocialAffairs),RaulEcheberria (LatinAmericanNetwork InformationCentre),HerbertHeitmann(SAPandInternationalChamberofCommerce)andNitinDesai(ChairpersonoftheIGF).

• AnjaKovacsandSunilAbrahamwere included in thecivil societydelegation toUnder-SecretaryGeneralSha,todiscusscivilsociety’sviewsonthedesirabilityofthecontinuationoftheIGFaspartoftheIGF’sofficialreviewprocess.

• Anja Kovacs was also a panellist in the workshop on ‘Transnationalisation of InternetGovernance’.

• NirmitaNarasimhanwasaspeakerattheworkshopon‘GlobalInternetAccessforPersonswithDisabilities’.

• PraneshPrakashspokeattheworkshop‘GlobalStateofCopyrightandAccesstoKnowledge’.• SunilAbrahamspokeat theworkshopon ‘OpenStandards–ARights-basedApproach’,whichCISco-organisedwithKnowledgeEcologyInternational.OtherpanellistsincludedSirTimBerners-Lee(W3C),RenuBudhiraja (India’sDIT),SteveMutkoski (Microsoft),andRishabGhosh(UNU-MERIT)whileAslamRaffeewasthemoderator.

• CIS also co-organised theworkshopon ‘ContentRegulation, Surveillance andSexualityRights – Privacy, Agency and Security’, together with the Association for ProgressiveCommunications, Women’s Networking Support Programme and the Alternative LawForum.

• Sunil Abraham moderated the meeting of the Dynamic Coalition on Open Standards(DCOSS).CISisnowalsopartoftheDCOSsecretariat.

• InDecember 2009,AnjaKovacswas re-elected as a steering committeemember of theInternetRightsandPrinciplesDynamicCoalition(IRPDC).

CIS was also active in Pre-IGF events:• Finally,CIShasbeenpartofanumberofcivilsocietyinitiativesthathaveprovidedinputsintotheIGFprocessbeforeandaftertheyearlymeeting.Thus,CISjoinedothercivilsocietyorganisationsinsubmitting,inAugust2009,acommentontheDraftProgrammePaperofthefourthInternetGovernanceForum(IGF)callingontheIGFtopaygreaterattentiontohumanrights.InFebruary2010,CISjoinedtheInternetGovernanceCaucus(IGC)insuggestingnetworkneutrality,adevelopmentagendaforInternetgovernanceandInternetrightsandprinciplesasthemestobetakenupinthe2010IGF.Duringthatsamemonth,CISalsosupportedthesubmissionbytheIGCofanOpenLettertoUNSecretaryGeneralBanKiMoon,urgingtheSecretaryGeneralnottobypasstheCommissiononScienceandTechnologyforDevelopment(CSTD)intheIGF’sreviewprocess.

• Pre-IGFMeeting - India inDelhion4November2009.Thismeetingwas calledby theDepartmentofInformationTechnology.AnjaKovacsattendedthemeeting.

Primer on the New IT Act and Comments on the Draft Rules under the Information Technology ActChennai-basedadvocateAnanthPadmanabhanwascommissionedbyCIStoprovidecommentsonthedraftrulesunderthenewITAct.Intheformofacitizens’dialoguehehasprovidedanexhaustiveanalysisonhowtheITAmendmentActandtheRulessoughttobepromulgatedfail toachievetheobjective. Internetandwebhostingserviceproviders,onlinepaymentandauctionsite,andcybercafesareallexamplesof‘intermediaries’underthisAct.TheGovernmentcanforceanyofthesetocooperatewithanyinterception,monitoringordecryptionofdataintheinterestofthesovereigntyorintegrityofIndia.TheStatehasevenbeengivenunbridledpowertoblockaccesstowebsites,vestedwithpowertoauthorizethemonitoringandcollectionof trafficdata and information transmitted.Also if outof anger you sendane-mail causing‘annoyance’ or ‘inconvenience’, youmay face jail. Further, if a journalist, for example, gainsunauthorizedaccesstoacomputerwhereinformationregardingcorruptionbycertainmembersofthejudiciaryisstored,shebecomesa‘cyberterrorist’.InhiscommentsontheDraftRulespublishedbythegovernmentundertheInformationTechnologyAct,Padmanabhanhighlightstheproblemswitheachoftherulesandpresentsspecificrecommendationsonhowtheycanbeimproved.ThesecommentsweresenttotheDepartmentofInformationandTechnology.

The ICANN-US DOC ‘Affirmation of Commitments’ - A Step Forward?On30 September 2009, InternetCorporation forAssignedNames andNumbers (ICANN)signed an Affirmation of Commitments (AoC) with the US Government’s Department of

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Commerce.AnjaKovacs inher blog entry assesseswhether thenewarrangement is a step forward for those of uswho areconcernedthattheInternetshouldservetheglobalpublicgood.Itwasalsopostedonthening-siteofICANN’sNon-CommercialUsersConstituency.

Letter to ICANN on NCSGCIS sent amail to ICANN regarding their attempt to impose their own charter for aNon-commercial StakeholderGroup(NCSG),insteadofacceptingtheonedraftedbytheNon-commercialUsersConstituency(NCUC).

IT Act and CommerceRahulMatthan(Partner,Trilegal)andwidelyratedasoneoftheleadingexpertsoninformationtechnologylawinIndiahasguestbloggedontheCISwebsite.Inthispost,MatthanlooksattheprovisionsintheamendedInformationTechnologyActofinteresttocommerce,namelyelectronicsignaturesanddataprotection.

Other Articles• WhenWhistle Blowers Unite: Sunil Abraham has written an article in which he points out that leaking corporate orgovernmentinformationinpublicinterestthroughpopularWebserviceprovidersisriskybutWikileaks.orgisoneoptionthatcan be tried out.

• InformationandLivelihoods:GlobalInformationSocietyWatch2009carriedanarticle,InformationandLivelihoodsbyProf.SubbiahArunachalam.ThishasbeenuploadedontheInternetGovernancesectionoftheCISwebsite.

• IPv6inIndia:ThePromisesandChallenges:Inthisshortpiece,PraneshPrakashgivesalayperson’sintroductiontotheIPv6Internetwhichwewillbeenteringintosoonandwhatitmeansforthepublic.

• AccessbeyondDevelopmentalism:TechnologyandIntellectualLifeof thePoor:LawrenceLianghadwrittenanessay inresponsetoADialogueonICTs,HumanDevelopment,GrowthandPovertyReduction.ThearticlewhichwaspublishedinthePubliusProjectisuploadedontheCISwebsite.

• ‘ValueAddedServicesofInformation&CommunicationTechnology:MobileTelephonyforFarmersBenefit’:GRaghunatha(StateManager,IFFCOKisanSancharLtd.,BangaloreandSecretary,InstitutionofAgriculturalTechnologists,Bangalore)haswrittenanarticleonhowICT-MobileTechnologycanbeusedforfarmer’sbenefit.

Other Events Organised• FinancialSpeculationasUrbanPlanning:ATalkbyProfMichaelGoldman(CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore,2June2009).

• PassthePacket,Please?TalkbyAshwinJacobMathew(CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore,17July2009).• CommunityInformatics:TalkbyDr.MichaelGurstein.SuccessfullyApplyingInformationandCommunicationsTechnologiesasaSupporttoLocalEconomicandSocialDevelopment(CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore,25February2010).

Events Participated• E-IndiaConference (Hyderabad, (India)26 to28August2009).Thiseventwasco-organisedby theCentre forScienceDevelopmentandMediaStudies(CSDMS)andtheDepartmentofInformationTechnology(DIT).AnjaKovacsattendedthe meeting.

• InternetRightsandPrinciplesDynamicCoalition (IRPDC)Meeting (Geneva, (Switzerland)13September2009).AnjaKovacsattendedthemeetingasamemberoftheIRPDCSteeringCommittee.ThemeetingwasorganisedbytheCoalition.

• EuropeanDialogueonInternetGovernance(EURODIG)Meeting(Geneva,(Switzerland)14and15September2009).AnjaKovacs attended the meeting.

• InternetGovernanceForumPlanningMeeting(Geneva(Switzerland)16and17September2009).AnjaKovacsattendedthemeeting.

• APC InternetPublicPolicyNetworksProjectAdvisoryGroupMeeting (Geneva, (Switzerland) 7 and8February 2010).Uponinvitation,CISjoinedtheAdvisoryGroupofthisinitiativeoftheAssociationofProgressiveCommunications(APC)that seeks to build stronger coalitions among civil society actors in Internet governance. Anja Kovacs attended the Advisory Group’sfirstmeeting,organisedbyAPC.

• InternetGovernanceForumPlanningMeeting(Geneva,(Switzerland)9February2010).AnjaKovacsattendedthemeeting.

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other projects

CISundertakesalsoundertakesothersocialprojectswhichdonotfallunderanyofthecategorieslikeaccessibility,intellectualproperty,orInternetgovernance:

Maps for Making Change: Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to Support Struggles for Social Justice in IndiaCISorganisedthiswithTacticalTech.MapsforMakingChangeisafive-monthprojectthatprovidesactivistsandsupportersofmovementsandcampaignsforprogressivesocialchangeinIndiawiththeopportunitytocollectivelydebateandexploreindetailthepotentialofdigitalmappingasa tool to support theirwork.Participants in theproject reflect the richdiversityof India’s struggles. They include grassroots activists, NGOworkers, artists and researchersworkingonawide rangeof issueswhich include tracing themobility trajectoriesofmigrantworkersconstructingthemetrorailinBangalore,mobilizingslumdwellerstocriticallyengagewithMumbai’s new development plan, monitoring human rights violations by the state inChhattisgarh and mapping services for sex workers in Delhi. The project consists of threeworkshopswhichallparticipantsattend,withtimeinbetweenforparticipantstoreflectanddevelop their ownmapping projects, and to start implementing these. Participants inMapsforMakingChange includedManish Kumar (Ant,Assam),Arati Chokshi (People’s Unionof Civil Liberties, Bangalore), Sumandro Chattapadhyay, (Independent Researcher fromShantiniketan),DevanshiKumar,(YouthforUnityandVoluntaryActioninMumbai),SebastianRodrigues(Mand-Gakwed,Goa)andPonniArasu(HousingandLandRightsNetwork,Delhi).Tocommunicateinbetweenworkshops,participantsusetheWikiandtwoemaillists:

First Maps for Making Change WorkshopThe firstMaps forMakingChangeworkshopwasheldattheIndiaIslamicCulturalCentre,NewDelhion3December2009.ParticipantsintheMapsforMakingChangeprojectexploredthepoliticalsignificanceofmapsinIndiaandelsewhere, the ethical and political concernsinvolvedinmapping,andthenewpossibilitiesprovided by digital mapping technologies. They alsofinetunedtheirownprojectsaccordingly,anddrewuparoadmapforthemtofollowinpreparationforthenextworkshop.Thespecialguest during the workshop was Jai Sen fromCACIM,who sharedhis ownexperiences on

mappingwithvulnerablecommunitiesfromthe1980sonwards.

Second Maps for Making Change WorkshopThesecondMapsforMakingChangeworkshopwasheldattheNationalInstituteofDesigninAhmedabadfrom1to3February2010.

Participants explore the possibilities of various digital

mapping techniques during the Maps for Making Change

workshop in Delhi »

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This workshop allowedparticipants to step-by-stepdevelop their own mappingprojects in practice, thinkingthroughquestionsofinformationdesign, and ethical and rightsissues while exploring hands-on different technologies, withthe help from digital activistsand technologists from withinand outside India. Facilitatorsincluded Lars Bromley (American Association for theAdvancement of Science),

Henry Addo (Ushahidi), Hardeep Singh Rai (Guru Nanak Dev College for Engineering,Ludhiana)andAlagesaPandian(MapUnity,Bangalore).

Other Events Organised• Using Social Media for Mobilisation:PanelDiscussionwithDinaMehtaandPeterGriffin(CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore,19June2009).

• Dialogue Systems in Education and Learning: ATalkonDialogueInterfacesforIntelligentTutoringSystems (Centre for InternetandSociety,Bangalore,12 June2009).SrinivasanJanarthanam,aPh.DstudentattheUniversityofEdinburgh,UK,gavealecture.

• ICTs for Improving Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods: (Institute for AgriculturalTechnologists,Bangalore,28August2009).MichaelRiggs(FAO)lecturedonInformationand Communication Technology and e-Agriculutre and how Rural Livelihoods andAgriculturecanbenefitfromICTs.

• Agriculture, ICT and Community: (InstitutionofAgriculturalTechnologists,Bangalore,21 September 2009). Sampada Foundation in collaboration with CIS organised thisevent. Nagesh Hegde’s e-book was launched and Addoor Krishna Rao gave a talk on‘TransformationsinAgriculturalSector’.

• Citizen 2.0: (CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore,23November2009).ApresentationbyMinnaAslamaonexploringresearchquestions,frameworks,andmethods.

• 10 Tactics for Turning Information into Action (CentreforEducationandDocumentation,Bangalore,9December2009).CISalongwithTacticalTechnologyCollectiveandAlternativeLawForumannouncedtheBangalorelaunchofTTC’snewesttoolkit.

• Improving Collective Intelligence (The Energy and Resources Institute, Bangalore,20December 2009).CIS in collaborationwith iMorph, Inc andProgram for the Futureorganizedatweetuptoincreasetheawarenessfor‘improvingcollectiveintelligence’.

• The Cultural Politics of Neo-Pentecostalism in India: (CentreforInternetandSociety,Bangalore24February2010).PradipNinanThomasgavealectureonhisstudyofChristianfundamentalismandCommunicationsinIndia.

Events Participated• WorkshoponSocialMediaforNon-Profits(SaraiFoundation,NewDelhi,21-23December2009). This workshop was organised by FeministApproach to Technology (FAT).AnjaKovacsattendedtheworkshop.

Participants brainstorming in small groups on how to take

forward their own projects during the Workshop in Ahmedabad »

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telecom / broadband

The growth in telecommunications in India has been impressive. While the potential for growth and returns exist, a range of issues need to be addressed for this potential to be realized. One aspect is more extensive rural coverage and the second aspect is a countrywide access to

broadband which is low at about eight million subscriptions. Both require effective and efficient use of networks and resources, including spectrum. Given the importance of communications facilities as essential enabling infrastructure because of the learning and productivity gains, it is imperative to resolve these issues in the common interest of users and service providers. CIS efforts in this area are to facilitate this resolution.

India Study Tour - Report: The South African Telecommunications Sector: Poised for ChangeCIS in collaboration with the LINK Centre, Graduate School of Public and DevelopmentManagement, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa and in association with differentinstitutionsacrossIndiaorganizedalecturetourbySagieChettyfrom19to30October2009.PresentationswereheldattheIndianInstituteofTechnology(IIT),ChennaiandIIT,Mumbai,theInternationalInstituteofInformationTechnology(IIIT),Bangalore,IndiraGandhiNationalOpenUniversity(IGNOU),NationalInstituteofScience,TechnologyandDevelopmentStudies(NISTADS)andJamiaMilliaIslamiaUniversity–allbasedinDelhi.ThevisitconcludedwithmeetingswithofficialsfromtheTelecomsRegulatoryAuthorityofIndia(TRAI).

Articles by Shyam PonappaShyamPonappaisaDistinguishedFellowatCIS.HehaspublishedaseriesofarticlesonTelecomwhicharepublishedontheCISwebsite:• Managing Spectrum: In this article, Shyam Ponappa pointsout that fragmented spectrum holdings reduce efficiency, andbroadbandgrowthandavailabilityhavebeenabysmal.Therefore,thepolicyalternativesevaluatedshouldincludewaystomaximiseutility through conserving resources and facilitating broadbandInternet.TheEmpoweredGroupofMinistersgoaltherefore,shouldbenothingshortofabroadbandrevolution.ThearticlewaspublishedintheBusinessStandardon5November2009.

• Developments in spectrum sharing: ShyamPonappa’sarticlewaspublishedintheBusinessStandardon3December2009.Inthisarticle,Ponappasaysthatnewwaystosharespectrumcan revolutionise broadband in India.

• Plan and Execute for Results: In this article published in the Business Standard on 7January2010,PonappasaysthatgoodSOPsareastartingpointbutthereismoreunderthesurfacethatwillaffectresults.

• Alternative Scenarios: In this article published in theBusiness Standard on 4 February2010,Ponappasaysthatonly48percentofIndiaiscoveredbythetelecomnetworkwithonly20percent ruralcoverage.Hepointsouthowalternativeapproachesmayenhanceextensivecoverage.

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• Understanding Spectrum: InthisarticlepublishedintheBusinessStandardon4March2010,Ponappaexamineswhatisspectrumandhowgovernmentandcommercialdecisionsonthisscientificphenomenonaffectpublicfacilitiesandcosts.

ShyamPonappaalsocarriedoutanextensivestudytoprovideadetailedresponsetotheTelecomAuthorityofIndia:Response to TRAI Consultation paper No. 6/2009: Shyam Ponappa provided a detailedresponsetotheTelecomRegulatoryAuthorityofIndia’sConsultationpaperNo.6/2009‘OverallSpectrumManagementandReviewofLicenseTermsandConditions’.PonappasuggestedthattheTRAIapproachesthetelecompolicyinamannerwhichwillfacilitategreateruseraccessand,moregenerally,bedesignedtoservethepublicinterestinthelong-term.

HepointedoutthatthepublicneedsaregoodservicesforInternet,voiceandSMSatreasonableprices,forexample,comparablepricingfortelevisionandbroadbandandinaccessibleformtomosthouseholds.Healsosuggestedpolicygoals/objectives(basedonneeds)whichwouldbetoadoptthecriteriaoflong-termnetbenefitsinthepublicinterestfordecisions,eschewingshort-termcashcollectionsfromauctionsandfees,adoptapproachtopoliciesfortelecommunicationsservices(notforbroadcasting)thatlimitsthenumberofoperatorsperserviceareainlinewithinternationalexperience,becauseoftheeconomicsofnetworks,providetobroadband(tobedefinedasatleast512kbpsinkeepingwithinternationalnorms)atallfeasiblelocationsinthecountryforallusers,developingincentivesandpenaltiesfavouringgoodruralserviceprovision,withtheemphasisonbroadband,exploringwaystostructurepoliciestoreducecosts/maximizeutilitythroughfacilitiesandresourcesharing,sothatpricescanbereducedwhilemaintaininggoodscopeforinvestmentfromgrowthandprofitsandmonitoroperationsonlineandinterveneactivelywhererevenues(thetotalityof rates/tariffs)are farabovetotalcosts, i.e.,profitsareunreasonable. This is a necessary adjunct to accepting a monopolistic/oligopolistic market structures.

Event Organised• Mobile Tech 4 Social Change: (MotherTeklaAuditorium,Bangalore,4September2009).CISco-organisedthiseventalongwithMobileActive,Women’sLearningPartnershipandMobileMondayBangalore.TheBangalorecampwasaonedayevent.Itwasanexplorationofmobiletechnologytoadvancesocialdevelopmentandsocialchangegoals.Around80people attended this event.

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mediacoverage

• Wiki’sworth,onadifferentturf(Livemint,13January2010)bySunilAbraham• Drawingmapsforchange(TheHindu,3January2010)• Nativeplays(TimeOut,Bangalore)• PushingButtons(TheHindu,1January2010)• Wiredstateofmind(DNA,28December2009)• Whenthevirtualworldgetsaroom(TheHindu,22December2009)• Newspapers should empower citizen journalism (DNA, 21 December 2009) by Sunil

Abraham• Wanttobringsocialchange?Thismapshowstheway(SiliconIndia,8December2009)• Watchwhatyoureadonthatwebsite(DNA,9December2009)• Techiesmappingchange(BangaloreMirror,7December2009)• Booksshutbylawblinkers(TheTelegraph,Kolkata,6December2009)• Present,tense:Futureclassrooms(TeacherPlus,5December2009)byNishantShah• BridgingtheDivide(NDTVHindu,1to3December2009)• Lawyersgetsociallyinvolved:TheRighttoRead(legallyindia.com,3December2009)• Mumbainolonger‘merijaan’(Livemint,20November2009)• CopyrightobstacleforBraille,audiobooks(TimesofIndia,7November2009)• Thedisabledalsograpplewithcopyrightissues(TheHindu,3December2009)• Shantyhome(TimeOutBengaluruMagazine,November13-262009)• CopyrightAccess for theDisabled andCollaborative IPPolicy (SPICY IP, 18November2009)

• RighttoRead,Kolkata(CBRForumE-NewsBulletin,November2009)• ReadingForAll(KolkataMirror,14November2009)• UNOfficialpledgessupporttotackleCopyrightChallengesfortheVisuallyImpaired(UNNewsCentre,11November2009)

• WIPODirectorGeneralPledgesSupportforIndia’sVisuallyImpairedCommunity(WIPOwebsite,11November2009)

• Controlshift?(DowntoEarth,15November2009)byPraneshPrakash• CopyrightobstacleforBraille,audiobooks(TheTimesofIndia,Kolkata,7November2009)• OpenDebate(Frontline,7November2009)• IPv6:Thepromisesandchallenges(DNA,Mumbai,4November2009)byPraneshPrakash• OpenSourcePeluangtidakTerbatasIndustriTIK(GCOS2009)(MediaIndonesia.com)• Youthlightuplives,onebookatatime(DeccanChronicle,10October2009)• TheOptionToRead(thinkopotamus.blogspot.com,October2009)• Internetsceptic?Gogetalife(DowntoEarth,15October2009)byNishantShah• PrintImpairmentsandCopyrights(SpicyIP,1October2009)• NishantShahspokeonwebbasedconsciousness(BBC,October2009)• Readingaclosedbook(Livemint,29September2009)• ‘RighttoReadCampaign’launched(TheHindu,29September2009)• ‘RighttoReadCampaign’launched–Fightingagainstcopyrightregulations(DeccanHerald,28September,2009)

• RighttoReadCampaign(NDTVHinduchannel,26September,2009)

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• Tara Textreader, a boon for the visually-challenged (The Times of India, 26 September,2009)

• AfightfortheRighttoRead(DNA,24September2009)• Handyoriginsofthewindsofchange(DNA,6September,2009)• Class attendance rises after restriction on Internet use (Hindustan Times, 6 September2009)

• Nowonlinebooksfordisabledpersons(DeccanHerald,6September2009)• Highestwikitaker(TimeOutBengaluru)• Pushingbuttonsforsocialchange(TheHindu,1September2009)• DeconstructingInternetAddiction(TheHindu,30August2009)• Changeiscomingthankstothemobile(DNA,29August2009)• Govtacceptspanelreportagainstnarrowingof Indianpatent law(BusinessStandard,18August2009)

• Internet,firstsourceofcredibleinformationaboutA(H1N1)virus(TheHindu,16August2009)byNishantShah

• Piracyboilsdowntoconvenience(DNA,15August2009)• OntheInternet,howmuchistoomuch?(TheHindu,5August2009)• N.C.P.E.D.P. and BarrierBreak Technologies put forward National Policy on ElectronicAccessibility(DisabilityNewsandInformationService,15July2009)

• IsNASSCOManti-OpenStandards?(Techgoss.com,10July2009)• Measuringtheeffectivenessofonlineactivism(TheHindu,21June2009)• OnlineinterestinAdvanirises(TheHindu,15May2009)• DoesIndianeeditsownBayh-Dole?(TheIndianExpress,24April2009)byPraneshPrakash

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credibility alliance norms compliance

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Identity and ValuesCIS was founded and registered as a society in Bangalore in August 2008. As an independent, non-profit, research organisation which is involved in research on the emerging field of the Internet and its relationship to the society, CIS brings together scholars, academics, students, programmers and scientists to engage in a large variety of Internet issues like governance, privacy and freedom of expression, etc. CIS works in the areas of histories of the Internet, digital natives, and a reader on the Wikipedia, enhancing higher education for the downtrodden, and accessibility for the disabled, openness, telecom and Internet governance, etc. CIS also runs different academic and research programmes and is receptive to new ideas and collaborations, projects and campaigns for the public.

Registration No.: SOR/BLU/DR/57/08-09dated04-07-09Registered Office: Centre for Internet and Society, #106, Vineyard Jasmine Apartments, Bank Avenue, 1stMain Road,

Babusapalya,Banaswadi, Bangalore–560043Bankers: StateBankofIndia,RaceCourseRoadBranch,29/4,RaceCourseRoad,TradeCentre,Bangalore–560001Auditors: Nath Associates

GovernanceDetailsofboardmembersason31March2010:Name and Position Occupation / Area of Charges (per Gender on Board Designation Competency month in R)SunilAbraham(Male) Invitee ComputerEngineer IPRReform 1,40,000AchalPrabhala(Male) Invitee Researcher IPRReform NilLawrenceLiang(Male) Secretary Lawyer IPRReform 40,000NishantShah(Male) Invitee Researcher Cybercultures 96,000SubbiahArunachalam(Male) Chairman Scientist(retired) OpenAccess 40,000 and ICT4D VibodhParthasarthi(Male) Member AssociateProfessor Media NilAtulRamachandra(Male) Member SocialWorker ICT4D Nil

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Staff, Travel, and SalariesListofStaff:

Name Designation SunilAbraham ExecutiveDirectorNishantShah Director-ResearchNirmita Narasimhan Programme ManagerPranesh Prakash Programme ManagerPrasad Krishna Publications ManagerAjoy Kumar C. AdministratorRadhaRao ExecutiveAssistantVelankanniRoyson OfficeAssistantAbulHasim SystemAdministratorAnisha Pucadyil Research AssistantGeeta Housekeeper

ListofDistinguishedFellows: ListofInterns:Name Name University ProfSubbiahArunachalam PrashantRamdass GujaratLawUniversityLawrenceLiang GraceArmstrong YaleUniversityShyamPonappa RebeccaSchild UniversityofTorontoListofFellows: AsmaTajuddin NationalLawSchoolofIndiaDr.AnjaKovacs SnehashishGhosh ChristUniversitySelvamVelmurugan AmlanMohanty NationalLawSchoolofIndiaMalavikaJayaram

Sl No Name Destination Total Amount Percentage Of And Purpose Spent in R Expenses 1 SunilAbraham TajikistanandThirdWorldNetwork 81,935.00 OSI+TWN+KUSUMA MeetingonIPR,Geneva2 SunilAbraham A2Kmeeting,Geneva 24,744.00 KUSUMA3 SunilAbraham AnnualCongressofICAPre-Conferenceon 66,854.00 OSI+KUSUMA IndiaandCommunicationStudies,Chicago4 SunilAbraham OSIProject-London 38,364.00 OSI+KUSUMA5 SunilAbraham DemocracyBiennial,Torino 16,176.00 KUSUMA5(a) SunilAbraham OALMethodologyWorkshop,Johannesburg 61,850.00 OAL-LEXUM6 SunilAbraham Hivosmeeting,Amsterdam 101,048.00 HIVOS7 SunilAbraham SpeakingatInternationalSchoolofDigital 46,958.00 UoT+KUSUMA Transformation,Portugal 8 SunilAbraham IPRConference,Beijing 37,788.00 KUSUMA9 SunilAbraham PANAllMeetinginPenang 43,798.00 KUSUMA10 SunilAbraham IGF-Egypt 55,242.00 KUSUMA11 SunilAbraham ParisAccord 84,701.00 KUSUMA+TACD-Paris12 NishantShah FOSSconferenceinJakarta 46,008.00 KUSUMA13 NishantShah MeetingwithHivos,Amsterdam 95,330.00 HIVOS14 NishantShah Boardmeeting(travelfromShanghai) 66,001.00 KUSUMA15 NishantShah DigitalCulturesinAsiaconference ACADEMIASINICA attheAcademiaSinica,Taipei 16 NishantShah BoardMeeting(travelfromShanghai) 73,592.00 KUSUMA17 NishantShah Shanghai-Tokyo-Shanghaifromthe14th 46,644.00 INTERASIACULTURAL June-19thJune2009,fortheInterAsia TYPHOON CulturalTyphoonconference18 NishantShah MeetingwithHivos 90,758.00 HIVOS19 NishantShah ParisRoundTableConferenceand 89,089.00 UNIVERSITYOFSORBONE NEWSworkshop +KUSUMA20 NishantShah TraveltoTokyo 27,000.00 -21 NishantShah CPOV:Amsterdam+meeting 105,566.00 KUSUMA Digital Natives22 PraneshPrakash WITFOR,Hanoi 53,524.00 IFIP+KUSUMA

Thanks & AcknowledgementsWeatCIS,Bangalore,thankourdonor,theKusumaTrust,foritssupportforourwork.Wealsothankoursupporters,especiallythosewhoco-organisedeventswith us and participated enthusiastically at oureventsandourfriendsinthemediawhobroughttheattentionoftheirreaderstoourworkandopinions.

AppealPleasehelpusdefendconsumer/citizenrightsontheInternet!• Writeachequeinfavourof‘TheCentreforInternetandSociety’andmail it tousatNo.194,2nd ‘C’Cross,Domlur,2ndStage,Bangalore–71.

• Volunteerwithus; get in touchbywriting toSunilAbrahamatsunil@cis-india.org

Request for CollaborationTheCentreforInternetandSocietyinvitesresearchers,practitioners,and theoreticians, both organisationally and as individuals, tocollaboratively engage with Internet and society and improve ourunderstandingofthisnewfield.Todiscussresearchcollaborations,visithttp://cis-india.organdwritetoNishantShah,Director–Research,atnishant@cis-india.org.Todiscussadvocacy-relatedcollaborations,write toSunilAbraham,ExecutiveDirector,atsunil@cis-india.org.

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Sl No Name Destination Total Amount Percentage Of And Purpose Spent in R Expenses 23 PraneshPrakash IGF-Egypt 39,361.00 COMMONWEALTHIGF +KUSUMA24 NirmitaNarasimhan ICTConferenceforDisabled,Bangkok 22,193.00 ITU25 NirmitaNarasimhan IGF-Egypt 36,225.00 ITU+KUSUMA26 NirmitaNarasimhan WIPOmeetinginGeneva 50,810.00 KUSUMA27 AnjaKovacs Geneva-IRPDCmeeting,EURODIG 76,749.00 KUSUMA andIGFplanningmeeting28 AnjaKovacs IGF-Egypt 38,081.00 KUSUMA29 AnjaKovacs Geneva-APCInternetPublicPolicy 67,263.00 APC Network30 GraceArmstrong LexumProject-traveltoBangkok, 122,932.00 LEXUM Jakarta,Manila&KualaLumpur31 RebeccaSchild LexumProject-travelto 62,730.00 UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO Durban-November200932 PrashantIyengar LexumProject-traveltoJohannesburg 48,118.00 LEXUM -April200933 PrashantIyengar LexumProject-traveltoDurban 76,517.00 LEXUM -November2009 TOTAL 2,080,056.00

DistributionofStaffaccordingtosalaryason31March2010:Salary plus benefits paid to staff R Male Female Total<5,000 1 15,000-10,000 1 110,000–25,000 1 1 225,000–50,000 3 1 450,000–1,00,000 1 1 21,00,000–1,50,000 1 1Total 7 4 11

Monthlyremunerationofthreehighestpaidemployeesandlowestpaidemployeein R:1,40,000 96,000 55,000 4,500

StaffGenderDistributionason31March2010:Gender Full time Part time Consultants VolunteersMale 7Female 4Total 11

Event Organisers, Sponsors and Partners• AnnaUniversity• Bookshare.org• CentreforScienceDevelopmentandMediaStudies• ChristNagarInternationalSchool,Thiruvananthapuram• CommonwealthFoundation• DaisyForumofIndia,Bangalore• DepartmentofHigherEducation,MinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment• DepartmentofInformationTechnology• G3ICT• GoetheInstitute• Hivos• iMorph,Inc• InclusivePlanet,Bangalore• IndiaInternationalCentre• IndianInstituteofTechnology,Bombay• IndianInstituteofTechnology,Madras• InstituteofNetworkCultures,Amsterdam• InstitutionofAgriculturalTechnologists,Bangalore• InternationalTelecommunication• ITforChange,Bangalore• JadavpurUniversity,Kolkata• KeralaStateITMission• KhojArtistCollective• LexUM,Montreal• LibertyInstitute,NewDelhi• LoyolaCollege,Chennai• MobileActive• MobileMonday,Bangalore• MountCarmelCollege• N.E.W.S• NationalInstituteofOpenSchoolingonOpenEducationalResources• ProgramfortheFuture• RangaShankara,Bangalore• SamarthanamTrustfortheDisabled,Bangalore• SampadaFoundation• ShanghaiUniversity• SocietyforPromotionofAlternativeComputingandEmployment(SPACE)• SouthAfricanLegalInformationInstitute• TacticalTechnologyCollective,UK• Women’sTechnologyPartnership

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Credits Cover Picture MichaelGreenwood

Photographers KiranJonnalagadda Kishore Bhargava

Chapter Pictures SidharthKuruvila Gora Mohanty SridharRaman DeepakJois Meghna Nonkululeko Godana

Design & Layout Paul&Menzel

Printer NationalPrinters, Bangalore

Editor Prasad Krishna

#194, 2nd ‘C’ Cross, Domlur 2nd Stage, Bangalore - 560 071 Karnataka, IndiaTel +91 80 40926283 • Tel/Fax +91 80 25350955 • contactus@cis-india.org