Reports/Feb 2016

News and Events

 * Recognition of Maithili Wikimedians User Group


 * Quick Introduction -
 * Maithili is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal and northern India by 34.7 million people as of 2000, of which 2.8 million were resident in Nepal. It is written in the Devanagari script. It is recognized as one of the largest languages in India and is the second most widely used language in Nepal.
 * Maithili Wikimedians User Group is a group of Wikimedians who work on various wiki projects related to Maithili language. Their mission is to support Maithili Wikimedians in their Wikimedia-related endeavors and to partner with local organizations in their use of Wikimedia projects. For more details, please visit here


 * Meeting between Yohann Thomas (WMIN) & Gaurav Jhammat in Chandigarh on planning of WCI 2016 (7th February 2016)


 * Here are the key discussion points summarized -


 * a. Creation of new email for Organizers of WCI- wikiconferenceindia@wikimedia.in
 * b. Discussions on possibility of hiring event manager to ease work load on Organizers.
 * c. Discussions on Schedule of the event & possible timeline to the event.
 * d. Team creation & management of the event.
 * e. The meeting ended on a positive note with WMIN promising to support the event wholeheartedly till the end.


 * IRC for planning of WCI 2016 to be held in Chandigarh (25th and 27th February 2016)


 * Venue currently decided is CGC, Landran (Mohali). For more details, please click here


 * Wikimedia India Executive Member Noopur Raval resigned with the following reason provided -
 * I have been caught up in other professional duties and the time difference makes it impossible for me to stay up


 * Wikimedia Foundation Stewards elections concluded on 28 February with two users getting elected – Masti and NahidSultan.


 * Team Roles for WikiConference India 2016 opens up. Please sign up here


 * WMIN interns Rudra Pratap Sinha and Srikar Kashyap take charge effective 1 February.

In the Media...
1.	Wikipedia starts working on Google-like search engine project worth $2.5 million IBN Live. 15 February 2016.

2.	The executive director of the organisation behind Wikipedia just resigned. Rob Price Business Insider India 26 February 2016

3.	7 Lakh Users Keep Kannada Wiki Going.Anshuman U Shastry (17 February 2016). The New Indian Expressz

4.	IAMAI suggests ways to spread internet across India. TOI Tech (9 February 2016). The Times of India

5.	India blocks Zuckerberg's free net app. BBC. 8 February 2016

6.	Why aren’t Indians using Wikipedia to hold the government to account?. Scroll Madhav Gadgil (6 February 2016).