Elections 2016/Nominations/Q&A

As part of the 2016 Wikimedia India Chapter EC Election process this is the page for discussion with EC Election Candidates.

Read the questions already asked, before adding your questions by pressing on the New question button on the right. When a new window pops up, type a summary of your question on the subject line, elaborate the same in the body of the text box before saving the page. Please add your wiki signature after your question and add membership number in brackets. The question will be added as a new section to this page. Add this page to your watch list and check back to participate in the discussion. Any candidate can respond to any question.

The suggested timeline for adding questions is April 10, 2017 and the discussions is till April 15, 2017


 * Candidates have time to respond to existing questions till April 14, 2017


 * We have have 18 candidates in the Final Slate.
 * See Profiles at a Glance

= Questions to all candidates =

How would find time for the Chapter, considering other roles
( Picked from IRC 2014 )

Ataullah Khan Kak Cenjary's Response and followups
Hello! Luckily I am in a profession which gives ample opportunity to read and write. In fact read, write and teach is main activity of my profession. I do believe it as a passion too. Hence giving time to Wikipedia is not at all burdensome. Actually it is other way around. i.e. I am happy to give time to Wikipedia. I am giving time to Wikipedia means I am preparing for my class, for my lecture. Whatever time I will be sparing with Wikipedia it is going to be a learning experience.

Harish Satpute's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Harvinder Chandigarh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Jnanaranjan Sahu's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Krishna Chaitanya Velaga's Response and followups
As I am student, will continue in the same role for the next two years, I have a lot of time to contribute. Generally I stay on Wiki for about 2–3 days on working days and even more on weekends, except if I have any special commitments for the week.

Mourya Biswas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Nikhil Kawale's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Raju Jangid's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Rahul Deshmukh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Ranjith Sanjeev's Response and followups
I am working as a freelance programmer. I have flexible timings for work and other activities. So finding time for the activities of chapter is not a big deal. Ranjithsiji (talk) 09:38, 16 April 2017 (IST)

Sanket Oswal's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Santosh Shingare's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Srikar Kashyap Pulipaka's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Subas Chandra Rout's Response and followups
I am a retired person, so all the time is with me. It is no problem for me.

Subham Soni's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Suyash Dwivedi's Response and followups
I own a Business and I can manage my time as I am doing currently.

Viswanathan Prabhakaran's Response and followups
As of now, I have no obligations of clock-based services to any companies, organizations or individuals. In other words, I can spare enough time that is needed for a prospective member of the Executive Committee.

Thank you! INDI-173  വിശ്വപ്രഭ ViswaPrabha Talk 22:25, 14 April 2017 (IST)

Yohann Thomas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

What is the main capability you bring to the EC if elected?
( Picked from IRC 2014 )

Ataullah Khan Kak Cenjary's Response and followups

 * 1) Having Teaching and Training abilities, and also Possessing Life Skills and  Soft Skills, can be considered my abilities which may help the EC in one way or the other.   # In the context of Indic Wikipedia the EC's functions will be multi fold, since the prevailing scenario in India is purely multi lingual.  Here my being  Multi Lingual  [Urdu (ur), English (en), Telugu (te), Malayalam (ml) (Speak, Read, Write) comfortable with Tamil (ta) and Kannada(kn) (Speak)] may help the chapter in particular and the Wikipedia in particular. # A person possessing Creative Skills also having  a Sense of humour may bring cheers  to the EC while facing  challenges. I can quote an incident of helping the team in the Chandigar wiki conference to make new members. (When I came to know about the membership drive, arranged one counter next to the (ice cream) counter.

Harish Satpute's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Harvinder Chandigarh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Jnanaranjan Sahu's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Krishna Chaitanya Velaga's Response and followups
Firstly, as I am from English Wikipedia, specifically the Military history project, which is arguably the largest project on English Wikipedia, I have good exposure to the global community and their expectations towards our commitments. So I can help the chapter in this standpoint. Secondly, as I am a student, I am well exposed to the student community in South India, and a bit in North India. So I can motivate my peers to contribute to the movement by conduction various workshops, edit-a-thons etc. Apart from this as I have been working on the military history domain for the past two-and-a-half years, I am well exposed to the Indian laws and different governmental policies. So I can definitely help with the FCRA thing.

Mourya Biswas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Nikhil Kawale's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Raju Jangid's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Rahul Deshmukh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Ranjith Sanjeev's Response and followups
1 My technical ability of handling different kinds of software like mediawiki, ERPs, CRMs, HRMs, Wordpress etc are a good resource to the chapter. (Remastering of this wiki is done by myself, Created wikilovesmonuments india website http://wikilovesmonuments.in/, created wlus website http://wlus.wikimedia.in/ - check https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ranjithsiji for other wikipedia related projects)

2 My experience of managing different software projects, coordinating different teams, online and offline will be useful to daily functionality of chapter.

3 My experience of creating and managing different kinds of training programs for novice to experts will be useful to chapter. (https://www.slideshare.net/ranjithsiji)

4 As an organizer of state level meeting of Malayalam wikimedians (wikisangamotsavam) for past 3-4 years I can plan and execute various level of gatherings of different communities.

--Ranjithsiji (talk) 09:52, 16 April 2017 (IST)

Sanket Oswal's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Santosh Shingare's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Srikar Kashyap Pulipaka's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Subas Chandra Rout's Response and followups
I am in Odia Wikipedia. I am working so to say from the beginning of the Odia Wikipedia, taking part in all its outreach activities. Personally, I have written more than 700 articles in various types of topics. I have edited in Lilavati's Daughters also. In recognition of my activity, I was selected as Featured Wikimedian in February 2015. In short, I can enrich Wikimedia activities as well as ensure organisational activities.

Subham Soni's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Suyash Dwivedi's Response and followups
More active members and more reach towards central and north India.

Viswanathan Prabhakaran's Response and followups
1. As a former EC member, I have had the opportunity to go through all the difficulties and hurdles faced by the Chapter throughout its time of existence until the end of my tenure. The experience has considerably helped me to analyze and develop better strategies to face the obstacles. If I am elected as an EC member again, I am confident enough to pro-actively pursue and assist the team of the new EC with clarity in thought and vision. 2. I believe that the long many years of my experience as a corporate and project professional and also as a senior contributor, administrator and mentor at the Wikipedia+ missions are important resources that the EC can vest upon.

3. A significant number of contacts and relations that are developed during the previous years by myself (at WMF, WMIN members, Indian Wikimedia communities, Government and institutional agencies and media) can be directly counted as useful resources for the EC.

4. My technical and managerial capabilities can be of high utility to the chapter in its day to day administration.

5. I am fully convinced that to be an EC member is not an easy and rosy opportunity. Rather than being a comfortable and reputable position of luxury, an EC member needs to spare significant time, mental and physical labor and consistent and self-less dedication with no personal gains or returns. Being well aware of this scenario will help me to always think realistically and pragmatically during the course of my being an EC member, if elected.

Thank you! INDI-173  വിശ്വപ്രഭ ViswaPrabha Talk 22:24, 14 April 2017 (IST)

Yohann Thomas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

What would you do differently if elected?
(Picked from IRC 2014)

Ataullah Khan Kak Cenjary's Response and followups
First, I would like to do things without differences with the team. Secondly help the team to do things differently. If this is helping Wikipedia then of course I wont hesitate to put my creativity out from the box to do things differently.

Harish Satpute's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Harvinder Chandigarh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Jnanaranjan Sahu's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Krishna Chaitanya Velaga's Response and followups
If I am elected the first thing I would like to put on is the work regarding the FCRA license. This license has put the chapter through a very tough time. So once the new EC is formed and if I am elected to it, I would love to the complete all the necessary documentation mostly by August or September of this year. So if we apply for the license in those months, it generally takes 3–6 months for processing. So by the next April i.e. April 2018, we must be having the FCRA license. Apart from this, I can regularly keep up with the processing of newsletters and interacting the community.

Mourya Biswas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Nikhil Kawale's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Raju Jangid's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Rahul Deshmukh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Ranjith Sanjeev's Response and followups
My main focus is to address all the wikipedia communities in India. Programs to find new editors, programs to boost edits and number of articles, provide tools to track the growth of these wikis. More plans to enrich wiktionaries in India.

As a pilot programme I made a tool to track an edit-a-thon in wikipedia. We used it in Malayalam and Odia now. (http://tools.wmflabs.org/editathonstat/)

--Ranjithsiji (talk) 10:00, 16 April 2017 (IST)

Sanket Oswal's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Santosh Shingare's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Srikar Kashyap Pulipaka's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Subas Chandra Rout's Response and followups
My focus will be to communicate and interact with all the Wikimedia organisations of India which will serve the purpose.

Subham Soni's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Suyash Dwivedi's Response and followups
Seeing other ways for Fundraising, FCRA license,Collaboration with Govt. Departments and Institutions.also will try to involve Scientist community,educationist of India to contribute in Wikimedia projects so that Wiki becomes more reliable source of knowledge.

Viswanathan Prabhakaran's Response and followups
Having accustomed to the financial obstacles and realized the limited scope for regular and smooth financial resources, I will ponder upon innovative alternate channels and methods to derive sufficient financial backup for a safe and smooth day-to-day and year-to-year operation of the chapter. Such options will be put forward for the consideration of the board in particular and the chapter at large, which if adapted and approved, shall help WMIN overcome most of its ongoing operational hurdles.

Thank you! INDI-173  വിശ്വപ്രഭ ViswaPrabha Talk 22:35, 14 April 2017 (IST)

Yohann Thomas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

How are you going to use the varied experience domains of members for the growth of free knowledge in india
(Picked from IRC 2014)

Ataullah Khan Kak Cenjary's Response and followups
More you use More it will grow. It is told about knowledge. The Mantra of Free Soft ware is the same and it is philanthropic one. The people who turn to this area will be more knowledgeable, more humane, more helpful. They are from different backgrounds with varied experiences hence they hail from different domains.

Harish Satpute's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Harvinder Chandigarh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Jnanaranjan Sahu's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Krishna Chaitanya Velaga's Response and followups
As always, Wikimedia movement is mix of a wide variety of people from different communities working for a same cause, as they "Unity in Diversity". So the cause itself can unite the members to work together for the movement. It is always helpful to have people from varied domains, from different languages, so that the movement can gain attention in a national outlook.

Mourya Biswas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Nikhil Kawale's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Raju Jangid's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Rahul Deshmukh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Ranjith Sanjeev's Response and followups
The main objective of the chapter is this. To achieve this we want make a long term plan to partner with organizations, institutions, agencies from all possible domain. Trying to cooperate with governments, open source communities, student communities etc. --Ranjithsiji (talk) 10:19, 16 April 2017 (IST)

Sanket Oswal's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Santosh Shingare's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Srikar Kashyap Pulipaka's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Subas Chandra Rout's Response and followups
I will collect the the information regarding open source from all members and try to collect the best out of them which will be put to action.

Subham Soni's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Suyash Dwivedi's Response and followups
Will try to utilize there capability as a team to achieve the goal.

Viswanathan Prabhakaran's Response and followups
This is the primary objective of formation of the Wikimedia India Chapter itself. Therefore the primary solution to accomplish this goal is to first strengthen the chapter itself. As a EC Member, I shall explore and endeavour every means to strengthen and widen the engagement of the chapter with various communities of India in order to empower as many citizens of India with open and free knowledge resources and repositories. This will include:
 * Increase the member base of the chapter with much geographic and thematic diversity.
 * Empower within the chapter by constant interactions and symbiotic activities.
 * Establish event-based as well as long-term relations with people, organizations, institutions, media and other catalyst agencies from all possible open and free knowledge circles.
 * Continuously retrospect and re-orient the chapter's strategies, work flow and methodologies to optimize its efforts and maximize its effects.
 * Engage with other like-minded global and domestic structures such as Wikimedia Foundation, relevant Government departments, Free software networks, Creative Commons, archive.org etc.
 * Provide all possible financial and organizational and implementation support to any projects or events aimed at enhancing the same objectives.

Thank you! INDI-173  വിശ്വപ്രഭ ViswaPrabha Talk 22:55, 14 April 2017 (IST)

Yohann Thomas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

How do you plan to attract new Netizens to wikimedia
(Picked from IRC 2014)

Ataullah Khan Kak Cenjary's Response and followups
To introduce new faces to Wikimedia/Wikipedia is a challenging job, since you are introducing the concept of Wikimedia to the learned group. A group which is (generally) more suspicious than anxious. At times more lethargic than enthusiastic. But there is way out too. Simply we have to stick to our task and clear their doubts then hopefully they follow suit. Till date the 11 outreach programmes done on my own (esp in the universities as a part of Seminar presentation 25 to 35 mins presentation) given me the above cited experience. To incorporate students, scholars and  young teachers into Wiki's fold, is rather good idea. It is actually yielding results.

Harish Satpute's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Harvinder Chandigarh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Jnanaranjan Sahu's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Krishna Chaitanya Velaga's Response and followups
"Netizens", as many of the statistics say, students, housewives, retired men and women, make the most traffic. So I say that if we attract them, almost 75% of our work is done. At the same time, we must not neglect the working. Let me explain one on one, when we take students, many of them spend hours together on various social networking sites which is completely unproductive. So if we are successfully able to motivate them to contribute, we can have more contributors. The next thing is housewives, who generally have a feeling of they are being ignored etc. so contributing to Wikipedia and its sister projects can give them an identity and a sort of self-motivation. The same happens with the retired men and women, who would be feeling bored after their work like. So these categories of people will have significantly lot of time to contribute and help the movement. Next to that, we can work up with others. Apart from this, the students from computer science stream or with a good knowledge of programming languages can be motivated to develop bots, which are of great need. All of these goals can be achieved by conducting as many workshops, edit-a-thons at various educational institutions.

Mourya Biswas's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Nikhil Kawale's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Raju Jangid's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Rahul Deshmukh's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Ranjith Sanjeev's Response and followups
This is the key for the growth of future wikipedia. People are more active in smartphones and social networks. Unfortunately wikipedia is not made for these. Not good in editing in smartphones and not good for collaboration. We need to make wikipedia ready for these. We need to build an eco system for self-motivation and social-motivation. Programs like 100wikidays will help and theme based edit-a-thons are a start in this way. --Ranjithsiji (talk) 10:26, 16 April 2017 (IST)

Sanket Oswal's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Santosh Shingare's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Srikar Kashyap Pulipaka's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Subas Chandra Rout's Response and followups
I will try to contact eminent persons and make them aware of Wikimedia movement. I feel, once few of them understand the essence of the movement, we can persuade them to be Icon of the movement. That will serve the purpose.

Subham Soni's Response and followups
..To be updated..

Suyash Dwivedi's Response and followups
Will attract by conducting regular online events on various social media platforms ,like design a poster for wiki,vote for best picture, etc. once they involve, will try to help them to become a Wikipedian.

Viswanathan Prabhakaran's Response and followups
'Attracting new netizens' to the chapter in itself will not carry much meaning if they are also not simultaneously getting engaged with creation and maintenance of free and open knowledge. An immediately available pathway to achieve this will be the promotion of Wikimedia Foundation missions such as Wikipedia, Wikisource, Wiktionary, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata etc. As a board member, I shall myself pursue and better my already active involvement within the Wikimedia ecology. I will use this expertise to absorb even more common internet users to such streams by imparting relevant key knowledge to them. Eventually, my attempts will also be spared to infuse those neo-Wikipedians into the Wikimedia India Chapter thereby multiplying the effects with a sustained and positively upward trend in the growth of both chapter and the Wikimedia (and similar) projects.

Thank you! INDI-173

Yohann Thomas's Response and followups
..To be updated..