Indian Government launches data website for public

On the lines of the USA and the UK, the union government on Thursday launched an open data website, where information on various sectors like health, transport, sanitation and agriculture was made available. The website, data.gov.in, has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Currently, it hosts over 3,500 data sets from 49 government departments which everybody is free to access and use.

Some of the released datasets include "State-wise recorded forest area of the country", "Gross irrigated area", "District-wise release of funds from centre share upto 31st March 2013" and more. Over 1,000 of the available datasets pertain to agriculture alone.

"Government is not the sole proprietor of data. All forms of data must be shared, barring those that are important for security. There is also a responsibility on those who use and interpret this data. They must realize that it is for development," said Kapil Sibal, union minister of communications and information technology, at the launch event. Sam Pitroda, who joined via videoconference, said this project could help implementation of services at district and panchayat level.

A contest organised by the NIC and the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) is in the offing too. Called the"#OpenDataApps Challenge", it invites entrepreneurs, start-ups, and people from civil society to create apps using this data. Participants can send in entries by August 20 to compete for three first prizes worth Rs. 1 lakh each and three second prizes of Rs 50,000 each.

Earlier this year, the Planning Commission had organized a hackathon in the country, inviting apps using similar data sets. Web developer Guneet Narula, who had participated and won in the hackathon, feels that this data.gov initiative is a "step in the right direction".

"The hackathon was just a starting point. This has a different objective. As a developer, I may not be able to see how two data sets relate. With a team where there are people who can analyse it that way, it may have useful results," says Narula.

Kantanu Kundu, CEO of a2z apps says he wishes the government would come up with an API (Application Programming Interface) as well. "That would excite app developers who want to use such data," he says.

A similar website called data.gov.uk shares UK government data with the public. It was launched in 2010. The US has had a data.gov website since 2009. 

via TOI