

India Launches Beta Version of Its Data Site - vikram360
http://data.gov.in

======
SingAlong
For anyone's brain food - the app is opensource and the sourcecode is
available at <https://github.com/opengovplatform/opengovplatform/>

[EDIT:] It looks like it was developed on Drupal -
([https://github.com/opengovplatform/opengovplatform/blob/mast...](https://github.com/opengovplatform/opengovplatform/blob/master/ogpl/webapp/core/INSTALL.txt))

According to info, this is a Govt of US-India collaboration.

[EDIT-2:] I hope their data dump is not from the production servers
([https://github.com/opengovplatform/opengovplatform/blob/668b...](https://github.com/opengovplatform/opengovplatform/blob/668b73f4e8d7835cc4b9f79a057e4483dc5dd6e3/ogpl/db/dbdump.zip))
Because I found this on grepping - <https://gist.github.com/3608089>

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jrockway
"Its", not "it's", is the possessive form of "it". The current headline reads
"India launches beta version of it is data site."

~~~
StavrosK
This bugs me too, can someone please change it?

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scorpion032
One of the core values of any government should be to make available all of
it's data freely to all citizens available via API.

Everything being publicly auctioned and the free data available publicly will
stop many of the scams of the nature India is going through right now.

I am not sure if any one would, but if someone comes up with a bill that holds
the powers-that-be responsible under the "Duty to Report" bill, I would
support them.

~~~
pierrend
> "make available all of it's data freely" Not "all" the data. Many datasets
> should not be shared. Good reasons include: a)security reasons b)ecology
> reasons (don't say where endangered species are) c)personal data d) current
> trial

~~~
lignuist
IMO the rule should be: release everything unless there are strong arguments,
to not release specific data sets. These arguments should be transparent and
publicly discussed. Just saying "it affects public security" is not a strong
argument. It should be at least said, why exactly it affects the security.
However, there are good reasons, to not publish some data sets.

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berito
Notice the use of the phrase "allopathic hospitals" in a database of number of
beds available! It always cracks me up how modern medicine is referred to as
just another form of medicine, like Ayurvedic or homeopathic. The Indian
government is clearly of the opinion that forms of quackery that are
homeopathy and Ayurveda actually work and are worthy of tax payer money.

~~~
w1ntermute
In India, you can even get a degree in the field:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Ayurveda,_Medicine_...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Ayurveda,_Medicine_and_Surgery)

It's pretty crazy that this sort of crap still gets attention in this day and
age.

~~~
pullo
Having known people who benefitted from ayurvedic treatment, I tell you that
the regimen (medication and food restrictions- you are not assigned one
without the other) is one of the toughest I have seen. the people who
successfully get through it, swear by ayurvedic medicine. I have been to some
of the facilities and met the doctors and they are above average ( by Indian
standards). This is why, this mode of treatment in still popular among many in
india. needless to say many treatment centers are based in cities and visited
by what you might call a more educated and worldly crowd (I mean no offense
here, but could not find a better way to say it :) I am willing to forgo my
personal observation as an one off, but please qualify your comment.

~~~
w1ntermute
> Having known people who benefitted from ayurvedic treatment

Anecdotal evidence.

> needless to say many treatment centers are based in cities and visited by
> what you might call a more educated and worldly crowd

Appeal to authority.

How about some actual scientific evidence? I'm no expert on the matter, but
from what I can find on Wikipedia[0], the benefits of Ayurvedic medicne were
inconclusive at best.

As someone who has spent time in medical research, I will admit my opinion is
skewed. I've worked with plenty of researchers from India, and none of them
have given any credence to Ayurvedic medicine. These are people who (like any
researchers) will use any and all means available to them to come up with
scientifically viable theories that they can use to get grants. If Ayurveda
were as great as you claim it is, then they would have definitely given it a
shot.

0:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurvedic_medicine#Scientific_a...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurvedic_medicine#Scientific_appraisal)

~~~
pullo
is it anecdotal even if it is one of your best friends? I am not so sure. ok,
here is some more information. A study comparing ayurveda with allopathic
treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
[http://journals.lww.com/jclinrheum/Abstract/2011/06000/Doubl...](http://journals.lww.com/jclinrheum/Abstract/2011/06000/Double_Blind,_Randomized,_Controlled,_Pilot_Study.5.aspx)
"Conclusions: In this first-ever, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled
pilot study comparing Ayurveda, MTX, and their combination, all 3 treatments
were approximately equivalent in efficacy, within the limits of a pilot study.
Adverse events were numerically fewer in the Ayurveda-only group" Ayurveda is
recognized by nih as alternative and complimentary medicine.
<http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/introduction.htm>

I think at some level, you need to believe not all doctors wear white coats.
modern medicine is a few hundered years old , but people have been getting
sick and have been treated since the dawn of time. When a country sets up
regulatory agencies ( <http://www.ccimindia.org> ) , qualifies practitioners
and monitors the practice ( albeit poorly) , to dismiss the structure based on
wikipedia articles is incorrect to say the least. if only conclusive evidence
, agreed upon by everyone is acceptable we should have stopped taking aspirin
a long time ago:) <http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/950817/aspirin.shtml>

~~~
lotsofpulp
Definition of anecdota:

[https://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Aanecdotal&sugex...](https://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Aanecdotal&sugexp=chrome,mod=13&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

"Best friend" has nothing to do with quality of data, in fact it might taint
it. Also, causation must still be established, i.e. uncovering the mechanics
of the treatment.

Also, your last few sentences are difficult to understand.

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monsterix
It is a very encouraging step from GoI, looking at the recent slur about
rampant corruption in India [<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4447605>].
That said, I do feel that the task of opening the Government doesn't end at
launching a portal (yet another CMS) or giving out yet another data-set.

Looking at how much impact these platforms have induced even in developed
nations there seems little incentive [some advantage definitely] to pursue
such an initiative in a country like India. Millions die of basic malnutrition
there, and perhaps their focus should be to make food available to consume,
rather than data.

Of course the data will help but aren't we missing the big picture?

It is relevant to note that incentive for active development on Gov data-sets
like these (believed to improve the existing establishment) is probably not as
attractive an idea as it is to disrupt the legacy itself. That's how the
relationship has been between the establishment and disruptive thinkers for
centuries.

I mean all this seems like a complicated play of a ton of variables -
democracy, education, impact, profit, consumption, need etc. Yet no doubt the
launch is certainly a positive one from the largest democracy in the world.

~~~
sandGorgon
_Also, it is relevant to note that incentive for active development on Gov
data-sets like these (believed to improve the existing establishment) is
probably not as attractive an idea as it is to disrupt the legacy. That's how
the relationship has been for centuries._

Actually, it is part of the GoI's "Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy" that
was made law. <http://www.india.gov.in/allimpfrms/alldocs/16473.pdf>

_Looking at how much impact these platforms have induced even in developed
nations there seems little advantage [some advantage definitely] of pursuing
such an initiative in a country like India. Millions die of basic malnutrition
there and perhaps the focus should be to make food available to consume,
rather than data._

That is an extremely uninformed statement - one of the biggest challenges for
efficiency in governance is accountability. Think of the govt. as a large
legacy codebase, with the QA being done only by the parliamentarians/senators.
Release of data allows QA by the ordinary citizens. India has a judicial
process called Public Interest Litigation [1]. Combined with public datasets,
it makes for powerful governance.

[1] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-
interest_litigation_%28I...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-
interest_litigation_%28India%29)

~~~
monsterix
Perhaps you might want to educate me on it with some examples where there has
been successful impact on the Government.

"...one of the biggest challenges for efficiency in governance is
accountability" is the problem to be solved, not a proof of success of any
such initiative. Your argument doesn't seem to explain how we're going to
improve the legacy system or even convince the developers to use these data-
sets in the first place.

To crave for improvement in the Government (and its positive ramifications) is
one thing but to get job done is an altogether different ball-game.

~~~
harigov
More information always helps - especially in a democracy. This data is _not_
for developers to make use of. It's just data available for everyone to use.

------
rkk
Brave move to open source the project - and handy, as it seems they could use
some friendly advice on Drupal security and best practices, e.g.
[https://github.com/opengovplatform/opengovplatform/blob/mast...](https://github.com/opengovplatform/opengovplatform/blob/master/ogpl/webapp/core/superadmin.php)
vs. <http://ogpl.gov.in/superadmin.php> ;)

------
hiltro
Why is it that contires such as india seems to be behind in the way of website
design, the design is just too busy for me and the styles/colours remind me of
early 2000 sites.

~~~
w1ntermute
Yeah, when I saw the scrolling text I wanted to gouge my eyes out. It's
straight out of 1999.

And for a country where mobile based access will presumably be quite common
(as only 7% of the population has home internet), why isn't there a mobile
site at launch?

~~~
3am_hackernews
About design and usability: Most of the people accessing the web from India
don't focus on design as much as they do on content and or the purpose. This
is changing though as more and more consumers and developers are paying
attention to UX and other such aspects.

About mobile based access: I don't have the specific numbers at this point,
but most of the mobile access is through 'dumbphones'. So not having a mobile
site is not exactly an issue.

------
SudarshanP
From: <http://ogpl.gov.in/about_us>

Open Government Platform (OGPL) is being developed by nodal agencies from both
the countries (National Informatics Centre, Department of Electronics & IT,
Government of India and Office of Citizen Services & Innovative Technologies,
General Services Administration, U.S. Government). To know more about the
participating organizations visit following links

National Informatics Centre (<http://www.nic.in>)

General Services Administration (<http://data.gov>)

------
Zirro
I don't think I've ever seen so many separate JavaScript and CSS-files used on
a page before. Surely most, if not all, could be reduced into one?

~~~
ericgsmith
Drupal 7 does this out of the box, with an option to aggregate and compress JS
and CSS. I have not developed on Drupal 6 but would be incredibly surprised if
there wasn't at least a community developed module to do this.

~~~
gingerjoos
If I remember correctly this has been available out of the box at least since
Drupal 5 up. Have worked on Drupal 5 and 6, don't remember using any custom
module to do aggregation.

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fareesh
This site is absolute trash, pretty much like anything else the NIC creates.
I've tried to register using a dozen possible methods and there are all sorts
of errors. Seriously, how hard is it to allow someone to create an account,
beta or no beta? They have this ridiculous list of ways to sign up including
Foursquare and PayPal and almost none of them work. Yes Paypal, really.

~~~
fareesh
So after about 20 attempts I now have an account, but if I try to download a
data set, it takes me to my profile page.

------
sandGorgon
For those who are interested, there are a bunch of us discussing open Govt.
datasets (for India) at the DataMeet Google Group -
<https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!forum/datameet>

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tshadwell
Oh gods, the source code please no please kill it. 20+imports in css, 20+
script tags please no

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arocks
For some reason the link to 'Dataset' doesn't work for me. However, this link
works:
[http://data.gov.in/search/apachesolr_search/?filters=type%3A...](http://data.gov.in/search/apachesolr_search/?filters=type%3Adataset)

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aasarava
Has anyone tried to actually download a data set? It seems you have to
register first. Is there any good reason why an open government initiative
would need to require registration to access the actual data?

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zwass
Am I the only one who finds it strange there are no buttons to change to
languages other than English (or if there are, they weren't obvious enough for
me to find)?

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BigEndian101
Its

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webwanderings
What's up with the dark color scheme?

