Flagship Initiatives
Data Sovereignty
The Data Sovereignty Initiative by CKS is a key aspect of its work, focusing on several critical areas:
1. Protection of Indigenous Knowledge:
This component addresses the need to safeguard indigenous knowledge from exploitation and misappropriation. CKS works to establish legal and ethical frameworks that recognize and protect the intellectual property rights of indigenous communities. This involves collaborating with legal experts to develop policies that prevent the unauthorized use of traditional knowledge and cultural expressions.
2. Empowering Communities:
The initiative seeks to empower local communities by providing them with the tools and resources needed to manage and control their data. This includes developing technologies that allow communities to store, share, and analyze their data independently of external entities. The goal is to ensure that communities have full control over their own information and can make decisions that reflect their values and needs.
3. Capacity
Building:
CKS offers training and support to help communities build their data management capabilities. This includes educating community members about data rights, data protection, and digital literacy. By strengthening local expertise, CKS aims to enhance the ability of communities to navigate the digital landscape effectively and assert their data sovereignty.
4. Collaborative
Research:
The initiative fosters collaborative research projects that involve communities in the research process. This ensures that research outcomes are aligned with the interests and values of the communities involved. By prioritizing community input and participation, CKS helps to ensure that research benefits are equitably shared and that communities retain control over how their data is used.
5. Knowledge
Sovereignty:
This concept refers to the idea that communities or nations have the right to control and benefit from their own knowledge and cultural resources. CKS works on protecting traditional knowledge, intellectual property rights, and ensuring that knowledge is used in ways that respect Indian laws, customs and interests.
6. Data
Localisation:
This involves policies that require data about a country’s citizens or residents to be collected, processed, and stored within that country’s borders. CKS focuses on developing best practices, regulatory frameworks, and strategies for implementing data localisation laws. CKS advocates for privacy protections, ensuring data security, and addressing concerns related to cross-border data flows
7. Advocacy and Policy
Development:
CKS engages in advocacy to influence policy and regulatory frameworks related to data sovereignty and data localisation and protecting the data of every Indian. This includes working with governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to promote policies that respect and uphold the data rights of communities in India. The initiative aims to create a supportive legal environment that recognizes the importance of data sovereignty for India.
8. Global
Networking:
Recognizing the global nature of data flows, CKS also works to build networks and partnerships with international organizations and other advocacy groups. This helps to amplify the voices of communities and ensure that their perspectives are represented in global discussions about data governance and sovereignty.
Through these efforts and events, interactions and outreach programs, the Data Sovereignty Initiative by the Centre for Knowledge Sovereignty seeks to create a more equitable and just digital world, where communities have the power to protect and control their knowledge and data in ways that align with their cultural values and aspirations.
Refer book
If you wish to read more about the initiatives visit our Publications or Media section for articles and opinions.
(MMGEIS) - Master Mentors Geo-enabling Indian Scholars
Master Mentors Geo-enabling Indian Scholars (MMGEIS), an online program aims to inculcate geospatial thinking and develop a research-oriented mindset amongst students who will form the future workforce of the country. The program will be open to students from 8th grade to undergraduate and will be delivered in a completely virtual mode over 5 months to provide them with much-needed exposure about what goes behind the common apps that we use to navigate our way to someplace or hail a cab or order food or other stuff from our mobile devices, or how GIS and remote sensing is playing a role in smart cities, utilities, transportation, disaster management, sustainable development etc. It is about kindling geospatial thinking which will become foundation for them to use the geospatial approach in which ever career they adopt.
Program is an initiative of CKS in partnership with ESRI which designed to reach 5 lac students.
Master Mentors under this program are A.S. Kiran Kumar, Member Space Commission and Former Chairman, ISRO ; Dr K. J. Ramesh Advisor Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) and Former Director General, India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Lt Gen Girish Kumar VSM ,Advisor to Government of Haryana and Former Surveyor General of India who will be supported by a team of mentors from the world of Geospatial . The board members driving this initiative are Vinit Goenka from CKS and Agendra Kumar from ESRI along with eminent group of advisors and experts.
Thus Spake Generals
Over the past few years, CKS is privileged to host on its platform, several discussions, round tables in person and since Covid19, CKS has initiated Virtual discussions as well. #ThusSpakeGenerals is one such program which has completed one introductory session followed by 5 seasons of Thus Spake Generals in webinar mode.
We are extremely honoured to share that in the past seasons, we have had the privilege of hosting excellent speakers and thought leaders on our platform such as Lt Gen Dr D B Shekatkar, Lt Gen PR Shankar, Lt Gen S Kulkarni, Lt Gen Ata Hasnain, Vice Admiral Sekhar Sinha & Air Marshal SS Soman. AVM Arjun Subramaniam, Air Marshal Anil Khosla, Lt Gen DS Hooda, Lt Gen ZU Shah & Vice Admiral Anil Chopra., Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma, Rear Admiral Sudarshan Shrikhande, Air Marshal D Choudhary, Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar, Lt Gen Shokin, Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, Lt Gen Vinod Khandare, Lt Gen Satish Dua and many more.
Content: The talks or discussions explores themes such as:
- Strategic Thinking: Insights into military strategy, geopolitical dynamics, and leadership.
- Knowledge Sovereignty: How different communities and nations manage and protect their knowledge and intellectual resources.
- Philosophical and Ethical Issues: Examining the broader implications of knowledge and strategy on society and governance.
Key Components
- Discussions and Panels: Featuring experts and thought leaders who share their perspectives on relevant issues.
- Research and Publications: Producing reports, papers, or articles that contribute to the understanding of strategic and knowledge-related matters.
- Educational Outreach: Providing resources and learning opportunities for those interested in these topics.