User:Harryom

Harish Kumar Solanki: Assistant Professor; NIRD jaipur Center, India; http://www.linkedin.com/in/hksolanki; hksolanki@nird.gov.in; harry.om2000@gmail.com

Harish Kumar Solanki is Assistant Professor at the 'National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Jaipur Center', Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. He is a great propagator of FOSS GIS. He leads and conduct Training programs in the 'NIRD', India and promotes OSGeo software for use in the public authorities. His extensive work on GIS focuses on Watershed Management and Rural Development.

Since November 2010, up to June, 2013, he has conducted 22 practical lab based Training programs,as mostly single or main resource person, on Applications of Open Source GIS (QGIS) in Rural Development Sectors, of 5-6 days duration, for Senior and Middle level officials/functionaries of Rural development sector, public representatives and reputed NGO, with total 532 participants, 120 Training days and 2914 Training man days.

NIRD provides free of cost trainings to Government officials,Elected Public representatives and reputed NGO representatives. He has created a LinkedIn group also to provide 'post training support' platform to the participants. Group presently has 213 active members, with growing numbers after each training program.

He actively remains involved and interested in activities of OSGeo-India and participated in FOSSG-India 2012 at IIIT, Hyderabad also, on his own. In some trainings, he invites OSGeo-India charter members also for special lectures.

His main targets/wishes related to FOSSG are;

- Apart from continuing trainings at NIRD, to conduct some seminars/workshops for senior nodal officials of Government, on use of Open Source GIS in various thematic areas of Rural Development Sector, with the help of OSGeo-India and Professionals working in Open Source GIS/Data/Standards field.

- To make NIRD Jaipur Center as a hub of professional short and long term courses on Open Source OSGeo products of Desktop/Web utilities, Open Database (PostgreSQL) Management, GIS Applications/Customization using open Languages like Python, to provide a committed and competent cadre of Open Source GIS experts for serving Government and Corporate sector in a cost effective manner.

- To Translate Manuals, GUI and other related documents in Hindi and other major languages of country.

- To providing Virtual training environment to the participants.

- Promote OSGeo and its activities in India.