In an initiative touted at aiming to leverage data for social good, the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID) within the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) announced the launch of the Centre of Data for Public Good (CDPG).
The Centre is dedicated to advancing research, innovation, collaboration, and best practices in the realm of data science, analytics, and policy to address critical societal challenges.
According to a release, CDPG will serve as a hub for multidisciplinary research, bringing together experts from academia, industry, and government to harness the power of data to benefit the public. With a focus on ethical data use, privacy, and responsible AI, the centre aims to develop solutions that positively impact areas such as smart cities, agriculture, logistics, geospatial, environmental sustainability, and so on.
“Emphasising collaboration and innovation, the centre is set to bring under its umbrella learnings from pioneering projects such as the India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX) and the Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX).
These projects, with their focus on urban and agricultural sectors, align seamlessly with the centre’s mission. By incorporating these initiatives, the CDPG will leverage the expertise and resources of IUDX and ADeX, creating a collaborative environment that will accelerate the development and implementation of data-centric solutions.
This amalgamation of efforts reflects the Centre’s commitment to harnessing the power of data in addressing real-world issues and advancing the field of data science for societal benefit,” added the release.
To mark the launch of the centre, IISc hosted the Symposium on Data for Public Good, a flagship event that brought together thought leaders, researchers, and practitioners in the field. Distinguished speakers at the event included Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, Axilor Ventures; Co-founder, Infosys, and President, Infosys Science Foundation; J Satyanarayana, Chief Advisor, C4IR India, World Economic Forum; Rajendra Kumar, Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka; Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, and Pramod Varma, CTO of Ekstep Foundation.
In addition to panel discussions on urban data, data governance, and agricultural and geospatial data, the event culminated with the announcement of a hackathon focused on a transportation demand prediction problem for specific bus routes in Surat and an air quality prediction problem for certain road segments of Bengaluru.
