Google launches ‘India Ki Udaan’ to mark 75 years of Independence

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New
Delhi,
July
06:
Capturing
the
milestones
India
has
achieved
in
its
journey
of
75
years
since
Independence,
software
giant
Google
on
Friday
unveiled
a
vibrant
online
project
drawing
from
rich
archives
and
featuring
artistic
illustrations
to
tell
the
story
of
the
country.
Named
‘India
ki
Udaan’,
the
project
executed
by
Google
Arts
&
Culture
celebrates
the
country’s
achievements
and
is
“themed
on
the
unwavering
and
undying
spirit
of
India
over
these
past
75
years”.

The
project
was
officially
launched
at
a
glittering
event
held
at
the
Sunder
Nursery
here
in
the
presence
of
Union
Culture
and
Tourism
Minister
G
Kishan
Reddy
and
senior
officials
of
the
Culture
Ministry
and
Google.
As
part
of
the
countrywide
celebrations,
Google
also
announced
its
collaboration
with
the
Ministry
of
Culture
focused
“on
reaching
informative
online
content
that
showcases
the
contributions
of
Indians
and
the
evolution
of
India
since
1947
to
support
the
Government’s
year-long
‘Azadi
Ka
Amrit
Mahotsav’ programme”,
the
search
giant
said
in
a
statement.

It
also
announced
that
its
popular
Doodle4Google
contest
for
2022,
themed
on
‘In
the
next
25
years,
my
India
will
…’,
is
now
open
for
entries
to
students
of
classes
1-10.
“The
winner
of
this
year’s
Doodle4Google
will
see
their
artwork
on
the
Google
homepage
in
India
on
November
14,
and
win
a
Rs
5,00,000
college
scholarship,
a
Rs
2,00,000
technology
package
for
their
school/non-profit
organisation,
a
recognition
of
achievement,
Google
hardware,
and
fun
Google
collectibles.
Four
group
winners
and
15
finalists
will
also
win
exciting
prizes,” it
said
in
the
statement.

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Reddy,
in
his
address,
urged
the
Google
team
to
create
a
special
doodle
on
‘Har
Ghar
Tiranga’,
which
would
encourage
its
employees
and
others
to
also
enthusiastically
take
part
in
the
campaign.
In
his
speech,
he
also
said
Google
could
help
the
Culture
Ministry
in
digital
mapping
of
the
boundaries
of
its
over
3,000
centrally
protected
monuments
that
will
help
in
better
monitoring
of
the
sites
and
checking
encroachment.

It
can
also
help
in
digitisation
of
rare
archival
material,
he
said.
“Therefore,
we
urge
Google
team
to
be
a
partner
in
the
government’s
transformative
journey,
as
also
promote
India’s
tourism
destinations,”
Reddy
said.
The
government
issued
a
statement
later
saying
the
event
was
a
continuation
of
the
decade-long
partnership
between
the
Ministry
of
Culture
and
Google.
This
joint
venture
was
organised
under
the
aegis
of
‘Azadi
ka
Amrit
Mahotsav’.

“India
today
is
in
the
middle
of
digital,
data
and
disintermediation
revolution.
Digital
revolution
coupled
with
ease
of
doing
business
has
allowed
common
Indian
citizens
to
avail
of
services
in
a
faceless,
presence
less
and
cashless
manner,”
Reddy
was
quoted
as
saying
in
the
statement.

“India
has
made
available
data
at
one
of
the
lowest
rates
to
users
due
to
a
proactive
government
policy
is
ushering
in
competition
in
the
telecom
sector
and
the
disintermediation
revolution
has
removed
middle-men
making
India’s
small
businesses
competitive
and
export
ready,”
he
said.
The
Google
statement
said,
“To
mark
75
years
of
India’s
independence,
Google
today
announced
the
launch
of
a
series
of
special
initiatives
across
its
products
and
services
that
will
offer
content
and
experiences
created
especially
for
the
occasion
to
hundreds
of
millions
of
Indians
through
the
anniversary
year.

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Ka
Amrit
Mahotsav:
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to
launch
week-long
celebrations
covering
27
trains,
75
stations

The
centrepiece
of
its
celebrations
is
a
new
online
collection
titled
‘India
Ki
Udaan’ available
on
the
Google
Arts
&
Culture
website.
The
collection
pays
tribute
to
India’s
rich
cultural
history
and
includes
iconic
moments
from
the
last
75
years
for
people
to
relive,
experience,
and
be
inspired
by,
it
said.

Published
in
English
and
Hindi,
it
allows
anyone
to
explore
more
than
120
illustrations
and
21
stories
created
by
10
talented
artists,
alongside
exhibitions
from
various
institutions
across
India
–
including
the
Ministry
of
Tourism,
Museum
of
Art
&
Photography,
Heritage
Directorate
of
the
Indian
Railways,
the
Indian
Academy
of
Sciences
and
Dastkari
Haat
Samiti.

“This
initiative
offers
a
unique
view
of
India’s
remarkable
moments
and
lets
people
discover
some
of
the
most
memorable
moments
in
India’s
modern
history,
its
iconic
personalities,
its
proudest
scientific
and
sporting
achievements,
and
how
women
in
India
continue
to
inspire
the
world.
This
commemorative
collection
will
be
expanded
with
a
unique
blend
of
archives
and
artistry
for
people
in
India
and
across
the
globe,” it
added.

Merging
technologies
and
India’s
rich
cultural
heritage,
the
new
Google
Arts
&
Culture
collection,
‘India
Ki
Udaan’,
(literally
translated
as
“India
takes
flight”),
“is
themed
on
the
unwavering
and
undying
spirit
of
India
over
these
past
75
years,”
Google
said.
Simon
Rein,
senior
program
manager
at
Google
Arts
and
Culture,
told
PTI
that
the
‘India
ki
Udaan’
project
“marries
the
rich
archival
content
with
artistic
talent
as
demonstrated
by
illustrators”.

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A
physical
representations
of
the
new
digital
collection
was
also
set
up
at
the
venue,
with
kite-shaped
digital
screen,
pictures
with
augmented
reality
experience,
and
other
tech-driven
experiences.
In
its
10th
year
in
India,
Google
Arts
&
Culture
has
showcased
India’s
rich
culture
in
many
ways.

Working
with
over
100
partners
in
India,
it
has
brought
India’s
cultural
heritage
to
people
all
around
the
world.