British High Commission launches Hindi website

Website part of digital diplomacy

PTI | April 1, 2010



In an attempt to reach to more people in India, British High Commission today launched it's Hindi website hoping that this will bring a transformational change in the relations between both the countries.

The website -- www.ukinindia.fco.gov.uk/hi -- will be updated on a daily basis parallel to it's English counterpart.

The website has sections like news, business, details for British nationals, information about visas, studying and holidaying abroad.

Launching the website, British High Commissioner Sir Richard Stagg said, "given the fact that Hindi is the language more people speak in India and that the internet is becoming more popular, we hope that this move would bring a transformational change in our relations with the people here."

"This step is part of a wider strategy to communicate directly with the citizens of this country and elsewhere. We hope to communicate with communities which we haven't been able to till now," Stagg said.

Considering "digital diplomacy" to be as important as traditional diplomacy, he said, "in case of traditional diplomacy, it is just the government to government, whereas through websites or digital diplomacy, lobby groups, NGOs, society gets involved."

Relation between any two countries is not just about the government of one country and the other, the NGOs, lobby groups and society too shape the policy of a country, he said.

The Commission does not, as of now plan to have their website in other Indian languages, preferring to check the effectiveness of the newly launched website.

"We do not have any plans of having websites in other languages. If we are able to communicate effectively through this website, we will then see if we can be more ambitious," he said.

Comments

 

Other News

`Development must be judged beyond GDP, with rights and justice at core`

Delivering the IXth Chief Justice M.C. Chagla Memorial Lecture on ‘Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals’, in Mumbai Friday,  former Chief Justice of India Bhushan R. Gavai questioned whether conventional economic indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP), national income,

RTI exposes Rs 16,909 crore cost blowout on Mumbai-Goa Highway

Seventeen years after the centre first approved the widening of National Highway 66 between Mumbai and Goa into a four-lane highway, a fresh RTI reply has revealed a sharp escalation in the project`s sanctioned cost.   According to the RTI reply obtained by activist Jeetendra

"India`s semiconductor ecosystem is expanding rapidly"

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated SEMICON India 2026 in New Delhi. Addressing the occasion and highlighting the significance of the event`s fifth edition, the PM drew a parallel between the launch of Semicon India and Vishwakarma Diwas. He pointed out the beautiful coincidence of

Cabinet approves raising EPFO wage ceiling from Rs.15,000 p.m. to Rs.25,000

The union cabinet, chaired by the prime minister, has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Labour & Employment to enhance the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from Rs.15,000 to Rs.25,000 per month. The decision is expected to bring

UPI continues to remain free for peer-to-peer transactions: Finance Ministry

The new UPI framework introduced has no impact on any person to person transactions, and UPI will continue to remain completely free for all person-to-person transactions, irrespective of the amount transferred, the finance ministry clarified on Tuesday.   Payments to merchan

SEMICON India 2026 and the making of a chip powerhouse

On Thursday, prime minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi in Dwarka, New Delhi. Global chipmakers, policymakers and investors will fill the halls, all watching an industry India has built from the ground up. For three days, the country`s semi-con (semiconductor) manufact

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter