Omidyar to aid Janaagraha

Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm promoted by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, has announced a grant of upto $3 million (Rs 14 crore) to Bangalore-based non-profit organisation ‘Janaagraha’ to invest in the areas of urban governance.

This fund will be used to extend Janaagraha’s model of citizen engagement and urban governance to other urban areas in India.

“We will offer our partnership technology and human capital expertise to help Jaanagraha scale their model and online platforms across the world’s largest democracy,” Jayant Sinha, managing director and country head of Omidyar Network, said.

This grant is the the first government transparency grant in India and its largest government transparency grant outside the United States, he added.

Jaanagraha will also utilise the fund in launching of a national online civic engagement platform, iJaanagraha and a bribe-reporting website — ‘I paid a bribe’.

“In addition to extending Janaagraha’s model beyond Bangalore, the Omidyar Network will support iJanaagraha, a new on-line portal committed to urban issues, both electoral and civic,” Sinha said.

The portal aims to initiate positive social change by building networks of communities and local civic bodies, and will provide data on urban issues among others.

“Through engagement and empowerment of local stakeholders, Janaagraha is tackling the failures of urban governance while building a spirit of civic volunteerism. This investment will give the much needed impetus towards ensuring sound urban governance,” Ramesh Ramanathan, founder of ‘Janaagraha’ said.

‘Janaagraha’ has developed and refined a systematic model to improve urban life in Bangalore. The approach focuses on organising citizens at a local level to hold responsible parties to the account.