Google announces aid for Indian NGOs, institutions

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Google's philanthropic arm on Friday announced more than USD25 million in grants for a wide-ranging environmental, energy and poverty combating efforts, including USD 2 million to Indian NGO 'Pratham' for an education project.

The company also announced USD765,000 for Bangalore based Centre for Budget and Policy Studies, USD660,000 for Center for Policy Research, USD 1,015,000 for Institute for Finance Management & Research (IFMR) while NGO database information PRS Legislative Research will get USD880,000.

It is part of USD 175 million the company's board pledged in 2005 to spend over three years. When Google went public in 2004, executives pledged to donate one per cent of the company's equity and one percent of profits to philanthropy. The company's market capitalisation was nearly USD190 billion.

"We started with an idea and a vision to make the world a better place," said Google vice president of online operations Sheryl Sandberg, a member of the Google.org board of directors.

"We now embark on trying to work with people all over the world. We realize we are a small player, but we hope to be a player that catalyzes others."

In the area of improving public services, Google.org said USD two million of the funding will go to Pratham to create an independent institute that will conduct the nationwide Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) as well as large scale assessments in the education sector.

The Centre for Budget and Policy Studies analysis group is working to create a Budget Information Service for local governments to improve district- and municipal-level planning.

The Center for Policy Research, an action-oriented think tank based in India, will be helped to increase the debate and discourse on issues of urban local governance and urban service delivery.

IFMR will be working to create district level development indices in India and to support mapping of information including research, government, non government.

PRS Legislative Research is being granted the aid to increase citizen engagement, track the performance of members of parliament, and procure photocopies of state laws throughout India.

As part of its "predict and prevent" push, Google.org is donating USD2.5 million to respond to biological threats to the Global Health and Security Initiative (GHSI), a group set up by the Nuclear Threat Initiative run by U.S. Senator Sam Nunn.