2020 Emmett Leahy Award
Dr. Dinesh Katre, Senior Director & HOD at C-DAC has won the prestigious 2020 Emmett Leahy Award for his Outstanding Contributions and Accomplishments that Have a Major Impact on the Digital Information and Records Management. The Emmett Leahy Award Committee recognized his sustained leadership on issues of digital stewardship and preservation over several decades.
The Emmett Leahy Award was constituted in 1967 in the USA as a tribute to Emmett Joseph Leahy who is regarded as the originator of Information and Records Management discipline.
“There is no higher honor in records management than to receive the Emmet Leahy Award, considered to be the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes of the profession.” – Dr. Allison Druin, Professor, iSchool, University of Maryland, USA
http://mdischool.blogspot.com/2011/10/recognizing-records-management-research.html
Dr. Dinesh Katre received the 2020 Emmett Leahy Award from the hands of Dr. Vijay P. Bhatkar, the founder Executive Director of C-DAC and Chancellor, Nalanda University, who was the Chief Guest in the ceremony that took place on 29 October 2020 at C-DAC Innovation Park, Pune.
Due to the pandemic, the award presentation was organized in India at C-DAC, Pune along with the international members of the Emmett Leahy Award Committee who joined virtually through video conference mode. The Emmett Leahy Award, which was constituted in 1967 in the USA, honours a pioneer in the field of information and records management and recognizes the outstanding contributions that have a major impact on this profession. The Emmett Leahy Award is known as the greatest independent global recognition of the individuals who have had a major impact in the field of information and records management, and that Dr. Katre is the first Indian and second person in Asia to have won this award. As the recipient of this award, Dr. Katre is now invited to join the Emmett Leahy Award Committee for the next ten years.
The Emmett Leahy Award Committee recognized the sustained leadership by Dr. Dinesh Katre, Senior Director & HOD, C-DAC Pune, on issues of digital stewardship and preservation over several decades. In particular, through his efforts in creating India’s National Digital Preservation Program and its flagship project, the Center of Excellence for Digital Preservation, he has helped to advance the cause of providing robust and trustworthy platforms for the preservation of digital materials, including for electronic recordkeeping systems and tools for intelligent archiving. Among his many impressive achievements, he led the development of the DIGITĀLAYA (डिजिटालय), e-Library and Archiving System which played an important role in the ISO 16363 certification of world’s first trustworthy digital repository.
The virtual award presentation happened in the gracious presence of the past Emmett Leahy Award Winners namely Prof. Julie McLeod, Chair of Emmett Leahy Award Committee; Dr. David Giaretta, Director, PTAB, UK; Jason Baron, Past Chair of ELA, USA; Prof. Richard Marciano, University of Maryland, USA; Charles Dollar, Past Chair of ELA, USA; Dr. Luciana Duranti, University of British Columbia, Canada, Christine Arden, President and Fellow of ARMA International, Canada and the sponsor Mike Quinn, the CEO of Preservica, UK.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Dinesh Katre thanked the Emmett Leahy Award Committee and said that the knowledge societies in the 21st century will increasingly depend on the intelligence and knowledge extracted from digital archives and therefore digital preservation should be supported through a national policy.
2020 Emmett Leahy Award: Video recording of the event that took place on 29 October 2020 at C-DAC Innovation Park, Pune, India.
2019 NDSA Individual Innovation Award
Dr. Dinesh Katre received NDSA Individual Innovation Award 2019 during DLF Forum / DigiPres 16-17 Oct 2019 at Tampa, USA. The award was presented by NDSA Awards Committee Chair and Co-Chair namely Stephan Abrams, Harvard University and Krista Oldham, University of Clemson.
The citation by NDSA : Dr. Dinesh Katre, Senior Director and Head of the Department of Human-Centred Design and Computing (HCDC) Group at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in India, has established a distinguished record leading the development of innovative technological solutions for digital preservation, trustworthy digital repository certification, data repurposing and intelligent archiving. Over the last several years, he has worked to advocate for, develop, and deploy the Indian National Digital Preservation Programme, which provides a robust and comprehensive platform for the effective long-term preservation of the digital materials. As Chief Investigator of the Programme’s flagship project to establish a Center of Excellence for Digital Preservation, Dr. Katre led the process to develop a digital preservation standard for India, as well as domain-specific archival systems and automation tools for digital preservation. He also conceptualized, designed and led the development of DIGITĀLAYA, a software framework, which comprehensively implements the OAIS reference model. DIGITĀLAYA has been customized for preservation of electronic office records, audiovisual and document archives and e-governance records. Katre’s efforts culminated in the first repository in the world to achieve ISO 16363 certification. His achievements exemplify the growing international reach of concern and practice in the areas of digital stewardship and preservation.
NDSA Individual Innovation Award 2019 - Video recording of the event on 16 Oct 2019 at Tampa, FL, USA
30 Years of Association with C-DAC Award, 15 August 2022
30 Years of Association with C-DAC Award - Dr. Dinesh Katre felicitated by Shri Magesh Ethirajan, Director General, C-DAC and Col. Asheet Kumar Nath, Executive Director, C-DAC Pune on 15th August 2022 during the celebrations of 75th Independence Day of India.
National Representation during UNESCO International Expert Consultative Meet at Warsaw, Poland 2014
Dr. Dinesh Katre was invited as an international expert for UNESCO International Experts Consultative Meet on Preservation and Access during June 25-26, 2014 at Warsaw, Poland. This meeting was aimed at drafting the Standard Setting Instrument for preservation of digital heritage as part of the Memory of World Programme of UNESCO. The meeting was hosted by the Polish National Commission of UNESCO and Ministry of Culture, Government of Poland.
The General Conference of UNESCO at its 38th session on 1 and 2 July 2015 unanimously adopted the Recommendation concerning the Preservation of, Access to, Documentary Heritage in the Digital Era (38 C/Resolutions – Annex V) by making it applicable for all member countries.
The following projects led by Dr. Katre have received recognition and awards.
Grand Jury Special Mentions Manthan Award 2015
National Digital Repository and Portal for Museums of India Project won the Grand Jury Special Mentions Manthan Award 2015, Digital Inclusion for Development under the e-Heritage Category.
Grand Jury Manthan South Asia & Asia Pacific Award 2012
Manthan Special Jury Award received at the hands of honorable Prof. G. K. Chadha, President, South Asia University for the Interactive Museum project developed for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum, Mumbai.
Felicitation for completion of 25 Years at C-DAC, 15 August 2017
Dr. Dinesh Katre felicitated by Dr. Debashis Dutta, Director General, C-DAC for completion of 25 years at C-DAC.
Annual Award of Distinction 1994-95
Received the Annual Award of Distinction of C-DAC at the hands of Shri N. Vittal, Secretary, Department of Electronics (DoE)
Annual Award of Distinction 1993-94
Received the Annual Award of Distinction of C-DAC at the hands of Dr. Sam Pitroda, Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Technology Missions