# Santhosh Thottingal > Wikimedian from India **Wikidata**: [Q66498265](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q66498265) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/santhosh-thottingal ## Summary Santhosh Thottingal is an Indian software engineer and programmer, widely recognized as a Wikimedian. A native speaker of Malayalam, he is notable for his contributions to language technology and his service as a member of the Wikimedia Language committee. He was awarded the Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman in 2019 for his contributions. ## Biography * **Nationality:** India * **Known for:** Wiki contributions, Software engineering * **Employer(s):** Wikimedia Foundation (indicated by staff email address) * **Field(s):** Software engineering, Programming, Linguistics * **Languages:** Malayalam (native) ## Contributions Santhosh Thottingal has contributed significantly to the Wikimedia movement, specifically in the domain of language computing. As a software engineer and programmer, his work focuses on the technical infrastructure that supports various languages within the Wikimedia ecosystem. He served as a member of the **Wikimedia Language committee** from January 2011 to December 2019. In this capacity, he played a role in overseeing the development and approval of new language projects within the Wikimedia movement, ensuring that linguistic standards were met. His technical contributions are further evidenced by his professional affiliation with the **Wikimedia Foundation**, where he utilizes his programming skills to develop software. His work is particularly relevant to the Malayalam language community, given his native proficiency. In recognition of his scholarly and technical contributions to languages, he received the **Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman** award in 2019. He maintains an active presence in the open-source community through platforms like GitHub and maintains a personal blog documenting his work. ## FAQs ### Q: What award did Santhosh Thottingal receive? A: Santhosh Thottingal received the Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman in 2019. This award recognizes contributions to specific fields of study, often related to languages and literature. ### Q: What is Santhosh Thottingal's role in the Wikimedia movement? A: He is a programmer and software engineer who works with the Wikimedia Foundation. He also served as a member of the Language committee for eight years (2011–2019). ### Q: What language is Santhosh Thottingal a native speaker of? A: He is a native speaker of Malayalam. ## Why They Matter Santhosh Thottingal represents a critical bridge between advanced software engineering and linguistic preservation within the Indian digital landscape. His work matters because it directly impacts the accessibility of the internet for speakers of Malayalam and other languages supported by the Wikimedia ecosystem. By serving on the Language committee for nearly a decade, he helped shape policies that allowed new language communities to form and share knowledge. His receipt of the Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman highlights that his impact extends beyond code; he is recognized formally for his intellectual contributions to language. In the open-source community, his work ensures that technology adapts to the nuances of human language rather than forcing users to adapt to technology. This is vital for the survival and growth of digital content in non-English languages. ## Notable For * **Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman:** Received this prestigious award in 2019. * **Language Committee Membership:** Served as a member from January 2011 to December 2019. * **Wikimedia Staff:** Holds a staff email address (@wikimedia.org), indicating a formal role in the organization's technical team. * **Malayalam Computing:** A native speaker of Malayalam contributing to its digital infrastructure. ## Body ### Professional Background Santhosh Thottingal is identified as a programmer and software engineer. He is a citizen of India and a male human. He maintains a professional digital footprint through an official blog (thottingal.in) and a LinkedIn profile. ### Wikimedia Affiliation Thottingal is deeply embedded in the Wikimedia community. He operates under the usernames `Sthottingal (WMF)` and `Santhosh.thottingal`. His association with the **Wikimedia Foundation** is confirmed through his staff email address (sthottingal@wikimedia.org). His specific focus within the movement involves language technology. He is a native speaker of **Malayalam**, and his contributions to Wikipedia are primarily associated with the Malayalam language version (ml) and Wikimedia Commons. ### Language Committee Tenure Thottingal was an active member of the **Wikimedia Language committee** (LangCom). His tenure began in January 2011 and concluded in December 2019. The committee is responsible for advising on the creation of new language editions of Wikimedia projects. ### Recognition In 2019, Thottingal was awarded the **Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman**. This recognition was documented in government press releases and serves as a testament to his impact in his field. ### Online Presence * **GitHub:** `santhoshtr` * **Twitter:** `santhoshtr` (joined May 2008) * **Facebook:** `santhoshthottingal` * **Images:** Publicly available photographs are hosted on Wikimedia Commons under the category "Santhosh Thottingal." ## References 1. [Source](http://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=192658)