[Fsf-friends] LINK Parliamentary question...

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA * Minitry of Communications and Information Technology
(Department of Information Technology) Rajya Sabha
Unstarred Question No 2330
To be answered on 13-0302993

Setting up of research institutions

2330 Shri Eduardo Faleiro

Will the Minister of Communications & Informatin Technology be pleased to 
state:

(a) whether Government have any plans to set up research institutions to 
further skills in free/open source software;

(b) Government funded institutions already utilising free/open source 
software in a significant manner; and

(c) whether the STate government would be, in any way, encouraged to go in 
for FS/OSS solutions specially while spreading Information Technology at 
the educational level?

ANSWER

(a), (b) and (c): Department of Information is conceiving of "Linux India 
Initiative" which will be targeted to take a set of steps including 
further of skills in free software/open source software. Other steps that 
will be included as part of same would, inter alia, include setting up of 
resource centres.

Various Government funded institutions such as R&D labs, academia, 
Government departments, as also those in industry, are already utilizing 
free software/open source software in a significant manner. Examples of 
Government-funded institutions utilizing free software/open source 
software are BARC and IIT, Mumbai.

The "Linux India Initiative" mentioned above would also include 
encouragement of FS/OSS solutions at the educational level. Already, lot 
of educational institutions, especially engineering institutions use 
FS/open source software extensively. Linux India initiative is also 
intended to address this aspect. 
-- 
Frederick Noronha    : http://www.fredericknoronha.net  : When we speak of free
Freelance Journalist : http://www.bytesforall.org       : software we refer to
Ph 0091.832.2409490  : Cell 0 9822 122436               : freedom, not price.