[Fsf-friends] IT department plans Rs 1.5-cr Linux push

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IT department plans Rs 1.5-cr Linux push
SUDHA NAGARAJ

Source: 'Economic Times' dt May 09, 2003

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, MAY 09, 2003 12:37:57 AM ]=20
NEW DELHI: IBM chief Samuel J Palmisano's 'learning' visit to India may hav=
e gone off more silently than expected. But his pitch to the Centre on the =
benefits of using Linux was not wasted.=20

While maintaining that its stance is of strict technology, platform and ven=
dor neutrality, it is equally true that the Department of Information Techn=
ology has also crafted its own Linux India Initiative.

Minister for information technology, Arun Shourie informed Lok Sabha that a=
 proposal for the same has been submitted to the Planning Commission for bu=
dgetary support during '03-04 as part of DIT's annual plan for '03-04.

Government sources reveal that Rs 150 lakh is proposed for the Initiative n=
ow. Funds will be spent after formal approval. Opportunities and relevance =
of open source, more specifically, GNU/Linux in the Indian context has been=
 discussed among DIT officials, industry, academicians, state governments, =
developers and NGOs late last year. All of them were interested in pursuing=
 the initiative.

While it is becoming clear that the authorities are not interested in getti=
ng into a proprietary and open source software tussle, Mr Shourie has stres=
sed that the DIT has not prescribed preferential treatment of one over the =
other.

But the fact is that there is space for both and the choice must be exercis=
ed by each user. The Linux India Initiative emerged out of the multi-stake =
holder meeting as a consensual action plan, after specific steps such as se=
tting up of resource centres, special interest groups, suitable provisions =
in the procurement policy of the government and government institutions, R&=
D, labs of various educational institutions, especially engineering college=
s.=20

Interestingly, some work was already on in DIT societies in the area of ope=
n source software. C-DAC, Mumbai (erstwhile National Centre for Software Te=
chnology) has developed Linux with Hindi language support and development i=
s now underway for supporting other Indian languages also.

Funds allotted for development of INDIX =97localisation of Linux - Phase I =
during '00-01 was Rs 39 lakh. In '02-03, Rs 50 lakh has been spent for Phas=
e II.=20

In the overall trend, support for Indian language has also been developed b=
y IT vendors - specifically IBM middleware. Efforts are now on to roll out =
support that adheres to Linux standards by unifying individual efforts by I=
ITs and C-DAC.

It is learnt IBM is in touch with these developers and as soon as the suppo=
rt confirms to standards, not only the operating system, but also the appli=
cations will have Linux support.
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posted by NSS
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