[Fsf-friends] Memorandum to CSIR

[eiidp]

There should be a two fold strategy. Apart from a memorandum to top of the 
official hierarchy, we have to empower the lower strata of  scientific 
institutions in the use of swathanthra software. 

Once we had a debate with officials of NIC Kannur. As posted to this list 
earlier,  government high schools in Kannur parliamentary constituency is 
provided with computers loaded with swathanthra software and ether boot 
facility with  the financial support from local MP fund. The SEPSIT (Social 
Entrepreneurship Promotion Society on Information Technology, Kannur ) has 
voluntarily acted as a consultant to the Kannur MP, Mr. Abdullakutty. 

We found it very easy to convince the local political leadership on usage of 
GPL'd sotware, so they have decided to proceed with  it. However the District 
Collector ( who is the sanctioning authority for MP fund ) approached NIC for 
technical advice. The NIC officials with least experience on swathanthra 
software, doubted its functioning and blocked the project for a long 
duration.

Finally we, the SEPSIT was forced to demonstrate the proposed system to NIC 
officials. After a week long debate, SEPSIT has succeded in sanctioning the 
fund. After that SEPSIT, Kannur Science Park ( An institution of Kannur 
District panchayath built under Peoples Plan Campaign ), S2S2 ( A local 
institution in swathanthra software business) etc. have provided training and 
supports  to teachers of these schools on swathanthra software.  After the 
successfull implementation of this project one of the NIC official suggested 
that all NIC system should run on GPL'd software. 

Regards,

Anil,
Appropriate Technology Promotion Society (ATPS)