[Fsf-friends] Leveraging with software

[Ramanraj K]

A recent talk by Honb'le  Mr.Justice Yatindra Singh on Leveraging Open
Source  Software was  delivered at  9th e-Governance  held  from 2-4th
February    2006   at    Kochi    Kerala   and    is   available    at
http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/event/Leveraging_OSS.odt

I  should invite  attention to the  Q & A  session mentioned  therein,
between the President and the Author, which brings out the benefits of
spontaneity that is free, open, natural and relaxed:

<quote>
16.  Last year I was at Bhopal attending a colloquium on 'Law, Science
and ethics'.  The  President of India also addressed  us through video
conferencing.  During  the question  session, I asked  him, 'Computers
and  information technology  have an  important role  in  reducing the
arrears in  the court as  well as in  helping in other  areas. Broadly
there are  two kinds  of softwares to  do that.  Proprietary  and Open
Source.   Which one is  better?  

17.  He  answered, 'First of  all, I  would like  to clarify  that the
choice of  proprietary vs.  Open software  is driven by  the usage and
requirements  of  the  user  at  the operating  system  level.  Since,
proprietary software  is predominantly used at the  client level; many
users are familiar and confor table with this.  However, at the server
level mature users choose the software as per their requirement.  Open
source   operating  system   enables  the   development   of  language
independent software's and also building one's own security algorithms
to suit his requirement.  Indian IT industry is capable of providing a
solution for  the justice delivery  system and its eGovernance  to the
justice  administration  on top  of  any  proprietary  or open  source
systems.  What is important here  is justice delivery system should be
interoperable  system built  on  top  of open  standards  such as  web
services.'

18.  The  challenges and  difficulties  in shifting  over  to OSS  are
apparent  from  the  answer.   The  majority is  used  to  proprietary
software and is  trained in it.  The main challenge  is,
    · in changing over;
    · getting used to the new environment; and
    · training the staff.

19.  This is vicious a circle.  If you don't shif t then you rely more
on the proprietary  sof tware and more you have  to pay.  Perhaps what
is required is to change  our perception regarding OSS and increse its
awareness.  We may consider the following points:
    
(i) The  awareness regarding OSS  should start from the  school level:
          Computer education  is already in curriculum  of the schools
          and colleges.  There is  hardly any representation of OSS in
          their curriculam.  Most of  the topics that are there belong
          to proprietary sof tware.  The operating system of computers
          are  in proprietary  sof tware.   Curriculum of  schools and
          colleges  should  compulsory  have  topics on  OSS  and  the
          computers should leave operating system in OSS.
    
(ii) Utilisation of grant:  The government gives grants for purchasing
          computers and for  different projects.  The government grant
          may  be   utilised  for  purchasing   computers  having  OSS
          operating  system.  Apart from  operating systems  there are
          applications.  Many  applications are on OSS and  run on all
          kinds of  operating systems including  the proprietary ones.
          Even if the operating system is the proprietary one, then at
          least it should have applications that are on OSS.
    
(iii) Exclusive OSS cell: It is  ture that we are leading IT community
          in the world but many IT exper ts in government organisation
          work exclusively with proprietary software.  It will be good
          idea  to  create  separate   cell  in  government  and  semi
          government  departments to develop  applications exclusively
          in OSS.
    
(iv) Solution  in OSS first:  A policy decision  may be taken  to find
          solutions of  projects first  in OSS and  in case it  is not
          possible  only then  it  may be  sought  in the  proprietary
          software.  


20.  The Allahabad High  Court has taken a policy  decision to work in
Open Source Software and store documents in open document format.  All
new  computers  have  linux  as  operating  system.   Apart  from  it,
OpenOffice.org suite, Firefox,  Thunderbird, Sunbird have been adopted
as applications  software. A chart  mentioning others details  and the
projects under taken is appended as Appendix 1.
</quote>

If the  observations are taken  seriously by the  policy makers  here,
it could ensure a certain victory for all.

Regards,
Ramanraj K
__

    A man to  whom it has been  given to bless the world  with a great
    creative idea has  no need for the praise  of posterity.  His very
    achievement has already conferred a higher boon upon him.
           -Albert Einstein at the Max Planck Memorial Services, 1948.