[Reader-list] Kerala logs Microsoft out

[Yogesh Girdhar]

This is good news. I hope rest of the country follows.

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URL: http://www.financialexpress.com/latest_full_story.php?content_id=138497

Kerala logs Microsoft out

M SARITA VARMA

Thiruvananthapruam, August 26:  After the cola ban, it is now the turn
of Microsoft to log out of Kerala. Children in 12,500 high schools in
the state, India's most literate, will not be taught Windows. Instead,
instructors are lining up Linux for them. This is because Kerala has
chalked out a plan for migrating its high school students to free
software platforms in three years.

Although Linux was already blipping on the Kerala IT at School project
radar, and the plans of VS Achuthanandan's government to develop the
state as a Foss (free and open software systems) destination has
expedited the open software plans.

"Free software guru Richard Stallman's visit last week had nudged the
schools to discard the proprietary software altogether," state
education minister MA Baby told FE. "Stallman has inspired Kerala's
transition to free software on the lines of an exciting model of a
Spanish province, which did the same," the minister said.

The Left Democratic Front government targets implementing an earlier
government order that was issued during the previous United Democratic
Front regime. The decision was taken in 2004 to push open source
systems, but this was not actively followed, said Baby. Initially,
schools were given the option to choose whether teachers were to be
trained in Linux systems or Microsoft. The option has now narrowed
down to migration.

In the current year, class VIII students have shifted to Linux. By
2007, class XI students and by 2008 class X students will follow suit.

Linux PC dealers are upbeat. "Offers of pre-loaded Linux operating
system could fetch good hardware sales margins," says PK Harikrishnan,
president, Kerala Computer Manufacturers' and Dealers' Association.
There are other reasons as well. A sting operation by Microsoft in
October 2005 had not endeared the proprietary software to PC and
peripherals dealers. Often PC vendors are caught between customers'
demand for free pirated software along with hardware, and the fine
print of law. Some dealers in Kerala even see the Foss market as a
narrow, but a safe corridor out of this mess.