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.