My email with some more info to point out he other hand of the government - DIETY.

Hon Minister,

Thank you for inviting comments for the New Education Policy

I refer to section 4.9 titled "Use of ICT in Education"

It is imperative in today's world to leverage technology and internet for helping better education and we totally agree with this. However we are disappointed that there is no emphasis on making this based on Free and Open Source software.

Not only is Free Software cost effective, there are many other benefits.

Quoting the pioneer of Free Software, Richard Stallman,

"Free software permits students to learn how software works. Some students, natural-born programmers, on reaching their teens yearn to learn everything there is to know about their computer and its software. They are intensely curious to read the source code of the programs that they use every day.

Proprietary software rejects their thirst for knowledge: it says, “The knowledge you want is a secret—learning is forbidden!” Proprietary software is the enemy of the spirit of education, so it should not be tolerated in a school, except as an object for reverse engineering.

Free software encourages everyone to learn. The free software community rejects the “priesthood of technology”, which keeps the general public in ignorance of how technology works; we encourage students of any age and situation to read the source code and learn as much as they want to know."

The GOI having taken cognisance of the matter has initiated a policy to use and promote FOSS, thru DIETY.. http://deity.gov.in/content/free-and-open-source-software

To quote DIETY "FOSS is stipulated by a liberal licensing policy that makes it possible to be obtained free of charge along with the source code, which can be modified by the user as per requirements. Advantages like increasing interoperability, developing local capacity/ industry, reducing costs, achieving vendor independence, enabling localization, reducing piracy/copyright infringements and increasing growth of knowledge-based society are among the compelling reasons for adopting FOSS. India’s strength in Information Technology can be utilized to develop products using FOSS which will help in bridging the digital divide with significant cost savings and facilitate the creation of a knowledge society. Indian industry/SMEs can benefit from the liberal licensing norms of FOSS which enables software to be freely modified and distributed."

Further, there are exemplary examples of the use of FOSS in education in several states in India. Kerala is an outstanding example.

The advantages of using free software like *Bharat Operating System Solutions - *BOSS Linux - developed by CDAC is all too obvious, given the need to support the PM's Make in India initiative, savings in foreign exchange, security and privacy. BOSS has enhanced Desktop Environment integrated with Indian language support, thus permitting learning in the state's local language.

In reference to this I strongly urge the department to include that all software used by schools should be Free and Open Source.

Thanking you, Your truly J. T. D'souza

On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 1:18 PM, J T Dsouza jtd1959@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks Rushab.

Sending an almost verbatim copy from my email.

On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 11:40 AM, Rushabh Mehta rmehta@gmail.com wrote:

...

...

" For the first time, the Government of India is embarking on a

time-bound grassroots consultative process, which will enable the Ministry of HRD to reach out to individuals across the country through over 2.75 lakh direct consultations while also taking input from citizens online " - http://mhrd.gov.in/nep-new

...

We all know the benefits of FOSS and also the miserable state of FOSS

in our country. Needless to say that the root cause lies in ICT Education.

...

The draft, which is available for download, does not give any

importance to open source. It only refers it once or twice.

...

Please do send email to nep.edu@gov.in by 31st July 2016, in order

that Free and Open Source Software would play the central role in ICT Education.

Thanks Milind, Done

Here is my email if it can be use for someone:

---

Hon Minister,

Thank you for inviting comments for the New Education Policy

I refer to section 4.9 titled "Use of ICT in Education"

It is imperative in today's world to leverage technology and internet for helping better education and we totally agree with this. However we are disappointed that there is no emphasis on making this based on Free and Open Source software.

Not only is Free Software cost effective, there are many other benefits.

Quoting the pioneer of Free Software, Richard Stallman,

"Free software permits students to learn how software works. Some students, natural-born programmers, on reaching their teens yearn to learn everything there is to know about their computer and its software. They are intensely curious to read the source code of the programs that they use every day.

Proprietary software rejects their thirst for knowledge: it says, “The knowledge you want is a secret—learning is forbidden!” Proprietary software is the enemy of the spirit of education, so it should not be tolerated in a school, except as an object for reverse engineering.

Free software encourages everyone to learn. The free software community rejects the “priesthood of technology”, which keeps the general public in ignorance of how technology works; we encourage students of any age and situation to read the source code and learn as much as they want to know."

In reference to this I strongly urge the department to include that all software used by schools should be Free and Open Source.

Thanking you,

Rushabh Mehta

Founder & CEO Frappé Technologies Pvt Ltd Mumbai

-- http://mm.ilug-bom.org.in/mailman/listinfo/linuxers

On Tuesday 12 July 2016 07:36 PM, Milind Oka wrote:

Thanks Rushabh and J T for your enthusiastic support as usual.

Will make use of your points. I am requesting them to make use of BOSS, especially Edu-BOSS. What is the use of this government product if it is not going to be used in Education ?

Also thinking of Change.org for getting a few more signatures collectively.

--- Milind

On Tuesday 12 July 2016 01:36 PM, J T Dsouza wrote:

...

My email with some more info to point out he other hand of the government - DIETY.

---

Thanks Milind for the initiative.

-- GN

Gr8 ! We are short of time. Why not do it immediately ? I would like someone from our group to draft the petition in effective manner. The draft can take shape shortly on this group and will be put on Change.org with the group name. In a separate mail I have requested Nagarajuna also to think about it. This looks promising. Let us do it here only.

---Milind. On Wednesday 13 July 2016 03:34 AM, Arun Khan wrote:

On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 7:06 AM, Milind Oka oak445@gmail.com wrote:

...

Thanks Rushabh and J T for your enthusiastic support as usual.

Will make use of your points. I am requesting them to make use of BOSS, especially Edu-BOSS. What is the use of this government product if it is not going to be used in Education ?

Also thinking of Change.org for getting a few more signatures collectively.

Please do this.

IMO this will be more effective than asking people to write individual emails.

Change.org has developed into a recognized platform for citizen voicing their opinion/concerns.

Please cite specific initiatives by the Govt. of Kerala in the K-12 domain to help the appeal further.

Best, Arun Khan

Example of Kerala is noteworthy as it does not depend on outsourcing IT but in fact immerses IT in all subjects and has it enabled exams for those subjects too. To foster the content development. The subject domain teachers are experts in use of IT in their subjects.

May be a review and improvements of content is called for. But all the same it is a great leap forward.

I quote

"IT@School Project has successfully rolled out several programmes which included the development of its own Operating System - IT@School GNU/Linux- which is now being used in all the schools in the state. Apart from this, several educational softwares like Dr. Geo, Rasmol, K-Tech lab, Geogebra, Chemtool, Kalcium etc are being extensively customised by the Project in developing teacher friendly applications for facilitating complete ICT enabled education in the state. The Project has also prepared interactive multimedia CDs, Handbooks & Training modules for ICT, as well as Text books for IT in standard 8, 9 and 10. Every content developed by the Project is strictly as per the new curriculum approach based on the National Curriculum Framework 2005. The Project has also associated with Intel Skool for collaborative content development programmes http://kerala.skoool.in . The Project has also developed contents for Upper Primary classes – for 5-7 classes and the same has been given to all schools. To add with this, the Project had developed E-Text books for Std 8 to 10.

The ICT enabling process which was piloted in the state two years back has become a success; with this year’s 8th Standard IT text book being entirely based on ICT enabled education, with inputs from all subjects. An unique 8GB Resource DVD for teachers was also developed by IT@School Project, which included the latest edition of Edusoft, 50 selected articles from Malayalam Wiki, Malayalam Computing tools, IT@School Linux 3.2 Operating system, New Edition of Ubuntu OS, ICT Training module, Educational contents on Biology & Maths and PDF versions of Textbooks and Handbooks. The ICT training by making use of the Resource DVD is been imparted to over 60,000 teachers in the state. The Project also introduced a customized version of WIKI, namely www.schoolwiki.in which provides a comprehensive knowledge database of all schools in the state. The aim of SchoolWiki is to bring out collaborative data building and to generate more interest among students to learn Malayalam and to generate more contents in various subjects. Schoolwiki also features an ICT Learning Corner, which would include the various contents prepared by schools for all subjects in ICT enabled education. The various contents are packed in DVD and CD ROMs which are supplied free of cost to the schools with the idea of free distribution among the learning and teaching community. This process eventually resulted in the Free Digital Library at Schools wherein the contents included the subjectwise contents, contents which are telecasted through ViCTERS channel, exam oriented programmes etc. With all schools provided with Broadband connectivity, most of these contents were also made available online. Some of the highlights of content development process initiated by the Project are as follows

• Development of examination software for conduct of IT practical examination for more than 15 lakh students, first ever vast deployment of computer and resourceful manpower for conduct of an examination entirely in free software platform.

• Development of numerous educational software in association with CDAC, CDIT etc.

• Development of educational content for ViCTERS (Virtual classroom technology on EDUSAT for rural schools) channel through EDUSAT network.

• Roll out of own operating system- IT@School GNU/Linux Ubuntu

• Localized content development through distribution of Handycam to schools and training to teachers and students

• Development of e-text books and Content CDs for IT enabled education.

• ICT enabled content generation process is being undertaken jointly by the teaching and learning community.

• SchoolWiki ( www.schoolwiki.in) launched by IT@School Project is becoming a revelation of sorts in collaborative content development process."

On 13 Jul 2016 10:56, "Rushabh Mehta" rmehta@gmail.com wrote:

...

...

Also thinking of Change.org for getting a few more signatures

collectively.

...

Please do this.

IMO this will be more effective than asking people to write individual

emails.

...

Change.org has developed into a recognized platform for citizen voicing their opinion/concerns.

Please cite specific initiatives by the Govt. of Kerala in the K-12 domain to help the appeal further.

+1 I think we can use JT Dsouza's mail as a template for the petition.

Milind it will be great if you do the honours. We will all post this on social media. -- http://mm.ilug-bom.org.in/mailman/listinfo/linuxers

...

Example of Kerala is noteworthy as it does not depend on outsourcing IT

but

...

in fact immerses IT in all subjects and has it enabled exams for those subjects too. To foster the content development. The subject domain teachers are

experts

...

in use of IT in their subjects.

May be a review and improvements of content is called for. But all the

same

...

it is a great leap forward.

"Hope below comments are not off-topic".

Am in the process of rolling-out Linux Education @ Schools in Maharashtra (Project named as "Linux@School) in Maharashtra and in the process of starting at Milind Vidyala, R.A Colony Road, Powai, Mumbai.

We will be setting-up Linux Lab (planning to use Debian Live) by this week and from next week onwards, formal Linux training will be started. Currently am planning to following Kerala IT@ School syllabus with some additions, more practical oriented trainings using Open Hardware’s such as RPi, Arduino, Sensors, Electronics Circuit designing etc.

And we are in the process of applying for setting up of Atal Tinkering Laboratories, under Government of India's NITI Aayog, Atal Innovation Mission. With reference to the guidelines, it seems to have great potential, very much similar to our Linux@School plans.

Refer : http://www.niti.gov.in/content/atal-tinkering-laboratories

thanks, added

https://gist.github.com/rmehta/8c4e2e5c0d2645ec328a1439f33de6d8

-- http://mm.ilug-bom.org.in/mailman/listinfo/linuxers

So nice of you all.

I have uploaded and saved the petition and started final editing before publishing

1. The title is little longer, I think the tool tip -26 suggested to cut 26 or more chars to have greater impact on readers

--- "Petition for mandating use of Free and Open Source in New Education Policy Draft circulated by Government of India"

Is it ok if we do "Petition for mandating use of Free and Open Source Software in New Education Policy - 2016" which gives the count zero !

There is no problem even if we keep as it is.

2. A video or image to be shown supporting our petition. Shall I give link to stallman's FOSS in Education from gnu site ? BOSS promotional video ? Any other relevant video or image ?

Please opine on 1 &2 so that I can finalize asap.

Today I had a talk with Krishnakant Mane of DFF. He too liked the idea and is ready to support. I may meet him on Friday to have more discussion about it.

Also waiting for Nagarjuna's comments.

On Wednesday 13 July 2016 02:06 PM, J T Dsouza wrote:

Very nice.

On Wed, Jul 13, 2016 at 1:33 PM, Siji Sunny sijisunny@gmail.com wrote:

---