Thanks Rushab. Sending an almost verbatim copy from my email.
On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 11:40 AM, Rushabh Mehta <[email protected]> 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 [email protected] 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 -- http://mm.ilug-bom.org.in/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
