The State Government has directed all the Government departments to adopt open source software (OSS) instead of closed source software to deliver services to the common people smoothly and speedily through e-governance.
Secretary Science and Technology Manish Rastogi has written a letter in this regard to all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Chairman Revenue Board, Gwalior, heads of departments, divisional commissioners and collectors. The letter says that Union Government’s National Policy-2012 for information technology calls for promoting open standard and open source.
It is noteworthy that widespread hardware and software structures are being set up for implementation of e-governance schemes in various Government departments to deliver Government services to people of the State. Closed source software (C.S.S.) was used in developing computer systems during initial period of information technology. During recent years, preference is being given to open source software throughout the world.
Open source system is being promoted to reduce cost of e-governance projects, increase use of innovative alternative solutions and ensuring smoothness in expansion of these projects in the country and State. Meaning of open source is not total detachment, but ensuring availability of source code to last user for study and amendment of software and re-distribution of copies of software.
Secretary Science and Technology has desired all heads of departments to ensure adoption of Central Government’s open source software policy in their respective departments, subordinate undertakings and institutions voluntarily.