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MeitY announces #FOSS4GOV, Innovation Challenge to boost adoption of Free & Open Source Software

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MeitY-announces-#FOSS4GOV-Innovation-ChallengeMinistry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced an Innovation Challenge #FOSS4GOV to accelerate the adoption of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in Government.

  • It calls on FOSS innovators, technology entrepreneurs and Indian Startups to submit open source product innovations in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) & ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning).
  • The innovations will be applied in Govtech in the areas of Health, Education, Agriculture, Urban Governance.

Key Points

  • India is well positioned to become a hub for FOSS innovation. Around 96% of Indian users access the digital world through open-source based mobile operating systems (primarily android).
  • IndiaтАЩs largest-government projects (including Aadhaar, UPI) and many other technology start-ups have been built using FOSS.
  • India had issued a Policy on Adoption of Open Source Software in 2015.

Virtual Roundtable Discussion

  • MeitY in collaboration with Omidyar Network India organized a virtual roundtable discussion, тАЬFree and Open Source Software (FOSS) in GovernmentтАЭ to increase awareness about the usage of FOSS in governance and Government functioning and adoption.

Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS)

  • FOSS is free software & open-source software i.e. anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way.
  • The source codes are openly shared so that people are encouraged to voluntarily improve the design of the software.
  • IndiaтАЩs COVID-19 contact tracing app тАШAarogya SetuтАЩ is an Open Source Software.

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About Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)

Union Minister тАУ Ravi Shankar Prasad (Lok Sabha – Patna Sahib, Bihar)
Minister of State тАУ Sanjay Dhotre (Lok Sabha – Akola, Maharashtra)