Kerala shuts windows, schools to use only Linux
March 05, 2008, The Indian Express
Kerala is setting the trend in IT policy by making the use of GNU/Linux free software mandatory in all schools for computer education, says this report. Known for several innovative experiments in development policy in the past, the state has already been using FOSS for e-governance. Apart from the ideological leanings of the current Communist led government, the huge costs involved in using proprietary infrastructure like Microsoft Windows is also a reason for the shift to free software. If the experiment is successful, it will be a model for the developing world in saving resources and channelising them to the priority sectors.