Dear All, Considering our past experience with the RTI Act and its usage, here are a few observations:
1) It is usually a good strategy to file more than one application by different parties. 2) Please attach a copy of the press release along with your application to avoid evasive responses. 3) Please indicate clearly the public officials present or quoted in the press release announcing the MOU. 4) You may want to use the RTI format but that is discretionary. Thanks. [email protected] wrote: > Send network mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of network digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: draft of the letter to Education Secretary, Govt of M > (Jaijit Bhattacharya) > 2. Re: draft of the letter to Education Secretary, Govt of M > (sankarshan) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2009 09:34:17 +0530 (IST) > From: "Jaijit Bhattacharya" <[email protected]> > To: "Indian FOSS Community Network list" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [fosscomm] draft of the letter to Education Secretary, > Govt of M > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 > > In future, you may also want to mention that CBSE has adopted OpenOffice.org > > Regards > Jaijit > > >> We can add these questions as well (modified as needed) >> >> 1. After the teachers learn in the academies, they are required to teach >> other teachers and students. If they have learnt only Microsoft >> proprietary software then they will need to teach only these as well. >> This means there will be an expenditure on these applications - MS >> Windows and MS Office for each of the computers. >> >> Have you considered the funding required and the budgetary provisions >> for the same. >> >> Assuming each Government school will have ten computers,this can amount >> to more than 1,000 crores to buy these applications for the 68,000 >> Government schools. And the logical conclusion of having a computer for >> each teacher (300,000 teachers) and student (nearly 8 million students) >> in only Government schools would amount to more than 450 and 12,000 >> crores respectively and they are NOT likely to get it as freeware as the >> current program may be getting. >> >> 2 This proprietary software will also require periodic upgrades.Have you >> considered the funding required and the budgetary provisions for the same. >> >> 3. Have you considered using Free Software alternatives (GNU/Linux >> distributions, Open Office, Firefox browser, GIMP image editor) etc that >> are freely shareable and hence can help the government save that >> expenditure. Also teachers and students can copy the same software for >> use in their home computers also, which will spread the use of computers >> even faster. >> >> some basic data of Maharashtra schools can be found in >> http://dise.in/ar2005.html >> >> regards >> Guru >> >> >> Sudev Barar wrote: >> >>> Draft application for RTI that can be also filed by individuals: >>> >>> To >>> Shri Sanjay Kumar, Education Secretary, >>> Government of Maharashtra >>> Matralaya >>> Mumbai >>> >>> Subject: Application under RTI >>> Enclosed: Rupees Ten Postal Order # >>> >>> Dear Sir, >>> We have read in newspapers that the Department of Education, >>> Government of Maharashtra, has entered into a MoU with Microsoft >>> Corporation India Private Limited, wherein Microsoft will setup three >>> IT academies and train government school teachers. >>> You are requested to: >>> 1.Give a copy of the MOU >>> 2.Clarify if the subjects / curicularm being covered at these >>> academies cover education for sujects / products other than those >>> owned by Microsoft Corporation. More specifically will it nclude >>> learning of competing products like Open Office, Firefox, etc.? Which >>> have equivalent features as the Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer >>> applications. >>> 3.If no then the reason for not covering the same. >>> 4.Under the MOU what is the scope of expense coverage by Micrisoft >>> Corporation and the Government of Maharashtra? >>> >>> You are requested to furnish the information requested above within >>> the policy of RTI Act. >>> >>> Regards.... >>> >>> >>> Any suggestions? >>> >>> >> -- >> Gurumurthy Kasinathan >> IT for Change >> Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities >> Tel:98454 37730 >> www.ITforChange.net >> http://Public-Software.in >> http://India.IS-Watch.net >> http://IS-Watch.net >> http://content-commons.in >> *IT for Change is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with United >> Nations??? Economic and Social Council* >> >> >> -- >> Gurumurthy Kasinathan >> IT for Change >> Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities >> Tel:98454 37730 >> www.ITforChange.net >> http://Public-Software.in >> http://India.IS-Watch.net >> http://IS-Watch.net >> http://content-commons.in >> *IT for Change is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with United >> Nations??? Economic and Social Council* >> _______________________________________________ >> network mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in >> >> > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2009 09:52:41 +0530 > From: sankarshan <[email protected]> > To: Indian FOSS Community Network list <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [fosscomm] draft of the letter to Education Secretary, > Govt of M > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 9:34 AM, Jaijit > Bhattacharya<[email protected]> wrote: > >> In future, you may also want to mention that CBSE has adopted OpenOffice.org >> > > As an aside, the following was in the DNA newspaper dated 28Aug09 with > the headline " Microsoft teacher deal draws flak" > > The recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between by the > state government and Microsoft Corporation India is under fire from > educationists. Several NGOs, along with technocrats from the primary > and higher education sectors and educationists have written to the > education department questioning the move. > The MoU enables Microsoft to set up three academies and train > government teachers in information technology free-of-cost. However, > according to the signatories, the government will have no role in > designing the curriculum, as is the case in other states who have > signed MoUs. > In place of Microsoft, the use of Free and Open Source Software (Foss) > such as GNU/Linux, Open Office etc. have been suggested. ?Being a free > software, the user can make copies and distribute them which is useful > for the teachers who undergo the training,? said GN Nagarjuna, Tata > Institute of Fundamental Research. > Education department officials refused to comment on the issue. > > > -- Warm Regards Mishi Choudhary Legal Counsel Software Freedom Law Center 1995 Broadway 17FL New York, NY 10023 (tel) 212-461-1912 (fax) 212-580-0898 www.softwarefreedom.org _______________________________________________ network mailing list [email protected] http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in
