[OSGeo-Discuss] FOSS GIS in India

[H.S.Rai]

On 8/10/07, RAVI KUMAR <ravivundavalli at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> The students of computer-science (a general term)
> rarely develop code for
> GIS, as they are probably much in demand elsewhere. It
> is a fact that 'Google summer of code', may not be an
> option for young programmers,

Though generalisation will be difficult, but with my limited
interaction within my neighbourhood, I found student don't want to do
programing a lot. They want to do things with short cuts. They do
routine type of projects (salary automation, library automation) that
too without implementing actually. If they do challenging project,
solve problems of other departments in same institute, then thing may
improve dramatically.

Our education system is producing handicapped professional. They
cannot do programming without Visual Tools (line visual studio). They
want to use software without understanding fundamentals and related
theory. IMO, if one is strong in fundamental, then using free software
and proprietary software or shifting between will not be difficult.
Rather training on free software, make one better user of proprietary
software.

> including the IITs( top educational institutes of the
> land). All of them teach proprietary GIS (ARC and
> ERDAS) and  image processing software. The reason,
> they are driven by the industry's needs, and it is a
> fact that jobs are there for those well versed in
> proprietary software.

This is wrong message, but it is there. If one is proficient in one
software, will also be proficient in other similar software with a
little orientation. One who drive "Honda City" well also drive
"Mitsubishi Lancer" well. Educational institutes has responsibility to
make their students versatile, which may done by introducing FOSS
software and comparing features with proprietary software.

> Government Institutes:
> The Indian state and central governments spend lot of
> funds in GIS and they all work with proprietary
> software.

There are many factors. Progress of a department is shown like:

" purchased software costing $100,000 during last financial year",
with free software with will progress become zero :-(

Mindset problem:

"Free software cannot be good"

Well known fact: Openoffice can be use in place of MSoffice. But all
school, colleges mention only MSoffcie in their syllabus.

Ignorance: Even in the era of IT, there is ignorance. Software are not
purchase by doing a comparative study. During some training program,
in an institute of International repute, when I mentioned about GRASS
(to a expert who was delivering lecture on some project involving use
of ARC_GIS) refused to accept that some free software can do similar
work.

No thing succeed like success. We need successful projects. Need
groups, who can undertake projects, demand professional with FOSS
skills to work on projects. Implement with FOSS, publicise it well.

Only competent persons having confidence, can use FOSS. Persons with
partial training (handicapped) will find FOSS difficult to use.

-- 
H.S.Rai
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