[PLUG] Fwd: AICTE Removes mandatory clause

[Vikram Vincent]

Cross-posting

07/05/13
Hyderabad

In favour of Publication

Sub :AICTE removes the mandatory clause from the notice on
implementing Office-365.

A delegation from the Free Software Movement of India and other groups
have submitted a representation demanding the revision of the decision
of the AICTE making the usage of Office-365 mandatory on the 30th of
April 2013.

A group of young parliamentarians led by P Rajeev also made a
representation to the AICTE chairman raising concerns that were
similar on 07-05-13. The signatories include Rajeev Chandrasekhar,
Sitaram Yechury, KN Balagaopal, PK Biju CP Narayanan, Prashantho
Chatterjee, Tapan Sen, Dr T Seema and MP Achutan.

We understand that the AICTE has now agreed and is removing the
mandatory clause from the notice. We welcome this decision. However,
we demand that AICTE should revise the decision of using Office-365
totally, as it is not in the interest of the students, institutions
and colleges. AICTE as a public funded body should not engage in
supporting proprietary systems.

We also thank all those in the academia, intellectuals, developer
community, policy makers and parliamentarians who have taken it up
with AICTE for revising the decision.