OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE (OSS)

INTRODUCTION
Health, governance, education and service delivery in the digital era depend heavily on robust software infrastructure. Under the Digital India vision, the Government of India aims to make public services accessible, transparent, efficient and affordable through digital means. To reduce costs, ensure strategic autonomy and avoid vendor lock-in, the Government has increasingly promoted the use of Open Source Software (OSS) in e-Governance.

The National Policy on Information Technology, 2012 explicitly encourages adoption of open standards and promotion of open source and open technologies.

MEANING OF OPEN SOURCE
• The term “open source” refers to software whose source code is publicly accessible  
• Anyone can study, modify, improve and redistribute the software  
• It promotes collaboration, transparency and innovation  

OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE (OSS)
• Software whose source code is available for inspection, modification and enhancement  
• Source code is the human-readable instructions that define how a software works  
• Programmers can:
  – Fix bugs  
  – Add features  
  – Customize software for specific needs  
• Developers may charge for services, support or customization, but not for restricting access to source code  

POLICY ON ADOPTION OF OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE – GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Policy Vision
• OSS to be preferred over Closed Source Software (CSS) in e-Governance systems  

Key Features of OSS under GoI Policy
• Source code freely available to community and users  
• Free from royalty or licensing fees  
• Freedom to modify and redistribute original or modified software  

Objectives of the Policy
• Provide a framework for rapid and effective adoption of OSS  
• Ensure long-term strategic control over government digital systems  
• Reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of IT projects  
• Promote transparency and interoperability  

Applicability
Applicable to:
• All new e-Governance applications  
• New versions of existing or legacy systems  
• Central Government organizations  
• State Governments that voluntarily adopt the policy  

OPEN SOURCE VS PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE

Proprietary / Closed Source Software
• Source code accessible only to the owner or company  
• Users must accept restrictive license agreements  
• Modification and redistribution prohibited  
• Examples:
  – Microsoft Office  
  – Adobe Photoshop  

Open Source Software
• Source code publicly available  
• Users can modify and redistribute  
• Encourages collaboration and innovation  
• Examples:
  – LibreOffice  
  – GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)  

GITHUB AND OPEN SOURCE ECOSYSTEM
• GitHub is the world’s largest open-source developer platform  
• Enables hosting, sharing and collaborative development of code  
• Uses Git version control system  
• Git was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 (creator of Linux)  
• Facilitates transparency, peer review and innovation  

BENEFITS OF OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

Economic Benefits
• Reduces government expenditure on proprietary software licenses  
• Lowers Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)  
• Savings can be redirected towards social sector spending  

Strategic Benefits
• Reduces dependence on foreign vendors  
• Prevents vendor lock-in  
• Ensures long-term control over critical digital infrastructure  

Governance Benefits
• Enhances transparency in government functioning  
• Improves auditability and trust  
• Encourages interoperability across departments  

Technical Benefits
• Highly customizable to local, regional and sectoral needs  
• Easier adaptation to changing requirements  
• Incremental upgrades possible instead of full system replacement  

Social and Developmental Benefits
• Decentralized and participatory model of development  
• Reduces monopoly of large commercial firms  
• Encourages domestic IT ecosystem and skill development  

Challenges (Implicit)
• Requires trained manpower for OSS deployment and maintenance  
• Capacity building and technical training essential  

CONCLUSION
Adoption of Open Source Software aligns strongly with the objectives of Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and good governance. By reducing costs, improving transparency and ensuring strategic autonomy, OSS provides a sustainable and inclusive digital governance framework for India.

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Subject: Science

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