Open source software is key for ‘digital democracy’: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The government on Monday launched a contest for firms which create Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in a bid to boost such development in the country. Called the FOSS4Gov Innovation Challenge, the contest will be run through the government’s citizen platform MyGov that completed seven years of its launch today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union minister for IT, telecom and railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said that open source software is key for “digital democracy” and it will help ordinary citizens get access to technology much more easily. Vaishnaw and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also inaugurated the UP chapter of MyGov platform.