E-Committee Adopts FOSS

This is the fifth post of the series 'FOSS INNOVATION IN INDIAN COURTS: Inspired by the Allahabad High Court'. It talks about how E-Committee changed its attitude about computerisation of courts and switched over to FOSS. 

FOSS INNOVATION IN COURTS: Inspired by the Allahabad High Court

Introduction|| Computerisation of Indian Courts|| FOSS Introduction - Allahabad High Court|| Further Inroads of FOSS in Allahabad High Court|| E-Committee Adopts FOSS|| 

इस इस चिट्ठी को हिन्दी में यहां  पढ़ा जा सकता है।

In the second half of the first decade of the century, E- Committee through NIC decided to provide computers in the district courts. As a pilot project, the districts, where High Court or its benches were established, were to be computerised.

Initially, Window based desktops were purchased and were supplied all over India including Allahabad and Lucknow. This was objected by us on the ground that our philosophy is to work on FOSS; we would accept only Linux based desktops; and Windows based desktops were not acceptable.  

A veiled threat was given that in case those desktops were not accepted then our state’s courts would not be computerised. They were politely but firmly informed that let our State be not computerised. Ultimately, E-Committee and NIC gave in, and provided us with Linux desktops. 

The experience in Allahabad and Lucknow enriched E-Committee. It realised the advantages and importance of FOSS. Later, at the end of the first decade, the E-Committee decided to provide laptops to every judicial officer in the country and this time they did not commit the mistake of providing Windows laptops, but Linux was chosen as the operating system. However, some mistakes were committed: 

• E-Committee forgot that laptops are very personal and are part of oneself. One always listens to music and watches video: without this laptop has no meaning. Music or Video is generally available in the proprietary software and cannot be mixed with Linux but may be played if required plug-ins are installed. Unfortunately, these laptops did not have necessary plug-ins: it was not interesting to work on the same. 
• Laptops used to encrypt the entire data while closing the laptops and used to decrypt data, when laptops were opened. This used to take a lot of time. 
• In case a wrong password was typed by mistake, it used to hang.

We objected to this kind of Linux laptop; we got a customised CD of Linux made, removing the aforesaid objections and installed them on the laptops of our State. 

Nevertheless, NIC could not provide as much help on Linux laptops as it should have. The result was that some States switched over to Windows. Some judicial officers in our State also switched over to Windows on the pretext of installing Dragon voice recognition programme. 

E-Committee and NIC learned the lessons from our success and their experience of FOSS in our State. Consequently, in the second decade of this century, E-Committee accepted FOSS. It adopted a policy requiring all courts to deploy Linux (Ubuntu based) computers with Libre Office as the word processor and use of Apache HTTP Server on Linux (Ubuntu or Debian-based) systems.  

The E-Committee recommended Ubuntu as it has the widest support as regards drivers, and most vendors provide it bundled and pre-installed. Had I been consulted I would have recommended Linux Mint rather than Ubuntu for the reason that:

• Ubuntu uses the GNOME desktop environment, having vertical panel making it different in appearance than Windows. It is psychologically difficult for Window users to shift and adjust; whereas 
• Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu (Debian-based) but uses Cinnamon desktop, with a traditional bottom panel. This makes it appearance similar to the Windows. This comforts the Window users, permitting them to easily shift and gel with it.

At present, the following scenario exists in the Indian courts:

• The web servers all courts are on Apache HTTP and hosted on Linux server. All websites except of the Allahabad High Court are on the NIC server. The website of the Allahabad High court is on its own server based in its premises. 
• The desktops in the the District Courts and judicial officer in District judiciary have laptops have Ubuntu as operating system with Libre Office suite. But a few, provide grant of money to the judicial officers to purchase laptops of their choice. 
• The earlier problem in the laptops have been removed. Now, one can play music or watch a video and can do legal research as well. Some laptops are dual boot to run Dragon Voice recognition software.
• Higher courts are mixed bag. Some have Ubuntu desktops with Libre Office or OpenOffice.org for word processing. Here a few are on Windows to accommodate some old programme that run on Windows only. Some are on Windows with Libre Office Suite for word processing. Some are on Windows with MS Office suit. Though most of the desktops are on Ubuntu.
• The laptops and the desktops provided to the judges of the higher judiciary are at their choice.   

This makes the Indian courts to be the largest supporters of FOSS. It was initiated by the Allahabad High Court. Had we not fought with the E-Committee in the beginning the scenario would have been different. 

#FOSS #FreeOpenSourceSoftware #OpenSourceSoftware #AllahabadHighCourt #IndianCourts #ECommittee