Here’s great news for the engineering students.

Noted US software developer, Richard M Stallman is in Hyderabad to oversee the migration of thousands of computers from proprietary to free software.

Stallman, popularly known as the ‘Father of free software’, on Wednesday will launch the process of installation of an indigenous operating system (OS) called e-Swecha on 21,000 computers across Andhra Pradesh starting Tuesday in TRR College.

‘e-Swecha´ is considered as an alternative to Linux. The new operating system promises to solve the problems concerning the installation and uninstallation of software for the purpose of study.

Recognizing India’s efforts to switch to free software, Stallman said, “India is fairly high on FS though much remains to be done yet.”

It may here recalled that Kerala was the first state in the country which took the initiative by switching computers in its public schools to Free Software due to the efforts of the Free Software Foundation of India, a sister organisation of the Free Software Foundation, founded by Stallman.

“Some schools in Karnataka and West Bengal have also swithced to FS,” he said but when asked what progress was being made in Andhra Pradesh, he retorted, “the Government is not listening.”