Don’t be ‘soft’ on software thieves [like BARAHA and NUDI KANNADA Fonts in Karnataka State]

Don’t be ‘soft’ on software thieves

Don’t be ‘soft’ on software thieves

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=142500

If you were to ask someone if he would mind giving his kid stolen candy or a stolen toy, the answer surely would be a ‘No’. However, when it comes to software, the Indian consumer adopts an attitude of indifference. Indeed, the problem of software piracy is confined not just to the common user, but is equally rampant in the enterprise sector where, barring mission critical operations, it wouldn’t mind working on pirated software. Slowly but steadily, piracy has affected the entire software industry.

Software piracy has many implications. It leads to the proliferation of non-genuine products in the market, besides having a huge socio-economic impact in the form of lost job opportunities and earnings for employees, software companies and governments. According to a recent study by the International Data Corporation, it is estimated that a mere 10% reduction in piracy in India, from the current level of 75%, could translate into 1,15,000 new IT jobs, pump in $5 billion as additional revenue and $386 million as additional tax revenue for the economy.

Yet, little has happened at the ground level to curtail piracy. The software industry and enforcement agencies are often in a state of ignorance about this issue. The multi-dimensional aspects of the problem are often ignored by the industry, law enforcement agencies and consumers. While industry gives it an entirely profit-oriented treatment, law enforcement agencies are ignorant about the nitty-gritties of intellectual property and so, are scarcely bothered. Consumers, on the other hand, rest their decisions on just the price and not on what they are buying. A snowballing effect of this has been that the domestic IT market is still finding it difficult to find its feet. Better products are not being offered for fear of piracy, tax revenue is being lost, and consumers are falling prey to unscrupulous entities.

Though there are many ways to curtail piracy, the following measures would set the ball rolling in the right direction:

First, better software designs and collaborative practices should be explored among industry players. Industry leaders, while complaining about piracy, spend little time in improvising their product design. Ever wondered why it is nearly impossible to pirate an anti-virus but quite easy to pirate an application software? The answer is a better and robust design. A collaborative approach among software vendors for better-engineered products which are difficult to pirate is needed.

A 10% reduction in piracy in India from the present level of 75% could translate into 1,15,000 new IT jobs

Second, a consumer-centric approach needs to be adopted by IT vendors, who have been suffering from what I would term an ‘ostrich-like attitude’, burying their heads in the sand and offering products and pricing them with their own logic. Software vendors need to take a closer look at consumer needs.

Most consumers (not enterprises) have little clue about the technology aspect of software and so, depend on the retailer or the person assembling their hardware to make the right choice for them. Their only concern is a cost-effective, usable solution. One that meets their needs and is priced right. Software vendors should thus work towards churning out modular or abridged versions of their products to reduce the price differential between an original and a pirated version. This itself can help curtail software piracy.

As most consumers purchase pirated software unknowingly, efforts should be made to educate them. This can be done by sensitising children, who not only play an important role in the technology-buying decisions of an Indian family, but are also future consumers.

Third, robust laws and better law enforcement practices are needed to curtail piracy. Industry and law enforcement agencies can go the extra mile by educating enforcement personnel about technology infringements and also collaborate with civil society in general. Special incentive schemes, along with punishment for piracy, would be a step in the right direction.

Piracy is a global phenomenon. Even in a country like the US where IP laws are fairly strong, almost a quarter of the market uses pirated software. What’s needed is a pragmatic approach for a gradual reduction in piracy, instead of aiming too high by seeking its total elimination.

—The writer is a senior consultant with the programme management unit of the National E-Governance Plan. These are his personal views

Writing and Reading History: Analysis of Tippu Controversy

http://krishnarajpm.blogspot.com/

"So let us forget painting people in black and white. Let us stick to 
objective narration of history. When Tippu is explained to children 
let it be told that he committed x y and z crimes along with a b and c 
good works. Let us stop judging historic figures based on isolated 
incidents. "

"Tipu Sultan has always been misrepresented because the victors are 
the ones who have a say in recording history "

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/09/29/stories/2006092902590300.htm

Tipu Sultan 

            A Biography

http://www.tipusultan.org/

Tipu'scontribution to Rocket Technology

            Source: The History of Indian Rocketry

            By Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

            (Director Defense Research & Development
            Laboratory Hydaerabad, India)

The Story of a Patriotic Martyr
Source: Tipu Sultan
By Dr. B. N. Pande

Profile of Tipu Sultan
Source: Tipu Sultan Bi-Centenary Commemorative International Seminar
By Prof. Sheik Ali
(Former Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore & Goa Universities)

English beda ennuva sahithigala guttenu ?

English beda ennuva sahithigala guttenu ?

http://www.eesanje.com/regional.htm#four

CLASSICAL STATUS FOR KANNADA ON NOV. 1: MINISTER

CLASSICAL STATUS FOR KANNADA ON NOV. 1: MINISTER
http://www.starofmysore.com/main.asp?type=news&item=10951

Bangalore, Oct. 11 (BRS)- Union Minister of State for Planning, M.V. Rajashekaran has disclosed that there are possibilities of the Central Government declaring Kannada as a classical language on Nov. 1, as a gift to the State on Rajyotsava.

He made the disclosure before unveiling the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi Bhavan here yesterday. There is likelihood of the proposal to accord classical language status to Kannada be accepted in the next meeting of the union cabinet.

A lot of effort having been made by him to secure classical language status for Kannada, Rajashekaran also disclosed that he had discussed the subject on several occasions with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. In that backdrop, the subject has found place in the agenda of the next cabinet meeting and there are possibilities of Kannada being accorded classical language status by November 1.

Recommendation

The chances of classical language status have brightened following the recommendations made by an Expert Committee in a four-page report. It has submitted the report to the government stating that Kannada language satisfies all the parameters required for a classical language.

In order to study whether Kannada language was qualified for being accorded classical language status, the Union Human Resources Ministry had constituted an Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Udyanarayana Singh of Mysore-based Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL). The Committee submitted its four-page report to the government on June 21, 2006.

“Kannada has all the standards and qualifications prescribed for a language to be accorded classical language status,” Dr. Singh has opined.

One of the standards relates to the history of the language. The language must have a literary history of at least 1,500 years. It must possess the feature of flow of knowledge from one generation to the next successively over centuries. It must have literature reflecting its own heritage. It must not be based on borrowing from other languages.

The literature of the language being considered for classical status may be different in style compared to that in contemporary times or its features may have undergone changes.

Influence over Tamil

According to Dr. Singh, Kannada language has all the above qualifying standards. In a further elaboration of his viewpoint, Dr. Singh said, “Renowned epigraphist Irvatham Mahadevan, in his treatise Early Tamil Epigraphy,’ has mentioned that the grammar of Tamil language had been influenced by Kannada language.”

He has also included in his treatise references to the fact that Kannada language was in full use as early as first century AD.

Rajashekaran’s role

Minister M.V. Rajashekaran has put in considerable efforts to convince Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh the justification for according classical language status for Kannada, making it clear to him that Kannada had a history of two thousand years.

Don’t drag in language policy: Horatti to literati

Don’t drag in language policy: Horatti to literati

DH News Service Bangalore:

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct112006/state18243820061010.asp

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti echoed the Chief Minister’s view that there won’t be any going back on teaching of English in Kannada-medium schools from June 1, 2007.

Mr Horatti told the media on Tuesday that the decision to talk to Kannada writers was only to “make them understand the issues involved better”.

He also clarified that “this decision has nothing to do with the language policy, which is in the High Court at present. Ours is an independent decision to empower students, while the case is all about mother tongue being the medium of instruction or not”.

Deccan Herald records a few more views in this regard:

Good only if…

According to Mysore University Vice-Chancellor Shashidhar Prasad, “it all depends on how the policy is going to be implemented. If English is taught to children as a communicative tool, it is good. But it should not become a literary subject”.

Welcome move

Says Dr Siddalingaiah, Chairman, Kannada Development Authority, “I welcome the government’s decision to introduce English as a language from the first standard. Medium of instruction at the primary level should be Kannada, and English can be taught as a language. “Meanwhile, the State Government should make all efforts to get the stay on the judgement that makes primary education in the child’s mother tongue compulsory, lifted,” the KDA chief says.

Good news for the poor

Dilshad Begum, parent of a I standard student, is all gratitude. Says she, “Ours is a lower middle class family. We are really happy to hear that the government is going to teach our son English on its own.

“We are not capable of paying high fees and getting him into a big school to be taught English. It is good that he can look for a better job, say, at a call centre, later,” she adds.

‘English helps us grow’

Former Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor Thimmappa has welcomed the move, saying “Kannada helps us look for our roots while English helps us grow. To study science, one needs to learn English language.

“As VC, I had tried to introduce Kannada medium at PG level. But the right books were not available. Same was the case with subjects related to the arts. More than Kannada, the progress of Kannadigas is important and, for this, learning English is necessary,” he notes.

Rank hypocrisy

M Parthasarathy, parent of a Std II student, observes: “First the threat over the derecognition issue, and now the language controversy. I think our children are the most unfortunate to be studying in these situations. People who oppose English as a instruction medium in primary schools send their children and grandchildren to English schools. Why shouldn’t our children have the same privilege?”

“It’s settled”

B Somshekar, JD(U) leader, says: “I support the government’s decision. The Education Department has obviously took the decision after several rounds of consultations, so I think there is no need to have any further debate.

“We should equip our students to move with the trend of globalisation and privatisation. In fact, my strong view is that the government should have a three-language policy. Students should study English, Kannada and any other language of their choice”.

Let charity begin at home

Hitting out at some of the litterateurs who have opposed the state government’s decision to introduce English as a subject from the first standard, JD (S) MLA Dr K Annadani has urged them to “first inspire their children, grand children and relatives to study in Kannada medium.”

Dr Annadani, who is also chairman of the Legislative Assembly’s Backward Classes & Minorities Welfare Committee, termed the litterateurs opposing the introduction of English as “anti-Kannada and those opposed to the welfare of farmers, poor and oppressed sections”.

He hailed the government’s decision to introduce English as a step which would help the development of poor, farmers, Dalits and OBCs.

English from first standard order is unconstitutional, unscientific and unnecessary

Parishat to move court against English from first standard

Staff Correspondent – THE HINDU NEWSPAPER

The order is unconstitutional, unscientific and unnecessary: Siddalingaiah

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Government accused of giving in to lobby of English-medium schools `The order is against court decision on medium of instruction’

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BIDAR: The Kannada Sahitya Parishat will move the court against the State Government’s order of introducing English from the first standard. The order was unconstitutional, unscientific and unnecessary, parishat member and former president G.S. Siddhalingaiah said here on Sunday. He was here to participate in the Nudi-Gadi Jatha. He told presspersons that Kannada lovers across the State were opposing the order. “This is nothing but a ploy by the vested interests to destroy Kannada,” he said. He accused the State Government of giving in to the lobby of English-medium schools. Former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Rama Jois had stated that such an order would amount to violation of the Supreme Court’s decision that primary education should be in the mother tongue of the student. A study by the National Council of Education, Research and Training had revealed that a child would not be ready to learn another language till he reached third standard. The State Government had neglected such opinions and had come out with this order only to please the English-medium lobby, Mr. Siddhalingaiah said. `Mukyamantri’ Chandru, MLC, said the jatha was not aimed at creating disputes with other States. “We want to make the Government aware of the problems of people living in border areas and to make such people aware of the need to remain united when Kannada is threatened. We also want to spread the message that Karnataka is with the people living in border areas,” Mr. Chandru said.He urged the Government to implement Kannada at all levels and strengthen Kannada education. He appealed to the Government to promote Kannada and culture through various programmes and create employment opportunities to Kannada-speaking people.