Priority to open hardware too: Sivankutty

After free software, the General Education department is turning its attention to open hardware too.

On the occasion of Software Freedom Day on Saturday, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty said the importance given to free software would now be given to open hardware too. Just as the free software mantra was that knowledge was not anyone’s monopoly, hardware manufacture too should be made available to everyone.

Robotics kits that were distributed in schools took modern technology to students. The General Education department would take the initiative to implement projects in the open hardware domain too, the Minister said.

More than 29,000 robotic kits had been deployed in schools. Steps were being taken to make available 5,000 more kits to students, he said.