Public sector software and the revolution: digital literacy in communist Kerala

Abstract

In the context of cost-cutting and austerity measures, public sector software based on the principles and technologies of free and open source software is increasingly being used by governments in both the developed and developing worlds. The move to adopt non-proprietorial software has been precipitated by a number of factors apart from cost, including the recognition of the effects of vendor lock-in, the consequences of efficiency deficits linked to the lack of inter-operability of software across sectors and departments, the recognition of the failure of existing software policy and its consequences, particularly a heightened comprehension of risk, and the realisation of the need for informational independence. This article explores public sector software as a ‘public good’, with specific reference to the IT@School project in Kerala state, India, that has enabled access and, in that process, empowered local, state-funded secondary school teachers and students to define, shape and create their own informational futures.