In what amounts to an endorsement of FOSS, the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Karnataka’s main technology education university, to which almost all technical colleges in Karnataka are affiliated, issued a letter today to all principals and HODs of almost 120 engineering colleges, urging them to encourage their students to attend FOSS.IN/2005.

You can see the letter here.

Among other things, this means that we are beginning to see a massive change happening, as the VTU (and Anna University in neighbouring Tamil Nadu) begin to actively push for involvement in FOSS.

For me, this is both a personal, as well as community victory. Personal, because the VTU is located in Belgaum – the town I grew up in after we migrated to India – and community, because while this certainly doesn’t mean that we have won the war, we certainly have people’s attention.

There are numerous Education related talks and tutorials at FOSS.IN/2005 – including a talk on the Anna University’s FOSS curriculum and formal technical courses. This, along with the presence of Government and other important stakeholders, means that for the first time ever, this country will see the FOSS world and the education world meeting at the table to discuss things.

Hopefully, this will mean the beginning of rationalisation of technical education, and people going back to learning open technologies instead of closed products.

As for the students so happily affected by this most welcome turn of events – you are going to have the time of your lives. And get attendance for it, too!