'Government plans open software policy to enhance transparency'

The government is shortly coming out with an "open software policy" to further the process of transparency and credibility in administration, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Wednesday.

"The Department of Posts and Common Service Centres with presence in nearly four lakh centres are being deployed to further empower less privileged people by digitalisation," he said speaking at the IIIrd Web Ratna Awards ceremony.

Prasad called for collective approach of related government departments to create a friendly outlook.

He mentioned that the "Digital India" initiative of the government is fundamentally aimed at making government more people-friendly and to bridge the gap between haves and have-not classes through digital empowerment.

He said that with an internet penetration of 300 million, India is only next to China in terms of reach and this number is all set to touch 500 million in a couple of years.