Bonum Certa Men Certa

Corruption Pays off for Microsoft in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu



Summary: Corruption in procurement processes, such as the ones we mentioned recently in relation to Europe, come into public awareness in the form of leaked documents

SEVERAL years go we covered Microsoft's EDGI in India. We thought it was a fine demonstration of Microsoft's corrosive and corrupt power over India -- augmenting an agenda which was further lobbied for by the Gates Foundation. Together they have a lot of influence over the Indian government. For a little bit of background see:





Microsoft corruption has been quite rampant in India and over the years we have covered many more examples where Microsoft lied, misused the courts, and avoided tax (it was convicted of that too). One area where Microsoft has been less successful is Kerala and another -- to a lesser degree -- is Tamil Nadu. We have received documents (see final [PDF] and another version [PDF]) that show that there too Microsoft has managed to lobby and distort tenders/bidding processes, according to our sources. Swapnil Bhartiya dud a lot of the work highlighting the distortion. He also shows how and what was changed, so we need not do this again. "Tamil Nadu government is giving freebies as per their election promise," wrote to us a local. "They are giving 900,000 laptop in first phase.

"If the minimum cost of operating system is calculated to 1000 RS, then the OS itself will cost above 90 crores."

He continues: "In the first tender they had gone for dual boot system with Linux but suddenly few weeks back they came up with 2nd tender where they removed wireless cards, web cam and dual boot option. In other way it was simply to benefit Microsoft

On another occasion, explained the same person: "they put a tender asking 4 dual boot quotation just day before they announce bidder, they revoked the tender and came with new tender where they put only MSFT as option [...] threatening vendors to put dual boot and increase dual boot"

To quote the analysis from Swapnil Bhartiya:

What it clearly means is:

1. The government will buy around 1 million Microsoft Windows licences. 2. Government has blocked 'all' competitors such as Canonical, Red Hat, SUSE and other independent vendors which develop Linux based operating systems from bidding for this huge tender. 3. Government has chosen expensive and insecure Windows, over free and open source Linux which is much more secure. 4. Government has decided to train 1 million students in Microsoft products instead of Linux and open source. 5. The Tamil Nadu government has refused to support the local economy by blocking local vendors who could offer services around Linux and went in bed with a US based company. Why does the government even need to advertise the tender when it the end the corruption will find its way and the order will go to the favored party, blocking competitors. Will the government explain why it removed Linux and made the tender exclusive for Microsoft Windows?

We need more Anna Hazare to bring an end to the deeply rooted corruption in the Indian system.


And guess who always benefits from it? It is important to understand how Microsoft operates behind closed doors because the media hardly covers this. It's the brave people who leak information (at their own risk) that really spread the facts.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Social Control Media as a Rapid Race to the Bottom - Part I - That Sinking Feeling
When you realise you made an error and things you adopted more than 15 years ago became utterly bad
Microsoft's Entryism as Mortal Risk/Danger: The Example of the Open Source Initiative (OSI)
Microsoft is a cult
FSF Amicus Brief: Aspose.PDF for .NET 24.2.0, OOXML (.docx), and Microsoft Word (Proprietary)
Could the FSF not find any law firm that, in addition to talking about or for Free software, does not use .NET, OOXML, and almost everything Microsoft?
New Interview With Richard Stallman in Italy (Manuel Cuda News)
Due to Google's growing aggression against Free software and proper APIs, this cannot be downloaded and converted to a free format
The UEFI hype and Microsoft's lies
By Sami Tikkanen
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
In Central African Republic Windows Has Pretty Much Fallen to Zero
We need to focus on Software Freedom
 
The Fall of the Open Source Initiative (OSI): An Introduction
In a nutshell: there's a massive conflict inside the OSI and the OSI stooges (staff serving Big Sponsors like Microsoft) try to hide it
Paraguay: GNU/Linux Surging to New Usage Levels (7%), According to statCounter
Notice that the gains are at Microsoft Windows' expense
Links 04/03/2025: Microsoft Issues Policy Instructions to the Cheeto Mussolini Administration, Cloudflare Engages in Mass Censorship Again
Links for the day
Gemini Links 04/03/2025: Athens, Fedora 41, and Yelling at Clouds
Links for the day
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) Belatedly Comments on Case That Tests Copyleft in the United States
"The Free Software Foundation (FSF) announced today it has submitted an amicus brief in the case entitled Neo4j"
If They Try to Censor You on Some Topic, Then You Should Cover This Topic Even More
OSI is only a small part of it
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 03, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 03, 2025
Thorsten Glaser & Open Source Initiative (OSI) resignations due to AI whitewashing
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 03/03/2025: Copyrights, GrapheneOS, and SpaceBeans
Links for the day
Links 03/03/2025: Europe Rallies Behind Ukraine, Measles Flourishes in US Again
Links for the day
Microsoft Windows Down to 8.5% in South Africa
South Africa and Egypt are strategic in Africa
After Fund-raising Campaign the Free Software Foundation Still Raises About $13,000 Per Week (Without Campaigning for New Donors/Members)
Richard Stallman in the Board is not a liability
Links 03/03/2025: 'Monetisation' Myth' and Microsoft's LLMs Helping Criminals
Links for the day
The New Series About the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and the Microsoft Entryism in OSI is Closely Related to the SLAPP Against Techrights
Also based on the leading publication that they want removed
New Series: A Deep Dive Into the Severe Corruption of the Open Source Initiative (OSI), Nowadays a Front Group and Lobbyist of Microsoft
There's a lot to show
Links 03/03/2025: Mass Layoffs in IBM China, Intel Still in Trouble
Links for the day
3 Out of 4 in Cuba Use Linux to Access the Web
Maybe change does come about...
Doing Free Software for a Living in an Era or a Time of Abundance of Code (and Fast Internet to Pass It Around Freely) or Writing When the Web is Attacked by LLM Slop
Tailoring code to needs is the key
Links 02/03/2025: Day Off, POWER9, Console Challenge
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 02, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, March 02, 2025
Microsoft Windows Falls to All-Time Low in Thailand
We're seeing many all-time records like these so far in 2025
Gemini Links 02/03/2025: Snowdrop Flower and Hostile Leaders
Links for the day
Links 02/03/2025: Microsoft Outlook Goes Offline, Foreign-Owned Social Control Media Interfering With Fair Elections
Links for the day
According to statCounter, Windows Falls Off a Cliff in Maharlika, GNU/Linux Surges to 5%
But mobile is king
New Video Clip of Richard Stallman's Latest Visit to and Talks in Italy
Richard Stallman or RMS giving his latest talk last week
Windows Used by Only One in Six Asians to Access the Web, According to statCounter
maybe more governments in Asia should move away from Microsoft
GNU/Linux Reaches 5% in Brazil, an All-Time High According to statCounter
There are hundreds of millions of people in that country
Google Already Dominates the Global South (via Android/Linux)
If one puts aside Russia and east Europe, not many countries exist that still connect to the Web from Windows more than from Android
GNU/Linux Widespread in Finland, Sweden, and Norway
Sweden has many Chromebooks in schools3 nations
Germany's Incoming Leader Said He'd Seek More Independence from the US, GNU/Linux Soars to 6%
Last month it was 5%
For the First Time GNU/Linux is Measured at Over 4% in Europe (Not Counting ChromeOS/Chromebooks)
Europe, on average, is now estimated to have GNU/Linux on 1 in 25 Web-connected laptops/desktops
Over 2 Years of LLM Hype and Nothing to Show for It
People still use search, not chatbots
Apple's iOS Almost Bigger Than Windows Now (Internationally), Windows Falls to 22% According to statCounter
Without Windows domination, there's not much left going for Microsoft
Putin's Loyal DOGE
We hereby crown Arvind Krishna "Putin's DOGE"
The Media Barely Reported This (Late Friday): IBM Lays Off About 2,000 More Workers, Effective Hours Ago
Maybe some diversity programs can help IBM recruit slaves or grossly-underpaid staff
Microsoft Money Being Spent to Bully Techrights Only Legitimises Techrights
The longer it goes on for, the greater the Streisand Effect
Suing One's Way Out of Real Trouble Won't Work (It Merely Increases the Trouble)
"Guns for hire" in London can only issue "legal" threats
Microsoft Writing Articles About Microsoft, Using Microsoft LLMs
Right now there are many articles about Microsoft Outlook being down completely
Gemini Links 02/03/2025: OFFLFIRSOCH 2025 and Programming
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 01, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, March 01, 2025