Forget Windows and Linux, new computer operating system (OS) for India: Faced with the threat of cyber hacking, India is now developing its own computer operating system, which will minimise the cyber onslaught and fight malware

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Dec 20: Faced with the threat of cyber hacking, India is
now developing its own computer operating system, which will minimise
the cyber onslaught. The indigenous operating system will be ready by
2015.

Dr Vijay Kumar Saraswat, director-general of the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), told reporters on the sidelines of
the Pearl Jubilee International Conference on Navigation and
Communication (Navcom 2012) here on Thursday that several Indian
research organisations including the DRDO were involved in the
development of the operation system. This will be India’s own
operating system, he added.

Explaining the need for an indigenous operating system for India, Dr
Saraswat pointed out that imported operating systems are prone to
computer worms and may cause damage to the vital data stored. “One of
the major elements of cyber security is having our own operating
system because we are dependent on imported operating systems. Whether
it is based on Windows or Linux, the operating system is likely to
have malicious worms,” he said adding that it was essential that India
developed its own operating system.

The two-day Navcom-2012 is conducted by Osmania University to mark the
30th anniversary of its Research and Training Unit for Navigational
Electronics. Dr Saraswat said work on the operation system had already
started. “We are 18 months into the programme and we hope to complete
it in the next three years,” he said adding 150 engineers are involved
in the mega project.

The DRDO chief said the operating system would be purely indigenous
and no foreign collaboration was involved.

Dr Saraswat pointed out that India was also developing regional
navigational satellite system, which would be ready soon. As many as
seven such satellites would be launched till 2015. It would have 20
metres accuracy.

G Sateesh Reddy, deputy director of Research Centre Imarat, said India
had been involved in research in development of advanced navigational
systems. “India now ranks in the list of developed nations as far as
defence technology is concerned,” he added.

Dr Saraswat also emphasised the need for development of indigenous
radio sets without depending on foreign nations for imports.

Dr Avinash Chander, chief controller, R and D, DRDO, said India would
develop atomic gyroscope for future interplanetary missions.