The HRD ministry distributed its low-cost tablet to 500 college students from all over the country on Wednesday. The device that took six years to develop and was once subject to widespread ridicule comes dirt-cheap at Rs 2,250.
The government would pick up 50% of the cost and a student will be able to buy it for Rs 1,125.
Christened Aakash or the Low-Cost Access Device, the tablet developed by IIT, Rajasthan and other leading institutions, packs all common features found in Android tablets. It comes as a counter to MIT academic Nicholas Negroponte`s One-Laptop-Per-Child (OLPC) project that the Indian government was considering at one point.
Sporting a 7-inch touchscreen, Aakash runs on Android 2.2 operating software. According to specifications, it has a high-definition video co-processor for good multimedia experience.
The device comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and has support for optional 3G modems. Two full-size USB ports are integrated into the unit. Aakash can be used as an ebook reader. A student will be able to access online streaming of course material and web-based research.
A BTech student of IIT, Delhi developed the first cut of the design. His father, Prem Kalra, later became director of IIT, Rajasthan and took the project to the logical conclusion.
N K Sinha, additional secretary, HRD ministry and the man behind the low-cost tablet, said considering the huge demand, the price would come down further. Sinha, the first person who conceived that a low-cost tablet could be produced in India, was once ridiculed for taking the nation for a ride.
Produced by Datawind, 100,000 tablets would be given out to students over the next year. Currently, the company is producing 700 tablets daily at its Hyderabad facility. Datawind has set up a manufacturing facility only for Aakash.
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