Researchers at the Indian Institute of Sciences (IIS) in Bangalore and IIT Madras are designing laptop for students which would cost about Rs 4,000. This initiative is part of of a special project to encourage technology-enabled education by the Human Resource Development Ministry.
This was announced by the Minister of State for Human Resources Development on Tuesday while addressing the inaugural session of e-India 2008, an international conference of IT solution providers and government agencies to facilitate practices of e-governance and digital learning in India.
The government is envisioning to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to strengthen various modes of learning both in school and at higher education levels. To deliver the benefits of ICT in the learning process, a new scheme namely National Mission in Education through ICT will be launched, with the objective of providing connectivity to the learners to the world of knowledge in cyberspace.
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The new mission would also focus on developing a very low-cost and low-power consuming access device, making available free bandwidth to every Indian for education purpose.
This is nothing but just like the OLPC program (which was originally supposed to be $100). Hopefully the Indian version would limit within the 4000 rupees range.
source: PIB India, Silicon India, Mathrubhumi
[Update: BTW, I have seen other news articles [01, 02] discussing about just $10 (Rs 400) rupee laptop! Can’t believe that new websites accepted that news blindly.]
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