Update: We have learned from reliable sources in MHRD that there has been no such agreement taken place between HCLTech and MHRD. HCLtech has declined any comments on this. Also, IIT Rajasthan has been given the mandate to take the initiative forward and carry out extensive field tests across the country. The articles appearing in mainstream media quoting HCLtech’s agreement are non-factual.
Now this is a Big News – The $35 tablet computer announced by MHRD last month seems to have got a big manufacturer for itself. According to the report which has come out in mint today, hundred thousand such low cost tablets will be shipped by HCL tech to students as early as second half of next year.
Just the other day, I was looking at Techcrunch.tv which was analyzing the reality about $35 tablet – the techcrunch reporter literally used the word “pipe dream” even after seeing the demo video of the low cost device. Not only him, but people all over the world are quite skeptical – Most of them believe that envisaging and creating it in an IIT lab is different then actually mass producing at that cost.
But now, with company like HCL coming into fray and announcing its partnership with MHRD to mass produce the low-cost tablet, the skeptics will have to rethink about the reality of this device. It is very much here….
Now coming back to the news – the report says:
At a meeting of the national mission on education through information and communication technology, or NMEICT, the human resource development (HRD) ministry said IIT-Rajasthan will carry out “intensive laboratory and field tests across the country” using the devices. The meeting allocated `30 crore for the project, and decided to procure the $35 computers before 10 January. The computers, unveiled on 23 July, will be made available to university-level students from the second half of next year.
I am sure seeing HCLtech in fray, other vendors will be keen to partner with MHRD in this now very prestigious project.
Your take ?