India Provides Students a $35 Computer

India has announced that they will be providing computers to its student and teacher for an affordable price of $35 or less. India's mission began with the realization that the country's literacy rate is very low at 65%. In order to achieve its education goals India has determined that connectivity, communication, and increased literacy are the keys.

While this very affordable personal computer is currently a prototype the government assures that the project will continue and prices will go even lower. While sources reported a similar announcement a year ago, Kapil Sibal, the country's human resources development minister, has verified the project's validity by recently posing will a sample computer.

Many things make this PC special but certainly one of the biggest features is the requirement of a 2-watt supply of battery backup via built-in solar technology. The computer has no hard disk; an item some say kills it as something very useful, but instead comes with 2 gigabyte of disc memory. Of course upgrades are possible but the ultimate goal was to include just enough to keep the cost down. Also, on-board software includes open-sources Linux to provide an office suite.

India's IIT has really conquered some of the county's deepest problems such as lack of power, lack of modern infrastructure, and lack of funds behind education. Certainly with this minimal cost computer the education of the nation's young can no longer be ignored.
Since India opened up its economy over a decade ago India has made amazing achievements in advancing into the telecom revolution. One example would be the delivery of mobile communications to about 600 million people. For its next giant leap India recently auctioned its airwaves. This newest endeavor will move India into the 21^st century by enabling super-fast wireless multimedia streaming, something most countries currently take for granted.

India is hoping to make a cut into the on-line market. India will be beefing up its infrastructure by hooking up all its village councils by 2012. If other low-cost inventions are proof of the electronic success it will be in good company.

Other recent low-cost examples include:

• A $2,000. Car

• Wind-up power to provide non-electrical lighting to its remote villages

• Adjustable glasses to offer vision correction to India's poorest

• Mobile banking using cell phones

It remains to be seen whether the low-cost computer can really answer India's newest agenda but if India has figured out a way to provide electronics to its up-and-coming generation at a fraction of the current rate there will be more than a few other countries eager to find out how they did it.

Sources:

Harmeet Shah SinghCNN

Chicago Breaking Business

Literacy Rate

Indiatimes.com