By unveiling a tablet access-cum-computing device priced at just Rs 1,500, the human resources development (HRD) ministry has tickled the imagination of private companies to produce similar computers at even lower prices. The low-cost computer, a product of the government's effort to provide quality e-content to school students, was designed by experts at the IITs in Kanpur, Kharagpur and Madras, and IISc Bangalore. The device is revolutionary in several ways. First, it brings the prospect of providing each and every child with a computer closer to realisation. If this were to happen, it would change the way classrooms operate and enhance the quality of teaching significantly. Not only would it ensure that all students have access to the advantages of the internet, it could even help overcome infrastructure deficiencies by making possible e-classes via Web video conferencing something that could address the problem of poor quality or absent teachers.
Second, low-cost computers can go a long way in bridging the technology divide. It is a fact that people in rural areas of the country have been left untouched by the IT revolution. The primary reason for this is affordability. IT companies have simply not found it profitable to extend their services to these areas. But with the HRD ministry showing the way, a viable business model can be evolved around mass-producing inexpensive computers. This in turn has the potential to galvanise rural economy by providing rural youth with hitherto unheard of opportunities and making them a part of the globalised world.
If computers can be produced with price tags of less than Rs 1,000 something that the HRD ministry is aiming for it could make mitigation of social inequality through education effective. Thus, the benefits are truly worth the investment.
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