Here is the much awaited good news for the students all over India...
Studying for competitive exams in Delhi after his graduation, Achint Dwivedi pays Rs 2,000 rupees for a hostel room and is preparing a project paper on a borrowed laptop from his friend these days. However, very soon he will be able to buy a notebook for just half his room rent.
And Achint is excited by the prospect to say the least. "Cyber cafes have become very cheap but if we have a cheap laptop, then it becomes easy for us to continue working in the comfort of our home, into the night," says he.
It all started with the drafting of the 11th Five Year Plan, which allocated Rs 5,000 crore for education mission through ICT, so that students of all professional-science programmes could own their own laptops.
Now, sources have told CNN-IBN that the scheme is almost ready and has been circulated to concerned ministries for their comments. Infact, a prototype has been prepared by a company in collaboration with the Government keeping in mind the requirements of a higher edducation student.
The name of the company working in this project with the Government is being kept under wraps.
Sources have also told CNN-IBN that the laptop would cost just Rs 1,000 if the Government orders its developing partner to assemble 10 lakh systems.
The notepad will have a basic 256 MB memory with a provision to upgrade it according to the needs of the student. Audio and video can be played on this system.
The Government will subsidise this product only at its developing and manufacturing stage.
Delhi University Teacher's Association President, Aditya Narayan Mishra says, "We are competing with students and teachers abroad. So we have to equip students with the necessary material."
It is being heralded as the arrival of the Nano PC and if these laptops don't have techno glitches, they might even find a larger clientele in a very ambitious rural India, for a wired nation this is the next step to becoming an information superpower.
