Making of Aakash: The World's Cheapest Tablet

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Some analysts claimed that the tablet would not only have a positive impact on the education sector but would also lead to positive changes in the healthcare and other sectors besides improving internet penetration in the country. In his study, Rajat Kathuria (Kathuria), External Consultant at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER),13 stated that the Indian economy could grow 10.08% faster with every 10%14 increase in the internet and broadband connections in the country. All this would become possible by the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology15-

(NME-ICT) under which the Aakash tablet had been developed to provide education to a vast majority of learners with ease, as and when they demanded it¹⁶.

NME-ICT was one of ambitious missions of the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Government of India. The Mission document stated, "For India to emerge as a knowledge super power of the world in the shortest possible time it is imperative to convert our demographic advantage into knowledge powerhouse by nurturing and honing our working population into knowledge or knowledge enabled working population." ¹⁷

MHRD believed that it could play a major role as human resource development would be the key in making India a knowledge superpower of the world. However, poor literacy rates (74%¹⁸ in census as per census, 2011), the slow growth of educational institutions, poor enrolment of students, and high dropout rates were some of the challenges which needed to be answered to make the country a knowledge superpower.

The mission statement further said, "Hence, the conventional approach must also be aided and supported by the technological interventions through ICT so as to make available the knowledge resources to every learner as per his / her convenience and just in time."¹⁹ According to experts, the tablet, a relatively new entrant, would be the best solution for this.

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13] Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) is an autonomous non-profit, policy-oriented research institute.
14] "States can Grow 1% for Every 10% New Internet Connections," http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/states-can-grow-1-for-every-10-new-internet-connections/articleshow/11556396.cms, January 19, 2012
15] The National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NME-ICT) is one of the ambitious missions of MHRD which aim to make India a knowledge super powerhouse of the world in the least possible time. The mission has two major components - content development through its portal 'Sakshat' and the other, building connectivity alone with providing access devices for institutions and learners.
16] Pragya Gupta, "Way to Digi-Literate India?," http://digitallearning.eletsonline.com/2011/11/way-to-digi-literate-india/, November 2011.
17] "National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NME-ICT)-Mission Document," www.sakshat.ac.in/PDF/Missiondocument.pdf.
18] "India's Literacy Rate Rises to 74%: Census," www.livemint.com/2011/03/31160435/India8217s-literacy-rate-ri.html, March 31, 2011.
19] "National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NME-ICT)-Mission Document," www.sakshat.ac.in/PDF/Missiondocument.pdf.

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