Question : WINDING UP OF AAKASH TABLET SCHEME



(a) whether the Government proposes to wind up the Aakash tablet scheme;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the expenditure incurred by the Government on Aakash tablets along with the number of Aakash tablets prepared, so far?

Answer given by the minister



MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SHASHI THAROOR)

(a) & (b) No, Madam, there is no such proposal.

(c) A project was sanctioned under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) to IIT Rajasthan in September 2010 for achieving the following deliverables after acquiring the Low Cost Access-cum-Computing Devices (LCADs) for teacher empowerment:

(i) Acquisition and testing of low cost access-cum-computing devices; and

(ii) Hardware & software optimization of low cost access cum computing devices.

This project was subsequently transferred to IIT Bombay in April 2012. IIT Bombay has received deliveries of all 1, 00,000 Aakash tablets. These tablets are for the purpose of testing by users all over India in different climatic and usage conditions. An expenditure of Rs. 31.89 crore has been incurred by IIT Bombay so far on this project.