Roping in a third IIT to get the Aakash tablet project moving,the Human Resource Development Ministry has now asked the Indian Institute of Technology Madras to steer the project. IIT Madras will work on the next version of the Aakash tablet while IIT Bombay will continue to field test the tablet and evolve related pedagogical method and tools.
HRD Minister Pallam Raju said that his ministry was 8220;very supportive of the Ramp;D on the Aakash tablet8221;. 8220;We have now asked IIT Madras to help develop the next version of the tablet. IIT Bombay will continue the testing of tablets and training teachers and students to use technology in education with its help,8221; he said.
IIT Madras8217;s Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala,who is closely involved with the Aakash tablet project 8212; in developing its newer versions and an ecosystem for it 8212; is expected to head it at the institution.
Incidentally,with the ministry showing little enthusiasm in the project of late 8212; amid manufacturing and procuring problems 8212; Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had swung into action getting his ministry to finalise specifications for the next version of the tablet. He had mooted a proposal to the PMO to establish manufacturing hubs for the tablet in India and to route this through the Department of Science amp; Technology.
Announced with great fan fare,the low cost tablet has been mired in controversies from the start. While the project was first given to IIT Rajasthan,it was moved out of there amid differences between the IIT and Canadian manufacturer Datawind over the testing specifications and quality of the tablet delivered. The project was finally handed over to IIT Bombay.