Micromax FunBook tablet PC @Rs6K

“We have a manufacturing capacity of one lakh units per month and we are already looking at increasing that number. That should give an idea to the kind of numbers we are looking at for the device,” Micromax CEO Deepak Mehrotra told reporters here.

The company would also undertake 360-degree marketing campaign for the product,which would see Micromax making “significant” investments in,Mehrotra said without divulging further details.

The seven-inch FunBook is based on the Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich platform and has a 1.22 GHz processor,0.3 MP VGA front camera,4 GB internal memory,expandable upto 32GB.

The company has partnered with Pearson and Everonn to make educational content available on the tablet PC.

“Users need to just pay Rs 799 for educational content of a particular class and they can get access to the multimedia content from our partners,” Mehrotra said adding that the partners would also help in taking the device to various educational institutions.

Micromax has joined companies like HCL Infosystems and WishTel,which have launched tablet PCs,targetted at the education sector. Following the government’s low-cost Aakash device,these companies are tying up with educational organisations to deliver multimedia content to students.

The project will require the selected institutions to implement academic and non-academic reforms focusing on quality,excellence,resource mobilisation,greater institutional autonomy with accountability,research and equity.

All selected institutions should be authorised to apply for academic autonomy,the official said.

About the funding pattern,he said for strengthening institutions to improve learning outcomes and employability of graduates,the Centre will provide a grant of 60 per cent while the state and the institute will bear 20 per cent each.

On the other hand,for pedagogical training to faculty for effective teaching and for improving system management,the project cost will be shared between the central government and state governments in the ratio of 75:25.

Monitoring of these institutes will be one of the hallmarks of the project and will be based on the action plans prepared by each institution.

While the state governments will also monitor the performance,the Centre and the World Bank will conduct bi-annual joint reviews of the oroject with assistance from the National Project Implementation Unit,the official said.