$10 laptops from HRD Ministry, India

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Srini Ramakrishnan <cheeni () gmail com>
Date: May 5, 2007 11:36:38 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: $10 laptops from HRD Ministry, India

This deserves wider coverage to publicize the super geniuses that this
country produces, or rather the grade-A morons we seem to hire into
government.

As far as I can see here is a pretty darn tall claim, and knowing
something of Indian governmental bureaucracy, and bureaucracy
sponsored innovation, this just might be something that fulfills the
sketchiest definition of a computer while completely defeating the
intent of the whole exercise.

Cheeni


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/TOIonline/India/ 
HRD_hopes_to_make_10_laptops_a_reality/articleshow/1999849.cms

HRD hopes to make $10 laptops a reality
Akshaya Mukul
[4 May, 2007 l 0253 hrs ISTlTIMES NEWS NETWORK]

NEW DELHI: Having rejected Nicholas Negroponte's offer of $100 laptops
for schoolchildren, HRD ministry's idea to make laptops at $10 is
firmly taking shape with two designs already in and public sector
undertaking Semiconductor Complex evincing interest to be a part of
the project.

So far, the cost of one laptop, after factoring in labour charges, is
coming to $47 but the ministry feels the price will come down
dramatically considering the fact that the demand would be for one
million laptops. "The cost is encouraging and we are hopeful it would
come down to $10. We would also look into the possibility of some
Indian company manufacturing the parts," an official said.

The two designs with the ministry are from a final year engineering
student of Vellore Institute of Technology and a researcher from
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Due to reasons of Intellectual
Property Rights, being insisted by the two designers, the ministry is
not parting with the design except giving out some of the major
details.

The laptop would be made on a single board which would make it easy to
find fault and rectify it, say sources.

A meeting of industry and academia is to take place in IISc,
Bangalore, later this month to go through the two designs and invite
more suggestions. Simultaneously, HRD ministry has been told by
Semiconductor Complex, a Chandigarh-based PSU, that it would like to
be part of the project. HRD ministry wants the company to get involved
in the fabrication of laptops.

Six anchor groups set up by the ministry to be in touch with experts
in critical areas and remove bottlenecks have been meeting regularly.
Institutions like IITs and IISc have been identified as anchor
institutions for the project and have been entrusted with the task of
research and development of cheap laptops.

Sources say it would be another two years before the laptops become a
reality. "We do not want to rush into it. Many issues remain to be
resolved like royalty to the designer after the design is patented.
Prototyping would also take time. We would even conduct destructive
testing and create a proper maintenance network," said one official.

Ministry sources also say that it has received offers from MNCs, but
none of them was adhering to the $10 cost tag.

akshaya.mukul () timesgroup com


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