Government of India Unveils Sakshat $10 Tablet PC for Students

[n-ster]

No education works fast enough to properly feed, provide shelter and cure desease in a timely fashion. You rely on institutions for that first when you have 1 billion people to take care of. Poverty is a huge problem over there and developing a skilled workforce the size of India's population could solve just about any problem. But providing them the means to survive is more important first IMO. What use is an educated dead person? Also the investment is lost if they die from bad living conditions or don't receive the nutrients vital to brain development and so on.

you talk as if there were no measures taken atm!

there are and this is one of them... This might keep the smart indians from leaving India

and imagine how much you can learn with this device... Prices in India are low enough to be able to live if all you family is healthy, now if the father is sick... That is another story

 

[DaedalusHelios]

Erm, I honestly think you guys have no idea how valuable this project will be to the average Indian, and that you don't realise that India is NOT the west.

You want to decrease the poor, educate them. What's the saying, give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach him how to fish and he'll eat for a life time. Or what ever it is.

This project a) educates the masses, and b) help reduce the number of poor.

And the definition of poor is different in India, just because they don't have a huge truck to drive them to and from their half acre house with 45 inch plasma tv and top of the range PC, XBOX does not make them poor.

Well done to the Indian government to produce such a powerful tool, I look forward to the day when they over take the west in terms of economic prowess.

Yeah man totally! I don't know what I was thinking. They are gonna have flying solar cars in two years with this thing.

Your blind idealism for the developing world doesn't take into account the real world problems they face. Saying it doesn't make them poor because they don't have item XXXX is ridiculous and ignorant. I won't address that statement anymore as it drags the discussion into extreme liberal fantasy. It is one thing to be open minded, but it is another to miss the forest for the trees.


We are talking about survival. Have you even read anything about developing countries in regards to:

1. Clean running water
2. Electricity
3. Safe secure place to live that protects you from the elements
4. Pollution levels low enough to not cause ailments in the populous from exposure(technically even the first world has issues with this in select areas)

^^ All of which are not solved by a $10 tablet PC. It is a nice gesture but to make such bold statements you may need to check your hormone levels.

 

[Rakesh95]

haha no it wont. those are going to people in india who could in no way ever afford an ipad.

Thats something I never would have said......I think many many people have the wrong picture of India. Poverty seems to dominate a lot with people. Take a look at the other side People!!!.

The only reason that people might not buy an Ipad in India is that they dont require it.... Simply put indians have different priorities. I can tell, because I am one

 

[DaedalusHelios]

Thats something I never would have said......I think many many people have the wrong picture of India. Poverty seems to dominate a lot with people. Take a look at the other side People!!!.

The only reason that people might not buy an Ipad in India is that they dont require it.... Simply put indians have different priorities. I can tell, because I am one

India has a per capita GDP of $3,100 last time I checked.

Not all Indians are below the poverty line. CIA estimates that roughly 25% of the Indian population lives below the poverty line as of 2007. Below poverty line does by its definition mean very poor. That means 75% are above the poverty line which is a much more positive estimation than most sources make. I am almost 100% sure all Indians that frequent this site are within that upper 75% closer to the top.

 

[n-ster]

2$ / day working 12hours / day is above poverty line..

therefore 17 cents / hr is not under the poverty line

 

[Easy Rhino]

Thats something I never would have said......I think many many people have the wrong picture of India. Poverty seems to dominate a lot with people. Take a look at the other side People!!!.

The only reason that people might not buy an Ipad in India is that they dont require it.... Simply put indians have different priorities. I can tell, because I am one

these are going to the rural poor not the urban rich. they literally cannot afford an ipad.

 

[n-ster]

They could barely afford the 35$ luxury... and their children would have to work less/ not at all...

If 35$ is a month's salary, an ipad is over 1 year salary

 

[Rakesh95]

these are going to the rural poor not the urban rich. they literally cannot afford an ipad.

Alright cool, cool.

Just for clarification, Im 15 and I live in Aus lol. I go to india every 3 years. That should explain why my english is a bit simple

 

[Depth]

Just finished laughing my arse off reading all the comments in the voice of Apu from the Simpsons.

 

[wahdangun]

Distribution already started.

if it true then its good news for my indian friend(we indonesian feel deep connection with india)


btw for someone saying this "glorified iPhone" is useless, i think you are wrong. just look at indonesia, after several years our internet is suck and expensive but now after its become cheap and now we can afford cheap computer just look at us, its really revolutionize our society, right now even a 4 years old boy can operate computer and playing games online, its really do have significant effect, but some how its turn out that the adult can't compete with the chid and they become more tech savvy, its rally odd phenomenon

 

[btarunr]

It is true that people in the first world value feeding the poor over making trips to the moon.

Oh right...which is why people like you in the US are so opposed to socialized healthcare (don't you value people's basic health over making trips to the moon)?

What are you talking about? Online course material and cloud computing versus feeding and caring for the poor first.

"omgz you can do that! you have people to feed!" that's the typical first-world sour lemons reponse Whitelotus was pointing out.

Yes we have people to feed, yes we're addressing poverty, and yes we're addressing illiteracy (with programs such as this). It all works in tandem.

It is a debate about strategy in a developing country.

Yeah, and it's this strategy exactly that works: feeding/housing the poor and investing in their children.

neither sour lemons nor envy on my behalf. i simply think the program will not work.

Just because it doesn't work in the US doesn't mean it won't work here. For American kids devices such as iPads are more of a toy that is hard to take seriously. For kids here it is necessity. Hence it will work.

 

[n-ster]

not necessity, powerful educational tool is a better word

 

[Scrizz]

Wow, some of these comments.
Is it better to sit idle and not do anything to help your people.
I find that what India is doing is great.
Taking an initiative and trying to better their countries education.
We cannot measure a country with the same ruler we measure our own.
Every country is different and has it's own needs.
Different cultures have different mentalities, different customs, etc.
You can't bring in more teachers and schools, if you don't have a pool of eligible candidates.
No one can that this will fail.
Even if a small percentage of the kids actually become educated, then it was worth it.

 

[mafia97]

i m a student in india ,education is so cheap here that poor ppl can also get literate
plus there is kota for most backward and poor ppl through which they can get admissions in top colleges at a very less fee
and this program further helps the poor to gain education
and to the person who said indian villages dont have tvs,villages do have tvs in the panchayat halls where every person from village can watch tv anytime

 

[95Viper]

I think it is great what they are doing, more power to 'em.
I thought this was a tech thread about news of a Tablet PC being used in India, not a GN thread about education funding in various countries.

Going slightly off-topic...
We do the same in America, they gave students here macbooks(their mistake, but that is for another forum) at a subsidized rate. It works for the students who want to benefit from it; and not, for those who don't. It is up to the individual to better themselves. Like the saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink". Just my opinion.

 

[DaedalusHelios]

1. Oh right...which is why people like you in the US are so opposed to socialized healthcare (don't you value people's basic health over making trips to the moon)?



2. "omgz you can do that! you have people to feed!" that's the typical first-world sour lemons reponse Whitelotus was pointing out.

3. Yes we have people to feed, yes we're addressing poverty, and yes we're addressing illiteracy (with programs such as this). It all works in tandem.



Yeah, and it's this strategy exactly that works: feeding/housing the poor and investing in their children.



4. Just because it doesn't work in the US doesn't mean it won't work here. For American kids devices such as iPads are more of a toy that is hard to take seriously. For kids here it is necessity. Hence it will work.

1. I would say that is irrelevant. The USA made trips to the moon before socialized healthcare was even needed here. We were prosperous to the point that pensions covered full medical benefits here. I don't blame you for not knowing that. That was before the dismantling of a large section of our industrial sector during the Reagan years when the trend away from pensions had begun. Followed by the healthcare system being deregulated by Nixon if I remember correctly. That caused the proposed need 50 years later. We spend enough on the military to cover healthcare worldwide, although I am not saying that would be a better use of funds.

USA socialized healthcare is a step in the right direction right now IMO but that is subjective as to policy and what side of the aisle you are on over here. India has a more socialistic design overall but fails hard when trying to provide. If you feel otherwise then perhaps you haven't spent much time with the untouchables of your country in the shanty towns. You know its a problem. I am saying the money is better spent on other things. The device is subsidized.

2. Sour lemons you say? Is it stereotypical nationalism on your part? In what way would it be sour lemons? If by jealousy, do you think the USA can't afford cheap tablets from the third world with the largest GDP to work with? I wouldn't be jealous of a third world country that has a quarter of its populous live like the middle ages. Seriously man, if a proposal of a difference in strategy makes you think I am jealous you will never see straight on any criticism of your country. Take it as strategic advice. Answer it with how those funds are best spent in that segment rather than what I thought they would be best spent on. Why is your defense always about how it is "typical first world response"? How about explaining why it isn't the case? I don't think you really can. We don't know its long term effectiveness until the results are collected many years later.

A stereotypical first world response would actually be something along the lines of congratualations because to be honest most could care less about India. Most people know only what they have seen in movies regarding India. Its ignorance honestly. But I have read many articles/studies from many sources over many years regarding the developing world. I also have heard first hand from people who have left India to immigrate here. Therefore I proposed a different management of funds.

3. I was making the assertion of a little less "$10 device". A little more food/water/shelter. Once again, it is a strategy.

4. They work well as supplemental material/devices. The USA spends a good amount on interactive educational material. I had first seen it in classrooms in the early 90's but it might have been around longer. I believe the program India is proposing has to make a difference with that much momentum behind it. But I was just making the assertion that the funds are better spent elsewhere building up its infrastructure. Once again it is strategy suggestion, all emotional Brits and nationalism aside.

 

[WhiteLotus]

Building up it's infrastructure with what educated workforce? Teach a guy in some rural town that he can dig a well to get water, and viola, they now have clean water, irrigation for crops, crop rotation, better harvesting techniques etc etc etc.

The reason why this WILL work is that the people in India are different to the people in the West. The west don't know how good they've got it so would laugh at this idea and then turn around and say "hey teach, wherz ma ipadz?" The people in India that will get this are the kind of people that KNOW they don't have everything, the ones that will do anything to work to make it better, to get the extra bit of money at the end of the day to go home and buy a better bed or whatever. Isn't that the American way of doing things anyway, working for everything...

This is just a tool to let some hundreds of thousands of people to do it all at once. An educated workforce can do a lot more than an uneducated one, to build that infrastructure quicker and cheaper.

 

[DaedalusHelios]

1. Building up it's infrastructure with what educated workforce? Teach a guy in some rural town that he can dig a well to get water, and viola, they now have clean water, irrigation for crops, crop rotation, better harvesting techniques etc etc etc.

2. The reason why this WILL work is that the people in India are different to the people in the West. The west don't know how good they've got it so would laugh at this idea and then turn around and say "hey teach, wherz ma ipadz?" The people in India that will get this are the kind of people that KNOW they don't have everything, the ones that will do anything to work to make it better, to get the extra bit of money at the end of the day to go home and buy a better bed or whatever. Isn't that the American way of doing things anyway, working for everything...

3. This is just a tool to let some hundreds of thousands of people to do it all at once. An educated workforce can do a lot more than an uneducated one, to build that infrastructure quicker and cheaper.

1. You are assuming they had no access to this knowledge previously to do those things. Do you think the device is an endless well of knowledge to a completely incapable workforce? You know books came before computers right?

2. You think adversity makes everyone in India smarter and harder workers than the rest of the world? They are people just like anywhere else. That has nothing to do with management of funds in India or poorly abbreviated text regarding ipads.

3. Once again before this device they used books. They still have books. Everything you do learning on a trinket in general education can be done by reading...... you guessed it, books.


PS. I am sorry if that seems simplistic but course material delivered electronically has very little difference than reading from an actual book. Video content is nice as supplemental material but the for the most part photos found in textbooks can illustrate it just as well. Also how long will they last? I am thinking later revisions may address early issues they may face with this device though.

 

[WhiteLotus]

So wait if it was millions of books being distributed you would have no problem with this but because it's a glorified e-reader you do?

 

[DaedalusHelios]

So wait if it was millions of books being distributed you would have no problem with this but because it's a glorified e-reader you do?

They already have books. Books have been around in classrooms in India for quite some time. It isn't just an e-reader, it can play basic video clips supposedly.

 

[btarunr]

lol the past few posts. If it makes you feel any better, "you won, horray!". I couldn't be bothered anymore about this sub-discussion which descended from talking about a gadget that is intended to make things better, into a blatant "holier than thou" brown-nosing from some armchair-Nobel laureate who thinks he knows how to run a country.

 

[Depth]

Do you have any idea of how many books one tablet pc can access? Any idea of what it would cost to print and distribute 30 of each book to each class of an entire nation?

Books, plural, have not been part of classrooms. Classrooms in poverty stricken areas have the classroom book.

 

[btarunr]

Do you have any idea of how many books one tablet pc can access? Any idea of what it would cost to print and distribute 30 of each book to each class of an entire nation?

Books, plural, have not been part of classrooms. Classrooms in poverty stricken areas have the classroom book.

Yes that's the plan. Books will be distributed as .pdf to reduce the overall costs of printing and distributing physical books. Classes will be live-streamed across schools so faculty-deficit will be made-up.

 

[Depth]

बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद ।

 

[Triprift]

Considering the specs thats amzingly cheap.

Good on India with this which can only benifit future generations of there kids.