Sky is the limit

Cover Story

Sky (Aakash) is the Limit The HRD minister’s reiterated claims on the possible change that the Aakash tablet is supposed to bring raise doubts ONKAR SHARMA onkars@cybermedia.co.in

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he government and its ministers always knew that technology is set to change India’s future. Perhaps this was the reason, the government was reiterating its claims to launch the cheapest computing device for almost six or more years. But the attempts to offer one continued to receive a nag from the disinterested manufacturers who did not dare to build one under forebodings of its possible failure. Now since the government has come up with the Aakash tablet—slated to be the cheapest computing device, it is 28 | November 15, 2011

leaving no stone unturned to claim that it would change India’s education sector.

Can a Device Change Lives?

Technology if made available at a low cost is expected to usher in a new era of change. Most of the experts acknowledge the power of affordability in bringing change, yet they want the government should play safe in eulogizing the Aakash as a change instrument.

“Through both simple and sophisticated techniques, the internet can help eradicate poverty, educate visit www.dqindia.com

people, sustain the environment, and create healthier populations,” says Sha Zukang, the United Nations’ under-secretary-general for eonomic and social affairs addressing the crowd at last year’s Internet Governance Forum. His words sound more reasonable when it comes to India and the widespread population that lives on the fringes. It is not that the government does not have any idea about this. It even showed its abruptness in taking technology to the masses through a number of initiatives. But its abruptness was all ineffective in the absence of an affordable computing device that was as cheap as a mobile phone.

Since it has finally announced to have conquered a milestone with the unveiling of what it calls—the world’s cheapest tablet with a price-tag of $35—it hopes to keep its promise of taking internet to the masses, which is barely being used in India. “This is not just for us. This is for all of you who are disempowered. This is for all those who live on the fringes of society,” announces the human resource development minister Kapil Sibal on the launch of Akash tablet. The government’s excitement can be gauged from its announcement on DATAQUEST | A CyberMedia Publication

the launch day. If it is to be believed, the device holds a lot of promise for India’s education sector.

“Today we demonstrate to the world that we will not falter in our resolve to secure our future for our children.

Let me not limit the achievements of this great enterprise to only our children,” Sibal further says.

Aakash Tablet is Not Brahmastra?

Is the government over-aspirational on the Aakash tablet? Has the government found a Brahmastra to eradicate the chronic poverty, illiteracy, and social backwardness through this device? The government’s or Sibal’s excitement raises doubts. First of all, what deterred the government from delivering a low-cost computing device for such a long time. Also, it is hard to buy Sibal’s claims that once Aakash becomes available all education related problems would end. “I doubt the government claims that show a rosy picture. In India, there are hardly 10% of Indian schools and colleges that are so developed where students can use such gadgets,” says Ram A Singh, a blogger and an educationist.

“It is certainly not a Brahmastra that will kill all evils in one go,” says Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO, Datawind, the company that developed the Aakash tablet. He, however, considers it the first device that can bring certain change into India’s educational system. “While India has a big population using mobile phones, only a bunch of them uses internet. The inflexion price point for a mobile phone was a `2,500, which revolutionized the mobile adoption. Similarly, it was more than important to achieve an inflexion price point for a computing device that we have tried to do with Aakash. Once delivered, this is going to be a device that will try to take education forward through modern means,” shares Tuli.

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The Infrastructure under the Aakash (Sky) Technology can be a way to empower the education sector, but building infrastructure is equally important. Devices like Aakash tablet can only succeed when the government ably addresses the basic school infrastructure problem. As per a report, in India still 40% schools do not have a proper building, 8% schools lack proper drinking water, and more than 35% schools do not have toilets—a main cause of dropping out. In addition, the government must pay attention to bridging the student-teacher ratio. The government must also focus on the development of well-trained teachers to impart education. Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, it is not a hidden fact that most of the state governments hire sub-standard teachers and pay them pittance. Besides investing on the next-generation technologies like Aakash tablet, the government must address these basic issues.

A number of experts believe that the tablet can be a tool to enable weaker sections only if delivered as promised. “India’s $35 Aakash tablet is definitely for real. Thought it is not for sophisticated tablet users, but revolutionary for poor village children,” tweets Vivek Wadhwa, former entrepreneur and columnist.

A NUMBER OF EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT THE TABLET CAN BE A TOOL TO ENABLE WEAKER SECTIONS ONLY IF DELIVERED AS PROMISED visit www.dqindia.com

Indian Bureaucrats are No Steve Jobs On the applause garnered on the launch of Aakash, a group of experts raises serious questions over India’s ultra-cheap initiatives. “India has launched several ultra-cheap initiatives like the Tata Group’s Nano car that sells for under $3,000, yet that doesn’t mean every one of them will succeed. It’s especially risky if the government picks winners and losers, as in Aakash’s case,” warns Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, a research fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. He further argues that cheapness doesn’t always guarantee customers. He underlines that the government’s past follies of launching devices like Mobilis computer ($200 in 2005) and a hand-held computer ‘Simputer’ ($240 in 2002), both of which did not see the light of day.

“Politicians might know where the future demand will be, but they November 15, 2011 | 29

Cover Story are not Steve Jobs,” Aiyar says.

The government’s investment of millions of dollars into a dubious, unproven product might draw flak and incur heavy losses to the exchequer, tweets a journalist. But the doubts get a beating from Tuli, who plays with the myriad applications installed in the Aakash tablet in front of the Dataquest team. “The device packs everything in the compact and sleek form and contains applications that allow teachers and students to stay in touch, get lectures online through video-conferencing and over the internet.

What makes the device cheap is the scale at which it will be produced.

The government’s own assurance of buying 10 mn devices from us is something that encourages us to reduce the cost further. I am confident that the cost of device might be as low as $10 per device over a period of time,” regards Tuli. He counts on thousands of apps and features like video featuring where students can see lectures loaded on YouTube.

Where Lies Potential?

Many believe that the cheap tablet cannot succeed to usher change in India’s education system unless the government takes into consideration non-governmental organizations that are actively involved in the educational field. “I think NGOs and institutions with a focus on education can play a crucial role in driving the Aakash adoption,” says Tuli.

He also sees a great opportunity for Datawind with such groups. “The company would like to collaborate with NGOs involved in the education sector. We’ll explore all kinds of opportunities to tap this segment,” adds Tuli.

But in many ways the Aakash tablet shows the silver lining for India, especially this latest technology has the potential to land directly into areas where legacy technologies never penetrated. Tens of million 30 | November 15, 2011

MANY BELIEVE THAT THE CHEAP TABLET CANNOT SUCCEED TO USHER CHANGE IN INDIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE EDUCATIONAL FIELD cell phone users are likely to use or own the Aakash tablet, giving them the computer experience on the move. Plus if as planned the tablet paves its way into the educational sector successfully, it might change the face of the Indian education system as the students will not rely on the outdated, obsolete information that gets updated after years in the textbooks.

In addition, the device will enable the poor students to do what their global counterparts do on the internet. They can use social networks, share documents, discuss topics, and can also play games.

Although these mediums are more related to entertainment, they give a fair and enjoyable chance to learn.

Local Apps and Content The biggest challenge before the government is to develop applications with localized content. “It is an understood fact that the tablet must sport apps that cater to local visit www.dqindia.com

students in their own language. We are closely working with several local content developers. Already there are apps available in different Indian languages. And this also reserves a great opportunities for application developers in the local market. India, which has a population of nearly 1.2 bn and is home to 40% of the world’s poor, has experience paring down high-end technology and making it affordable and accessible,” goes on the Datawind CEO. “A 3-pronged approach of content, technology, and people for ICT success in education is the need of the hour,” says Wayan Vota, a technology expert focused on ICT for rural and under-served areas of the developing world . There should be an equal (if not greater) focus on teacher training and quality digital content versus the hardware and its support ecosystem.

“The local content will shape up its adoption ratio. It is good to know that there are 70,000 e-books, 2,100 e-journals, and probably some videos that Aakash can access,” tweets Sriram Vadlamani.

In addition, it would be interesting to see how the HRD Ministry coordinates with the application and content developers to turn the computing device into a change agent for the education sector.

Concentration on the Success Factors It is critical to concentrate on each aspect and make an obvious effort to engage the entire educational system in letting the tablet benefit.

The government must take into consideration and engage everyone from teachers, to students, to parents, to administrators, and private sector in a coordinated national program.

The too much emphasis on the retail price of an ICT device holds a little strength and distracts the attention from the real cause. n DATAQUEST | A CyberMedia Publication