IIT-Bombay to power up Aakash-2 tablets for Indian classrooms

MUMBAI: Amid the unending debate over whether Aakash-2 was made in China, Canada or India, the tablet's first consignment sent to the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay is ready to be powered with stacks of applications for Indian classrooms. The government has bought the first batch of 10,000 shoe-size Aakash-2 tablets, each costing $40 (2,200). 

Since 2000, the government has been trying to change the stationery in the country's classrooms. It started with the $10 (550)computing device launched in Tirupati in 2009. Then came the $35 (1,925.20) Aakash-1 device that was touted to be India's iPad killer (Aakash was originally called Sakshaat— 'right in front of you') or it's bigger globally-created brother, launched at the UN yesterday. 

As a part of that exercise to "revolutionize education", A-2 will not be sold in the market. Instead, close to 20,000 engineering students will be given A-2 to build a fuller machine for the higher versions of Aakash. Head of Kanwal Rekhi School of Information Technology at IIT-Bombay, Deepak Phatak, is piloting this project with 11,000 teachers and 20,000 students. 

UN endorses India’s Aakash outreach

WASHINGTON: India's push to digitally empower millions of its poor students with lowcost , government-subsidized , internet-enabled tablets won UN endorsement on Wednesday despite raging controversy and misgivings on the provenance and pricing of the device.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon personally approved the Indian effort at the UN Headquarters where dozens of envoys from across the world gathered for a peek at the Aakash II device that its makers (British-Canadian-Indian company Datawind) and chief patron (Government of India) say will revolutionize education and commerce.

Aakash 2 Specification, Features

The price details for the Aakash 2 educational tablet have been unveiled and based on the information provided, it is expected to be available for Rs. 1,130. Compared to its predecessor, the device is equipped with a better set of hardware and features and it will be available for students at engineering universities and colleges.

new delhi President Pranab launches low cost Aakash 2 tablet

The advanced version of low cost tablet Aakash was launched in New Delhi on Sunday by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Coming at a price tag of Rs. 1,130 for students, the new version Aakash 2, which will be made available to students of engineering colleges and universities to begin with, 
is now powered by a processor running at 1 GHz, has a 512 MB, a 7 inch capacitative touch screen and a battery working for three hours of normal operations.