It’s no more a secret that government is all set to bring Aakash-3 tablets with faster processors supporting both Linux and Android operating systems including advanced memory. After defining the hardware premise of the low cost tablet, government is attempting to develop a software ecosystem, which will continuously release applications for Aakash, primarily related to learning and education.
Further, to boost innovation with learning and education apps for Aakash, government has also formed a four member technical committee.Currently, 25 academic institutions and private companies have signed up to build applications for Aakash, and the aim is to double that number by March.
Aakash 3, which is slated to come with different pricing for schools and college students will have inbuilt sim card and apps ensuring broadcast of lectures including interactive-e-book apps.
Apart from IIT -Delhi and Bombay, the committee includes member from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing(CDAC) and an entity from the ministry of human resources and development.
At present, IIT Bombay is working on SciLab, which will port engineering software to Aakash, Clicker, a live assessment tool for instant quizzes and Proximity, aggregated lectures of IIT professors. In addition US based Mango Learning working on apps to teach maths through games.
US based Mango learning plans to embed Aakash with one free app and charge Rs 49 per app to download any of our 400-plus maths learning apps. Before April, the government will take a call on whether to have a common place (alike Apple or Google Play Store ) for all Aakash apps.
Earlier in November last year, government launched the second version of its low cost running on 1 GHz Cortex A8 processors with 512 MB RAM are being given to students for Rs 1,130 (approx $20).
Nearly 5 million Aakash 3 tablets are expected to be manufactured in the next phase, for which global tender may be floated next month.
