A movement to get rural poor children learning on the screen using a state of the art laptops has begun in India.
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The US-based Nicholas Negroponte-led non-profit organisation, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), is planning to distribute three million XO laptops, each costing Rs 11,000, among children entering schools by the end of 2009.
It has already distributed 1,000 laptops in 20 schools in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on an experimental basis.
Its ultimate mission is to ensure that all school children, aged between five and 12, are able to effectively engage with their own personal laptop.
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Each XO PC comes with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office pre-loaded, besides many other features.
Satish Jha, President and CEO, OLPC India, said the project is funded by a number of sponsor organizations, including AMD, Bright star Corporation, eBay, Google, Marvell, News Corporation, Microsoft, SES, Nortel Networks, and Red Hat.
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Each company has donated two million dollars. Microsoft is contributing through its features that are fitted into the XOs
The OLPC has set up its India office in New Delhi.
OLPC India aims at creating educational opportunities for India's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.
Its eventual goal is to integrate the quality of the next generation of India's work force with the global needs.
The OLPC project is drawing a good response from all over the world. It is already a success in Latin America and some African countries such as Libya, Nigeria and Rwanda.
Nearer home, it has been received warmly by Pakistan and Nepal.
In India, the XOs will be distributed among all primary school children in phases.
The OLPC is soliciting support from the central and state governments, industrial houses committed to social responsibility and various foundations.
