Upgraded Aakash tablet to be available at same price: Kapil Sibal

Aakash, the world's cheapest tablet, will be fully indigenous soon and its improved version will be launched by the government at the same price.

Telecom and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said Datawind - the manufacturer of the product -will not be associated with it anymore and the Government has roped in C-DAC and ITI in further development of the tablet computer.

"There have been some problem with Datawind I must confess. Therefore, I have got into the act. IT Ministry has got C-DAC and ITI into the act and I am going to ensure that this product is fully indigenous and truly an Indian product," he said.
On whether the new tablet will be available within the same price range as that of the earlier product, he said, "Yes that's what we hope. It is to be upgraded."

On the possible timeline for launching it, he said, "Well, 2012 should seen the sun... Aakash-II should be launched. There have been some hiccups in the way. Remember when you do a project of this nature and when your dream is as big as this, things are never that smooth."

Welcoming competition from market for development of the tablet, he said the ultimate objective is to give a quality product to the children. "I think its a great thing if there is competition. Ultimately my objective is to get a quality product in the hands of the children. I have set the benchmark, it has changed the mindset of the world, I can tell you that," the Minister said.

Everybody now wants to produce a tablet which is of quality and which is reasonably affordable, he noted.

"So if the whole world wants to produce, I don't care who produces, if ultimately it is produced by somebody for children," he underlined.
The Aakash tablet is priced at
approximately USD 49 (Rs 2,414).

Hazare's version of Lokpal bill unacceptable: Kapil Sibal

Union minister and a key member of the Lokpal bill drafting committee Kapil Sibal said that Team Hazare's version of the legislation was unacceptable, as some of its provisions were against the basic tenets of the Constitution.

Addressing Congress workers, Sibal described "Team Anna" as "an unelected group with accountability to no one." He also said, jokingly, that Centre should have taken "inputs" from Vilasrao Deshmukh, who had the experience of dealing with "Hazare and his fasts" in Maharashtra.
"Lokpal (as per team Anna draft) would not be accountable to Parliament or the courts because these institutions would be brought under it.

This is not acceptable," he said. The minister said that more than through the Lokpal, corruption can end if existing systems are rectified. Citing instances of how parents can go to any extent when trying to enrol child in the best school, he said such malpractices would stop only when suitable infrastructure is created and better schools are set up.

He wondered how civil servants, elected representatives and the judiciary, which Hazare and his colleagues felt were "tainted', would become "clean" under the Lokpal. Targeting media, he said, "The country cannot run under the institutions which do not have accountability... I am going to recommend to the Prime Minister that even the media be made accountable." "Reputations are being tarnished on television," he said.

Sibal attacked the BJP for keeping mum in the Lokpal debate, and accused it of attempting to destabilise the polity and Parliament. Earlier, in a lighter vein, Sibal said the government made the mistake of not enlisting the help of his Cabinet colleague and former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh while engaging Hazare.

Addressing Deshmukh, who was also present, Sibal said, "You have the experience of dealing with Hazare and his fasts (in Maharashtra). With your inputs, the government would have handled the issue differently."