Imphal, March 29 2010: The "One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)", a global project aimed at children's education through computer technology will be launched in the state starting from this year's academic session commencing April next.

State education minister, L Jayantakumar said that laptops for the scheme will be arrived in the first week of April speaking at a function held at DM College of Science yesterday.

Mention may be made that state government had earmarked Rs 155 lakh set to get these laptops designed for learning and teaching students in state.

The amount was earmarked out of Rs 5951 lakh allocated for the school education in the approved sectoral and sub-sectoral allocation of the plan size for the annual plan 2009-10 of the state.

The OLPC project was introduced in India in 2007, when students of Khairat village near Karjat received OLPC-designed XO laptops.

Along with the hardware, the laptops have its own operating system Sugar developed on Python language.

The scheme was implemented by OLPC Inc, a non-profit organisation funded by multinational companies.

The initiative is basically for effective education, teaching and self-learning by students.

The financer of the project has to bear the cost of laptops only.

Other expenses like software designing, upgradation and maintenance will be handled by the OLPC free of cost.

Government is procuring1000 laptops for the implementation of first phase of the project.

The scheme of one laptop per child will be implemented in some selected government schools including those set up as model schools by the education department, officials said.

The laptops cost the Indian government around Rs 11,000 a unit, which is equivalent to less than £140.With features designed specifically to meet the needs of Indian school children, it is hoped the laptops will be a huge success, the official added.

These laptops draw just one watt of power, have screens that are fully visible in direct sunlight, are deemed virtually 'unbreakable' and are waterproof to ensure longevity.

The OLPC laptops have been tailored in such a way that course content and certain text books can be made available in local languages, so they should prove invaluable to the Indian school children, official claimed.

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