But India presents more challenges than just scale. With only 3 per cent of the country's GDP (gross domestic product) dedicated to education, it means that about Rs 5,000 is spent each year per child.
Obviously, when the laptop alone exceeds such a paltry allowance, the plan faces a serious uphill battle. One way to circumvent this dilemma would be to make the XO laptops school property, so that many children could avail of one unit. But, according to Negroponte, this is a poor idea.
"Ownership is very important. The children must be able to take it home at night, to truly realise the full experience."
With many rural schools lacking the most basic amenities, such as running water, learning materials and qualified teachers, education leaders say that there are far more pressing concerns. OLPC again faces charges that it little more than a pipedream.
Image: Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder and chairman of the MIT Media Lab presents the 'hundred-dollar' laptop at the World Economic Forum in Davos. | Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
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