The specifications for revised version of the world's cheapest tablet PC – Aakash 2 will be finalised by month-end.

This was stated by Union Telecom and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal while interacting with newsmen in Mumbai.

He said, the tablet will be a platform on which public services will be electronically delivered. Mr. Sibal said, in the next five to seven years, every school and college student will be provide with this tablet .

He said, it will also be available for the individuals who wish to acquire it. The tablet will be available at as cheap as 1,960 rupees or even less, he added.

Stating that information is the most powerful tool, Sibal said there is a need for higher investments in IT, telecom and electronic manufacturing sectors.

He said, over the next two-and-a-half years, government aims to connect 2.5 lakh gram panchayats across the country through optical fibre and the last mile connectivity through wireless broadband.

Mr. Sibal said, as many as 604 universities and 35,000 colleges will be brought under the national knowledge network in the next six months.