In the slum where Jamal Malik lives is a special wall. The wall encases a computer that Malik and his friends have taught themselves to operate. Every day, these slumdogs surf the internet, solve math puzzles and read e-books on the computer. Jamal's favourite game is one about saving a princess called Latika.

Needless to say, Jamal and his friends are real; they exist in every slum in India. Strangely enough, the computer in the wall is also real. 500 computers of this sort, encased in holes in slum walls, exist in India. Some two lakh underprivileged children access them and educate themselves. "There are no teachers or supervisors to guide the children. They explore the contraption with the help of a mouse and keyboard and learn how to use it on their own," said Vikas Swarup, diplomat and writer of the book, Q&A, which inspired the hit movie, Slumdog Millionaire.

The concept of allowing children to discover technology by them selves without any supervision is known as minimally intrusive (MI) pedagogy. It was pioneered by an organisation called Hole in the Wall Education Limited (Hiwel) in 1999. "Hiwel places rugged computers in secured kiosks or walls in rural areas and urban slums. Games and edutainment software based on school syllabus are loaded on these computers. Children discover these games, play them and learn while having fun," said Swarup.

He reveals that he learnt about Hiwel in 2001 through an article in a newspaper. "I was amazed that illiterate slum children could learn to operate a computer without being taught. I thought that if slum children could compute by them selves then they definitely had the potential to win a quiz show," said Swarup. Research on slums and slum-dwellers followed and then the Who wants to be a Millionaire angle was added to his by-now famous book.

As deputy high commissioner in South Africa, the cause of education is close to Swarup's heart. "Technology is a great equaliser. India is at the centre of the technological revolution and technology combined with minimally intrusive pedagogy ensures, that underprivileged have the opportunity to participate in it," said Swarup.

India has a scarcity of teachers and this approach combined with technology goes were teachers and the formal schooling system cannot reach.

No mention of the Hiwel has been made in the book or the movie. "Story lines often take authors far away from his original inspirations," said Swarup. Writing, said Swarup, is a leap of faith. "In fact, I have never even visited the slums of Dharavi. My research was done through the newspapers and books as I have lived abroad most of my life. And reading about Hiwel was the starting point," he explains.