The High Court of Karnataka on Friday directed the State government to device a mechanism to ensure that eligible visually challenged students get the benefit of the scheme of distributing talking laptops as per the scheme launched in 2014.
Observing that there is no proper mechanism to inform about the existence of the scheme of distributing talking laptops to students of class 10 and pre-university course, the court said a comprehensive mechanism involving block education officers, authorities of schools and pre-university colleges, and other government officials was required to be put in place to ensure that students get the benefit of the scheme.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Sachin Sankar Magadum issued the direction during the hearing of a PIL petition filed by Umapathi S., a city-based advocate.
Referring to data of the scheme submitted by the government, the Bench observed that budgetary allocation as well as the number of students given talking laptops were on the decline since 2015. This was because of lack of information about the existence of such a scheme among parents and students, the Bench observed.
The petitioner had contended that there was no proper implementation of the scheme as no talking laptops were distributed in 2018–19 and 2019–20 despite budgetary allocation.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
Support Quality Journalism.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
