State Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gurjar told The Indian Express that post-recall, the tablets may be redistributed to other students. (File) The Haryana government has decided that it will recall all free tablets it plans to distribute to Class 10-12 students after they complete their Class 12. The move, confirmed by state Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gurjar, has already drawn sharp reactions from opposition leaders who termed it a “joke”.
State Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gurjar told The Indian Express that post-recall, the tablets may be redistributed to other students.
“We have said that the student concerned will return our tab after completing Class 12. Then, we will see its condition and decide to whom it should be given,” Gurjar said.
Haryana decrees total free tablet recall after Class 12, Oppn fumes 5.5 lakh free tablets to government school students and has zeroed-in on Samsung tabs worth around Rs 12,000 each. The tabs will have one year warranty.
Gurjar added: “We have already acquired 1.5 lakh tablets and till the end of this month this number will reach at 2.5 lakh. We have plans to distribute 2.5 lakh tabs on May 5 at functions to be held at hundreds of places across the state. The main function will be held in Rohtak on the same day.”
Earlier, Gurjar had stated that tenders for tablets worth Rs 620 crore had been issued and the scheme’s rollout, which is likely to cost Rs 700 crore, will be completed by May.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala both slammed the decision to take tablets back from students.
Hooda said: “This is a joke. How can you ask for the return of the gadgets once given to the students? The government should withdraw this decision. Normally, such gadgets turn kabbad (trash) after three years.”
Chautala said: “The students will save their study material in these tablets. How will they access it if the tabs are taken back soon after Class 12. The students should be allowed to keep these gadgets at least till they get a job after completing their education. Ideally, they should be allowed to keep these tabs with them for life like the Akhilesh Yadav government had done in UP during their tenure.”
The decision on tablet recall was taken after state authorities received reports of free tablets being sold in open market in some states where similar schemes are in place.
An official said: “We have reports that some of them sold their tablets even within a month after the gadgets were distributed to them. We feel that 15-20 % students may opt to do such a thing in Haryana too if no restrictions are imposed. That’s why we will ask the students to return the tablets as soon as they pass their Class 12 exams. We are not concerned in which condition we get back these tablets. With this rule, the students, at least, will keep the tablets till they pass Class 12 to ensure maximum utilisation of the facility extended to them by the government. After getting them back, we will decide on case-to-case basis whether the gadget can be redistributed.”
According to Gurjar, as of now the government will be distributing tablets to students from Class 10-12, but will consider the other two classes – 8 and 9 – at a later stage.
In March, the minister had told the Assembly that tablets — preloaded content along with personalised and adaptive learning (PAL) software and free internet data – will be provided to the students of senior secondary classes. “Through this programme, students will get the benefit of digital education. It’s basic objective is to bridge the gap in digital education of most of the children studying in government schools, who are from economically weaker and deprived sections and who are not able to buy devices like smartphones and tablets,” he had said.
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