In 2011, the Tamil Nadu state government began handing out free laptops to students, placing an order for almost a million units. However, despite GDP growth of 7.5%, budget cuts mean that new college students have faced long waits to get their hands on the devices. For the 2018-19 academic year, laptops are still yet to be handed out. This begs the question of whether the wait was worth it. Is this just a cheap vote winning gimmick by government or is this tech going to transform the education of Indian students?
What is the Scheme and What Went Wrong?
In a bid to win over the votes of the ambitious, middle-class youth, local governments began promising free laptops to college students in 2011. It started in the state of Tamil Nadu, where the newly elected government ordered just under a million PC laptops. These were reserved for 80% of students who pass the Class XII examination. This acted as an incentive for upwardly mobile students to achieve their potential.
Although this has now spread to other states such as Karala, the Federal Government has never been fully on board with the scheme. This means that no additional funding has been made available. In terms of the technology, this has meant state level governments have had to opt for a budget option or risk running out of money to pay for all the equipment.
How Good is the Tech?
The PC computer technology selected certainly isn’t the worst on the market. Once received, these are machines capable of doing internet research and writing essays, if not much else. With a value of around Rs 20,000, these are mid-market laptops. With a 14 inch display, Intel Premium 2GHz Dual Core processor, 2GB memory, and Windows 7, the 2011 models were a decent standard. In 2019, however, less is known about the technology. Lenovo won the contract to supply 15 lakh laptops, but are yet to get the computers to any student. We can assume that, when they finally arrive, they will be mid-range, get-the-job-done devices.
Given that students have had to wait half the academic year for their free Lenovo laptop, many have opted to buy their own. If you have the means to afford the latest processing power, then it may not be worth waiting for a mid-priced device. However, for students from a poor background, a decent laptop could allow them to learn the vital IT skills needed to make it in the boomin Indian job market.
