Haryana’s ambitious ‘e-Adhigam’ (Advance Digital Haryana Initiative of Government with Adaptive Modules) scheme, designed to bridge the digital divide and empower government school students with technology, is currently facing a significant hurdle. Nearly 15,000 Class X students in Karnal and Kaithal districts are still awaiting the promised tablets, almost two months into the new academic session, primarily due to the persistent issue of non-availability of SIM cards required to operate these devices. This delay is severely impacting digital learning and access to educational resources for a substantial number of students.
The e-Adhigam scheme, launched with much fanfare, aimed to provide free tablets equipped with Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL) software and 2GB daily data to students studying in Classes 10 to 12 in government schools. The vision was to equip students with 21st-century skills like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, data science, and cloud computing, preparing them for a technologically advanced future. However, without functional SIM cards, these devices remain largely inoperative, depriving students of access to digital study resources, e-content, recorded lectures, and online assignments, effectively putting a brake on their digital learning journey.
Students across Karnal and Kaithal have expressed their disappointment and frustration. “Our seniors are using tablets for their study purposes, but we are missing out,” lamented a Class X student from a government school in Karnal. Another student shared, “When we asked about the tablets, we were told that the SIM cards for our batch have not yet arrived. Once they arrive, only then will we be able to use them.” This situation creates an inequity in educational opportunities within the same school system, potentially affecting academic performance and motivation for the unequipped batch.
Official data confirms the scale of the problem, with approximately 8,000 students in Kaithal and 7,000 in Karnal currently without their functional tablets. The delay has been attributed primarily to the complexities surrounding the procurement and linking of new SIM cards. Authorities have confirmed that the Education Department has now initiated the process of acquiring new SIM cards by linking them to the ID proofs of students’ parents. The demand has been uploaded to the Avsar portal, and vendors are expected to supply the SIMs shortly, offering a glimmer of hope for the affected students.
However, the SIM card issue extends beyond just the new batch of Class X students. A directive issued on May 23 to all district education officers revealed that nearly five lakh tablets previously distributed to students and teachers in Haryana government schools have become non-functional as the validity of their original SIM cards expired. Officials are now proposing to provide broadband facilities in schools as a potential solution to ensure these tablets remain operational. While this would allow students to access PAL software using school Wi-Fi under teacher supervision, concerns persist about the usability of tablets outside school premises and the potential for misuse if strict monitoring is not in place.
Sources within the department indicate that the state has already spent around ₹180 crore to provide internet services via SIM cards from two mobile companies for the previous batches. It is unlikely that these SIM cards will be recharged for the current academic session, necessitating a new approach. The Haryana Vidyalaya Adhyapak Sangh president, Prabhu Singh, urged the government to at least provide SIM cards for the upcoming month-long summer vacation to prevent misuse, as students might unlock the tablets without active data plans. Concerns about tablet misuse, including installing unauthorized apps and accessing inappropriate content, have been raised previously, leading the department to explore school-based broadband solutions to centralize usage and oversight.
Despite these challenges, newly appointed District Mathematics Specialist in Karnal, Sudhir, has stated his intention to convene meetings with school principals to ensure both students and teachers actively use tablets. The demand for Class X SIM cards will also be uploaded shortly. However, departmental sources also claim that tablets are yet to reach several schools even for Classes XI and XII, further compounding the distribution challenge. The ongoing delays in the e-Adhigam scheme highlight the complexities of large-scale digital initiatives and the critical need for meticulous planning and execution to ensure their intended benefits reach every student.
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