Tamil Nadu government was unable to distribute the full quota of free laptops to students studying in the State-run schools this academic year 2019-2020 due to lockdown, the scheme is now set to be back on track from March 2021. Tamil Nadu state government allocated Rs 950 crore in the 2020-2021 state budget to procure more than five lakh laptops. Due to the Pandemic induced lockdown, government and government-aided schools were closed since March and the procurement and distribution of laptops were stopped.
A senior official from the Special Programme Implementation Department, which monitors the scheme, said, every year, the distribution begins soon after the schools and polytechnic colleges reopen in June. “The distribution will be completed by October so that board exam students in the schools and pupils in government polytechnic college will have enough time to prepare,” he added. He added, “However, it could not be distributed this academic year due to the…