Digitisation in the times of a pandemic has proven to be a lifesaver. Industries that moved onto digitisation as a mode of executing business strategies have proliferated in times of a lockdown. The same goes with students, who have faced a seamless educational experience with the help of technology.

Kerala Government, acknowledging the necessity of providing students with essential tools to avail education has implemented the Kerala Vidyashree Laptop scheme 2020. This is basically a scheme for students from financially weaker sections so as to bridge the digital difference in the state.

How the scheme functions?

The KSFE (Kerala State Financial Enterprise) will start a savings scheme of ₹15,000 where the student can deposit ₹500 for 30 months. Students joining the scheme and managing to pay ₹500 for three months will be given laptops worth ₹15,000 as a loan by the KSFE.

The KSFE will fund local bodies 75% of the expenses to set up online classes for the weaker sections provided the respective local bodies are willing to spend the remaining 25% of the expenses.

Another initiative towards education for the students happens to be the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-fone) free internet scheme for the below poverty line families and it would be launched for students by December 2020.

Ease of paying offered by KSFE

The laptops would be purchased from companies suggested by the state IT departments. Loanees should repay the amount in 30 instalments of ₹500 each. Once the applicant is three months into the scheme, the members would get ₹14,250 for the purchase of the laptop. Those applicants who repay the instalments on time, KSFE would pay their last three instalments.