With the onset of the pandemic, education, by and large, ended up taking a backseat. Schools have remained shut for over a year now, and one can only wonder when everything will be safe enough to allow kids to enter schools to resume their academics. In the meanwhile, educational facilities all around the world have found it increasingly difficult to conduct courses and continue with academics in a scenario where a lot of students do not even have access to technology, internet, or electricity in some cases.
About the scheme
The state government in Tamil Nadu has turned its attention towards this crisis and has hence decided to help out. The state government has announced a new scheme – the Tamil Nadu Free Tablet computer scheme – for students from Grade 6th to 8th studying in government schools so that they do not miss out on their academics due to the ongoing shutdowns.
In Tamil Nadu, around 3,00,000 students who are studying in class 6th to 8th will be counted as beneficiaries under the implementation of the scheme. For high school students, the Tamil Nadu free laptop scheme is already in effect to enable them to carry on with their academics seamlessly.
How to apply for the Free Tablet scheme in Tamil Nadu?
In order to apply for the Free tablet scheme, the interested candidate would have to keep an eye out to fill the registration form at either https://elcot.in/ or a new dedicated portal which will allow students to apply for the scheme online, as social distancing protocols are still in effect.
Eligibility criteria to avail the benefits of the scheme
If the candidate falls under the conditions stated below is only when she/he will be considered eligible for the Tamil Nadu Free tab scheme of 2021:
- The applicant must be a resident of Tamil Nadu.
- He/She must be studying in any of the government schools within the state of Tamil Nadu.
- The candidate should be studying in Grade 6, 7, or 8.
- The annual income of the family of the applicant from all sources should not exceed ₹2 lakh per annum.
- The applicant must have cleared all previous examinations i.e the applicant should ideally not have any backlogs.
What is the list of documents needed to apply for the scheme?
In order to seamlessly apply for the scheme, the following documents would be needed.
- Aadhaar card
- School ID card
- Residence certificate
- Mobile number
- Recent passport size photographs
In Conclusion
Times are tough and for students who are too young to understand the implications of all this, is even tougher. With the loss of academics, students are lacking on something to keep them engaged. The Tamil Nadu government’s initiative will enable students in Tamil Nadu to reorient themselves with their studies and finally find a footing back to the way things used to be.
Technology has, over the last couple of months been more than just an aspect; it’s grown to be a way of life.
