The Gujarat government’s project to provide NaMo e-tablets to graduate students has been further delayed after devices manufactured by an Indian company failed a quality check. Over 72,000 students who had registered for the project and paid a token amount of Rs 1,000 at the start of the 2020-21 academic session are waiting for their tablets.
When this scheme was launched in 2016-17, there were two companies – Acer and Lenovo – were selected, however, until last year only Lenovo was supplying tablets. The project was delayed for the first time after the government changed it to an Indian brand.
However, the first batch of around 50,000 tablets produced by the Indian firm – lava International – failed the quality test, making it impossible for the government to proceed with distribution to the more than 72,000 registered students who are now second year undergraduate students.
First year students will get the tablet only after this backlog is over.
Lava International got the contract in August after tenders issued three-four times failed to generate good response and meet technical specifications.
Education department sources confirmed the delay on the condition of anonymity with a senior official saying, “Among the technical specifications including speed, memory, battery back-up, screen and component checks, a lot failed in two-three key specifications. Is. Since this is a politically sensitive issue, everyone is silent.”
In August, due to political pressure and the opposition’s allegations of delay, the Gujarat government had assured to clear the backlog within a month with the celebration of five years of the Vijay Rupani government.
Former education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama had told Indian Express Then this delay was due to the government’s insistence on “Make in India” and the process of disbursement for pending students will start soon as well as new admissions will start after tendering to an Indian manufacturer.
Officials of the Education Department revealed that with advancements in technology in the four years since the scheme was launched, the specifications were upgraded. The tablet was claimed to come with better specifications, including an eight-inch screen and microprocessing with increased RAM. The market price of the tablet is expected to be between Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000.
The scheme was launched in 2017-18, where the state government announced to hand over tablets at a price of Rs 1,000 against the market price of Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 to all students who passed class 12 in the academic year 2016-17 . Was pursuing degree or diploma course in the state.
In the first year, the state government allocated over Rs 150 crore in the budget for the scheme. Two companies – Acer and Lenovo – were shortlisted through the tender process. However, till last year only Lenovo was supplying tablets to the state government with an increased budget of around Rs 200 crore. More than three lakh students are to be given tablets at a token value of Rs 1,000 per year.
,