Students in Goa can now get a tablet PC or a notebook for just Rs. 25.
The
digital largesse is a part of the Goa government education department's
initiative to familiarise Class V and VII students with computers in
order to "prepare them for the life ahead and get them curious about the
e-systems", according to additional director education Anil Powar.
"General
category students will have to pay only Rs. 25 while SC and ST students
will have to pay Rs. 10 to register for the scheme," Powar told
reporters in Panaji on Tuesday.
The official said that the state
government was making arrangements for purchasing nearly 50,000
notebooks and tablet PCs for distribution.
"All the computers will
have a special e-learning packages. After a day in class, the students
will now be able to revise their tutions at home over the tablets,"
Powar said, adding that a provision of Rs. 95 crore had already been
made for the purchase of the computers in the last budget presented by
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
All the systems will have inbuilt
security systems installed to ensure that the computers are not misused
for pornographic purposes and other controversial web applications, but
the education department will also take an undertaking from the
student's parents before handing over the computers.
"It is a no
objection certificate saying they are OK with us giving them the
computers. The parents should also be in a position to both goad the
students to logging onto the right websites," he said.
The Goa government was the first state government in the country to give out free laptops to students over a decade ago.