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West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari indicated that the state may swap student phone grant of INR 10,000 for education related tablet aid as he cited concerns over excessive use of phones by the students. This is still under consideration and hasn’t been confirmed yet. He said the previous government gave Class 11 students Rs 10,000 every January to buy phones, and that extra funds could go toward education-related tablets if needed. Officials have reportedly been tasked with drafting an implementation framework.
He also said that the unbridled use of phones by students is causing “irreplaceable damage” to the young generation. This was communicated when CM Adhikari was addressing the citizens at Byantra in Howrah to launch Sarathi scheme of distribution cycles to students, replacing the previous Sabuj Sathi project initiated by the then WB government.
The CM said, “I am severely opposed to students using mobile phones in schools. This is causing irreparable damage. We are giving this matter serious thought.”
He also added, “The previous government used to give Rs 10,000 to class 11 students in January to purchase mobile phones. I have already asked the state education secretary and am saying this to the minister as well: start thinking about the matter now. We can provide more funds, if required, with which we will provide education related tablets instead of mobile phones.”
This response and displeasure of mobile phone usage by school students is not the first time that the CM has raised. His statement responds to a real concern. Excessive phone usage among teenagers and particularly phones in school is a worry for many parents and teachers.
An education focused device would make more room for transparency and the device could come preloaded with textbooks and study materials and other learning apps. Basically, through this, academic utility will be prioritized over consumer technology. Mobile usage has become a distraction and has had a negative impact on learning. By shifting to educational tablets, the state can create a more controlled, transparent digital environment.
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