Tamil Nadu College students to get quality laptops, says minister Thangam Thennarasu

Minister Thangam Thennarasu announced that college students in Tamil Nadu will be provided with high-quality laptops worth Rs. 20,000. Responding to a question raised by AIADMK member Thangamani in the Assembly regarding the affordability of laptops at Rs.10,000, he clarified that the government has allocated Rs. 2,000 crore in the first phase for the laptop distribution scheme. He also assured that additional funds would be provided if required. In the Tamil Nadu Budget for 2025-26, it was announced that 20 lakh college students would receive laptops over the next two years. The AIADMK-led government initially launched the laptop distribution scheme, but it was discontinued in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the following years, several political parties demanded the revival of the scheme. However, there were misconceptions that the scheme was stopped by the DMK government instead of the AIADMK regime.
With the scheme being officially included in the state budget, AIADMK MLA Thangamani questioned in the Assembly whether students would be given laptops worth only Rs. 10,000. In response, Minister Thangam Thennarasu clarified that Rs. 2,000 crore has been earmarked for the first phase, and another Rs. 2,000 crore will be allocated next year. He confirmed that each laptop will be worth Rs. 20,000 and that 20 lakh students will receive laptops within the next two years. Students will also have the option to choose between a tablet or a laptop. He further assured that if necessary, additional funds will be allocated to ensure that students receive quality laptops. This initiative has been widely welcomed, alongside existing student-focused schemes, such as the Innovative Women Project, Tamil Son Project, and Naan Mudhalvan Scheme.