With the aim of benefiting government students, the state government has launched the free distribution of 2 GB of data to over nine lakh students in higher education institutions in January 2021 and this will be implemented until in April of this year.

A senior official from the Department of Higher Education told DT Next that the data cards have been distributed to around 9.7 lakh students studying in the arts, sciences, engineering, polytechnics, vocational training and other recipients of scholarships in private institutions.

Claiming that the data cards were useful for online courses for students who could not afford to connect to the Internet, the official said that “the Internet data will be valid until April.” “While colleges were closed, the 2 GB data card, which would be automatically renewed every day, was useful for online courses,” he said, adding that “the configuration of the card is more than sufficient to even conduct online exams, which will take place from mid-April. ”

College Teachers’ Joint Action Council coordinator R Dhamothran, a professor from Tamil Nadu (JAC), who takes online courses for public college students, said that “as the 2 GB data was provided to students, faculty can now have students study through online courses.

He said that previously, students who did not wish to attend the online classes could not be forced to participate because they might not have access to the internet due to their poor economic situation. “Now the scenario has changed and students have no choice but to attend online classes for their benefit. ”

B Mohana Sundaram, a second-year engineering student at a government college, said the free 2GB data was very useful for him and his classmates because previously it would be awkward for them to depend on their parents or other people to buy Internet data. “The online courses have already started and will never miss a session. ”

Echoing similar views, K Venkat Kumar, who is also studying in second year at a state-run polytechnic university on the outskirts of town, said: “Free internet data was very useful even when it there was no online course. The data is sufficient to even allow us to dispel our doubts by referring to several books online.