Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government will begin distributing laptops and tablets to college students from February 2026.
The plan, announced in the 2025–26 state budget, brings back a device distribution scheme after several years and shifts its focus from school students to those enrolled in higher education. The government has said the rollout will cover two million college students over a two-year period, with the first phase targeting 10 lakh beneficiaries.
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu confirmed in his budget speech that students will be allowed to choose between a laptop and a tablet. According to the government, the initial batch of devices has already been procured, and logistics for distribution are currently being finalised. Officials said the handover process is expected to begin early next year.
The scheme traces its origins to an earlier laptop distribution programme launched during the AIADMK government, under which government school students received free laptops. That initiative was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic and was later discontinued. After the DMK came to power in 2021, the government indicated that it was reviewing the scheme, particularly in the context of digital access gaps in higher education.
Under the revived programme, the state has procured laptops from multiple manufacturers, including HP, Dell and Acer. Government sources said the devices have been configured to meet academic needs such as online learning, coursework, and basic technical applications. The specifications include standard processing capacity and battery life suitable for regular college use.
The government has positioned the scheme as part of its broader higher education support measures, especially for students from economically weaker backgrounds who may not have personal digital devices. Officials have not yet detailed the eligibility criteria or the exact distribution mechanism across government and aided colleges.
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