Several panchayat leaders, parents, and teachers have written to the government requesting the withdrawal of the digital tablets provided to students in grades 10 to 12. They argue that the tablets, distributed under the government’s e-Adhigam initiative, are being “misused” by teenagers to access social media and inappropriate websites. The letters, addressed to additional chief secretary Anand Mohan Saran, express concerns that the tablets are being used for pleasure and entertainment rather than for educational purposes. Panchayats from various districts, including Jind, Karnal, Kaithal, Sirsa, and Palwal, have written to the ACS, calling for the tablets to be returned.
Satpal Sindhu, the head of the Haryana School Lecturers’ Association, reported that many students had managed to bypass the security software installed on the tablets. Sindhu explained that when they collected tablets from graduating Class 12 students, they found that the security measures had been circumvented, allowing students to utilize the devices for non-academic activities such as accessing social media and viewing objectionable content. Despite attempts to update the software, Sindhu stated that it was unsuccessful due to insufficient network capabilities, as the majority of government-issued SIM cards operate on 2G networks. Some students were able to bypass the security themselves, and others sought assistance from software shops to hack the code.
Under the Haryana government’s E-Adhigam scheme, over 500,000 students in grades 10 to 12 received digital devices, along with free internet data and learning software. The tablets, considered the property of the education department, were intended for student use as long as they remained enrolled in government schools. The government assured that the devices were equipped with a Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) to restrict access to online content unrelated to their studies.
A parent from Pai village in Kaithal, named Ajay, also wrote an open letter to the government, urging the return of the tablets by August 15. If not, he threatened to place the tablets inside the vehicles of local MLAs, MPs, and ministers.
When questioned about the opposition, Haryana education minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar remarked that the government was not responsible for any misuse of the tablets and stressed that parents should supervise their children’s tablet usage.