Chennai, March 4 (NationPress) The government of Tamil Nadu is on the verge of finalizing the initial phase of its ambitious free laptop distribution initiative aimed at college students, with over 937,000 students across the state already having received their devices.

Inaugurated as part of the State Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, this initiative, dubbed “Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil” (The World is in Your Hands), was introduced by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to address the digital divide and enhance digital accessibility for students pursuing higher education.

This scheme aims to distribute a total of 2 million laptops over a two-year timeline to students enrolled in various disciplines including arts, science, engineering, agriculture, and medical colleges across Tamil Nadu.

During the first phase, the government targeted the distribution of laptops to 1 million college students, allocating a budget of ₹2,172 crore.

A senior official from the State Higher Education Department reported that nearly 940,000 students have already benefited from the initiative, with the remaining distributions anticipated to be concluded by the end of March.

“We are likely to meet the target of reaching 1 million beneficiaries in the first phase within the next few weeks,” the official remarked, preferring to remain unnamed due to a lack of authorization to speak publicly.

Officials noted that this initiative is part of the broader governmental effort to enhance digital learning outcomes and equip students with the necessary technological tools to thrive in a rapidly changing global economy.

Additionally, the state government has launched a dedicated grievance portal pertaining to the laptop scheme, allowing students to address complaints or resolve issues regarding eligibility, device delivery, or technical difficulties.

Officials assert that the portal will ensure that all eligible students can ultimately take advantage of the program.

The second phase of the scheme, which will extend laptop distribution to another 1 million students, is anticipated to commence between the third week of March and the first week of April 2026, according to officials. However, the implementation of the next phase may encounter procedural challenges once the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming Assembly elections is activated.

According to sources from the Election Commission, once the code is established, prior approval from the Election Commission of India will be necessary to continue the distribution under this scheme.

Officials clarified that, if allowed, the laptops will be distributed solely by government representatives such as college principals and district officials, avoiding involvement from ministers or political figures.

Currently, the grievance portal for the first phase will only serve final-year and pre-final-year students, while students from other academic years will be included in future phases of the program.