After giving tabs to students from Stds VIII to X, now the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants to give them to students from Std V onwards. There are around one lakh students from Std V to Std X. While the state government has emphasised e-learning, especially in the pandemic, more than 50 per cent of the students of municipal schools don't have access to tabs or android mobiles. Also, the move cannot help them this year, as the idea is still in primary stage and will take more than a year to become a reality.

New on their mind

In the past five years, the BMC has spent almost R50 crore on tabs for students. In June 2019, it invited tenders for the repair and maintenance of all tabs for two years and the replacement of six per cent of them. While the process of tendering has been completed, now the BMC is thinking instead, of buying new tablets. "The tablets are five years old and they may not work properly even after repairs," said an official from BMC. Another official said the cost of the repair and maintenance would be R20 crore.