Free laptop distribution scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government

The free laptop distribution scheme (मुफ्त लैपटॉप वितरण योजना) is an initiative of the Government of Uttar Pradesh headed by Akhilesh Singh Yadav of Samajwadi Party to provide ₹100,000 (US$1,200) for laptops and computer tablets to the students in the state who pass the high school and intermediate examinations to encourage them for higher studies.^[1] A total of 1,500,000 laptops have been distributed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh between 2012 and 2015, making it one of the largest distribution scheme ever imitation by any government in the world.^[2]

Free Laptop Distribution Scheme
Type of project	Government
Products	Laptop
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister	Akhilesh Yadav
Launched	2012
Closed	2014
Budget	₹2,800 crore (US$340 million)
Status	Inactive

History

This scheme was first introduced by Samajwadi Party in its 2012 Assembly Election manifesto to give free laptops and tablet computers to intermediate and high-school pass outs of 2012 by Akhilesh Yadav. After becoming the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he distributed 1,500,000 laptops under this scheme in first three years of his administration. In 2015 the government announced to gift free laptops to toppers of each district in Uttar Pradesh. A total of 625 high school class and 425 intermediate toppers of session 2014–2015 will be benefitted. Between 2012 and 2016 there are nearly 1607000+ laptop distributed where as in single year in 2013 980000+ laptop distributed among student in Uttar Pradesh which is also a record.

Purpose and Benefits of the Scheme

Uttar Pradesh Government's free laptop scheme was aimed at bridging the digital divide and empowering the youths of the state. The students who were lagging behind due to lack of resources benefited under this scheme.

The beneficiaries as per the decision taken by the state cabinet were students who passed 10th and 12th exams conducted by the following bodies.

• Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board
• CBSE, ICSE and ISC
• Poorva Madhyama and Madhyama of Sanskrit Education Board
• Munshi/Maulvi and Alim of Madrasa Board
• Recognized ITI and Polytechnics^[3]

20% quota for minorities and 21% for SC/CT students was also made in the final Free Laptop Distribution Scheme recipients list. This scheme was considered as one of the visionary approach of socialist government to provide an equal opportunity and to remove discrimination. Youth activist Ravi Nitesh views it as an effort where students in Uttar Pradesh received laptop at a time when many youths were not even able to see a computer. It is believed that through these laptop distribution, students would receive inspiration towards higher education and interest in studies with easiness of resource materials in soft copies and editing of their notes at a time when in India, enrolment in higher education (around 25%) was much lower than many countries (China 43%, USA 85%) and hence there was a strong need to frame policies that may encourage students to study, develop interest and understanding and getting enrolled for higher education.^[4]

Configuration Details

The configuration details of the laptops provided by Hewlett-Packard(HP)^[5]

Sr. No	Particulars	Description
1	Construction and Externals	Metal/ Alloy/ Reinforced hinges for display. The casing ABS plastic of Black or Gray Color Display screen back with Government Approved Logo
2	Processor	Latest Generation 64 bit multicore X86 Intel Pentium or equivalent AMD processor
3	Memory	2 GB DDR 1333 MHz RAM expandable to 4 GB
4	Display	LED HD 14" with 1366x768 resolution or higher
5	Hard Disk Drive	500 GB SATA 5400 RPM or Higher
6	Audio	Dual In-built Speakers
7	Web Cam	Yes
8	Qualifying Benchmark	BAPCO Sysmark 2007 overall score of 112 or Higher with Windows 7 Professional and 2 GB Memory
9	Graphics Card	Integrated Graphics Minimum 128 MB VRAM or higher
10	Ports	I/O ports, Minimum 3 USB 2.0 ports, Microphone Jack, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, Headphone/ Speaker out, RJ-45, AC Power
11	LAN	Ethernet Controller 10/100 Mbps or higher
12	Wireless	Wireless 802.11 q/b/g or higher and standard Bluetooth
13	Keyboard	Standard Full size keyboard with touch pad
14	Operating System	Preloaded Dual Boot – Primary boot : Windows 7 Starter with Antivirus, Secondary Boot : Linux/Ubuntu
15	Optical Drive	DVD R/W
16	AC Power Adapter	Input Voltage Range : 110–250 V, 50 Hz with necessary cables
17	Standard Accessories	Power Cable, Power Adapter and Charger, User Manual, Backpack etc.
18	Operation Temperature	0–55 °C
19	Battery Type	Standard Re-chargeable 6 Cell Li-Ion ( 45 WHr ) with min 3 Hrs backup

References

1. Rajat, Kumar (7 April 2017). "Akhilesh Yadav Laptop Distribution & Specification". PaliganjTimes. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
2. "Uttar Pradesh government to give free laptops to class X, XII pass out students". The Indian Express. PTI. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
3. "Free latops and tablets for UP students". Gadgets 360. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
4. "Educational Innovations Through Effective Governance Would Be Key To Sustainable Development Goals| Countercurrents".
5. "Laptop Configuration". Retrieved 18 March 2016.

7. https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/up-govt-approves-rs-2-800-cr-laptop-scheme-113012400092_1.html Business Standard Retrieved 2022-10-05

8. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttar-pradesh/up-budget-no-funds-for-akhileshs-free-laptop-scheme/ The Indian Express Retrieved 2022-10-05

9. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nation-world/up-cm-akhilesh-yadav-launches-free-laptop-scheme-for-students/slideshow/18907278.cms The Economic Times Retrieved 2022-10-05