For online study, free data comes handy for students

In a bid to benefit government college students, the state government had launched the free distribution of 2GB data to more than nine lakh students in higher educational institutions in January 2021 and it will be implemented till April this year. 

A senior official from the Higher Education Department told DT Next that the data cards have been distributed to about 9.7 lakh students studying in government and government-aided Arts, Science, Engineering, Polytechnic, Vocational and others receiving scholarships in private institutions. 

Claiming that the data cards were useful for the online classes for the students who could not afford internet connections, the official said, the “internet data will be valid till April.” “As the colleges were closed, the 2GB data card, which would be automatically renewed every day, was useful for online classes,” he said adding “the card configuration is more than enough to conduct even online exams, which will be held from mid-April.” 

Joint Action Council of College Teachers, Tamil Nadu (JAC) convenor R Dhamothran, a professor taking online classes for government college students, said that “as the 2GB data has been given to the students, now the teaching staff could make the students study via online class.” 

He stated that earlier, students who do not want to attend online classes, could not be forced to participate since they might not be having internet due to poor economic background. “Now the scenario has been changed and students do not have a choice, but just to attend online classes for their benefit.” 

B Mohana Sundaram, an II-year engineering student of a government college, said that the free 2GB data was very useful for him and his classmates since earlier it would be delicate for them to depend on parents or others to buy internet data. “Online classes have already started and will never miss a session.” 

Echoing similar views, K Venkat Kumar, who is also studying II year in a state-run polytechnic college in the outskirts of the city, said, “the free internet data was very useful even when there were no online classes. The data is enough for us to even clear our doubts referring several books online.”