The Education Department distributed tablets to 55,800 children across Rajasthan, including 1,253 in Udaipur, on August 15. However, the tablets were given without SIM cards. The department had not received the SIM cards at the time. Even after a month, this issue remains unresolved, forcing students to use private internet connections despite the promise of free internet for three years.

SIM Card and Network Issue

The department had planned to provide all students with SIM cards that would offer three years of free internet. Separate tenders were conducted for tablets and SIM cards. However, the department failed to check which network was available in the children’s areas. Once this oversight was discovered, the tenders were paused, and information about network availability was gathered. A local firm in Bikaner was contracted to provide SIM cards based on the service providers available in each region.

Partial SIM Distribution

Telecom companies have delivered SIM cards to some districts, but there are delays. Airtel has distributed SIM cards in a few areas, while Jio and other providers have not yet reached all districts. DEO Lokesh Bharti confirmed that Airtel SIMs have arrived in their area, but they are waiting for the others before distributing them to students all at once.

Instructions from Education Director

On September 12, the Director of Education sent a letter instructing district-level officers to directly contact service providers to understand the delay in SIM card delivery. The letter also directed schools to collect students Aadhaar cards and provide them to service providers for SIM activation. Any further delays or issues will hold the DEO accountable.

BSNL Not Involved

Despite the government distributing SIM cards, there is no involvement from the government telecom provider BSNL. No student in the state has received a BSNL SIM card, and schools have not reported whether BSNL services are available in their areas. Given the option, students have preferred SIM cards from Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea (Vi) over BSNL.

Source: Dainik Bhaskar