Rs 620-crore flagship e-Adhigam programme, under which e-tablets were distributed to over five lakh students of Classes 10 and 12 in Haryana’s government schools in 2022 to upgrade the standard of education came under shadow over a year ago when cases of Security code withdrawal from the large number the tablets grew across the state. According to information,the Haryana education department upgraded 65% e-tablets allotted to Class 10 and 12 students of the government-run schools with the latest operating system along with the security code to avoid misuse of the device, following disturbing reports from all over in the state, about many students breaching the security codes of the tablets and accessing objectionable and vulgar websites, it is learnt. Over 30,000 teachers of 3,300 schools were also provided these devices.
After it was found that a large number of students were using the tablets for non-academic purposes, using the device for FaceBook friendship with opposite sex or viewing obscene films, when not only the parents but also the village panchayats urged the government to withdraw the tablets, saying that these gadgets were hampering studies of students instead of helping them in education. Teachers had too informed the state education directorate that some students had bypassed the security feature, being misused by them for vulgar chattings between youngestures, preparing vulgar videos, developing friendship, love affairs followed by blackmailing female students, demanding money from them and threatening to release their videos on social media if refused to continue relationship. In fa ew cases when female students disclosed to their parents, many complaints were registered with the police and many cases were referred to the psychiatric department of civil hospitals for counselling such girl students facing mental depression.
According to information collected from Hisar district, nearly 77 complaints, cases registered under Pocksey Act were lodged with the police are under investigation at present, most of the affected female students are also presently having counselling at the civil hospital Hisar. “We have taken necessary measures to deal with issues concerning e-tablets and breach of the firewall of the device,” said Sudhir Rajpal, additional chief secretary, school education department while interacting with media persons. According to information technology wing officials of the education department, these tablets were pre-loaded with personalised and adaptive learning software, learning content and internet connectivity by way of SIM cards but several students got removed security system at their own, thus started misusing the device by exchanging vulgar conversations, loading sexual postures to attract opposite sex.
When the matter was taken up with the vendors, they started passing the buck over the firewall breach. However, there is no specific data on the number of students who had breached the MDM security walls, a spokesperson of the education department, refusing to be identified said that it was established that the device was breached via USB by using a software. He said that after a thorough discussion with the vendors it was decided that the OS of the tablets should be first updated and tested before supply to the students. Since this exercise of upgrading the systems is time-consuming the students have to return the tablets after passing out.