Tamil Nadu approves Rs 2,000 crore for free laptops to college students under Vetri scheme

The Tamil Nadu government has taken a significant step to promote digital education among students in the state's colleges and vocational programmes. The government led by Chief Minister Vijay has issued orders to implement the "Vetri Laptop scheme".

A budget of Rs 2,000 crore has been approved for the scheme. Under it, free laptops will be given to thousands of students in government and government-aided institutions. The scheme was announced in the Tamil Nadu Budget 2026-27. A high-level committee headed by the Chief Minister has also been formed to implement it properly.

Students of several courses have been included in the scheme for the 2026-27 academic session. First-year and second-year students pursuing degree or diploma courses in government and government-aided colleges will be covered. Students of arts, science, engineering, medicine, agriculture, fisheries and law will also be eligible. Students enrolled in polytechnic and Industrial Training Institute (ITI) programmes will also benefit.

Relief has also been given to students who could not avail of the scheme in the 2025-26 session. Current students in the third and fourth years of professional courses have also now been included in the scheme.

Considering the needs of engineering and technical courses, the government has made a separate provision. Engineering students will be given laptops with an Intel Core i5 processor or a higher configuration. The responsibility for buying the laptops according to quality standards and distributing them has been given to the state undertaking Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT).

According to the government, the laptop has become an essential tool for study in the era of digital learning. The aim of the scheme is to help students study online, learn new skills and prepare for job opportunities. It has been launched especially to make digital tools easily available to students from disadvantaged sections and middle-class families. Strengthening students' capabilities and employability in view of the competition in the global job market is another objective.