ITANAGAR, 4 Jul: A nine-member technical expert committee constituted by the Tirap district administration to probe into alleged defective laptops given to toppers of the CBSE exams in the district has confirmed that the machines were faulty and old.
As many as 18 meritorious students who performed well in Class 10 and 12 exams conducted by the CBSE this year were given free laptops by the education department in the district during a programme on 20 June.
The laptops were given as part of the 2021-’22 district academic toppers award implemented by the secondary education directorate.
However, eight students returned their laptops, alleging that the machines were old and could not be used due to technical malfunctions.
They also alleged that the laptops showed severe signs of wear and tear and scratches, besides indecent videos stored in it with names of previous users.
Tirap Deputy Commissioner Hento Karga constituted an expert committee headed by a circle officer to probe into the matter.
“The state government has decided to replace the laptops with new ones. To avoid any kind of further embarrassment, the district administration has decided to thoroughly check the new machines before handing them to the students,” Karga said.
Meanwhile, the education department has decided to blacklist the firm that supplied the laptops.
An official of the department said that the supplier had been selected after following the due tender process.
The All Tirap Students’ Union had in a memorandum to the DDSE on Monday demanded a thorough investigation against all officers involved in “manipulating the awards.” (PTI)
