Desktop computers and proprietary software are on their way out from schools in Kerala, to be replaced by laptops and free software.
The new guidelines issued by the State government for procurement of ICT equipment in schools and educational offices detail the maximum price that could be levied for each device, along with the specifications and after-sales service conditions. Citing the advantages of portability, power backup, and energy consumption, the guidelines require schools to procure laptops in lieu of desktops. It insists on a five-year comprehensive warranty by the supplier for all ICT equipment sold to schools.
The list of equipment includes laptops, multimedia projector, projector screen, UPS, white board, USB speaker and projector mounting kit. The government order (GO) mentioning the guidelines is based on the recommendations of a technical committee with G. Jayashankar as chairman and K.Anvar Sadath, vice chairman, Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), as convener. The GO requires the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to verify and approve all digital content and digital library before deploying in schools. Schools and educational offices can also procure ICT equipment through Keltron. It forbids the purchase of items such as interactive white boards and smart TVs on the grounds that they are not useful. The GO can be accessed on education.kerala.gov.in and kite.kerala.gov.in . It says the guidelines will be periodically revised.
