Mita Mukherjee

A state-aided university in Purulia district in West Bengal has decided to provide Rs 500 each to nearly 2500 students studying in the university to enable them to pay their internet charges and ensure that they attend the online classes regularly, the university said.

The Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University took the decision after the authorities found that a large number of students belonging to underprivileged and tribal families were unable to attend the online classes because they could not meet the expenses of their internet connections, vice-chancellor Dipak Kar said.

The subsidy will be given to the students from the beginning to the end of semester.

 The 11-year old university enrolls students from large parts of the Jangalmahal including Bankura, Purulia, West Midnapore and Jhargram districts of the state. Many of these students come from underprivileged families.

The university had found that these students were not attending the online classes regularly. When the teachers contacted them they found one of the reasons for being absent was their inability to meet the internet bills.

“There are students coming from underprivileged and tribal families who can’t manage even Rs 500 for paying the bills for their internet connections. So, considering the extra financial burden of students in this crisis period we have decided to provide the subsidy. But we will offer the help not just to the poor students but to all the 2500 students of the university,” vice-chancellor Kar told EducationWorld.   

The money will be transferred to the bank account of every student.

The students have been asked to send their bank details along with other information like their roll number, name, the subject which they are studying, semester and mobile number to the university at aao.skbu@gmail.com.

The university had earlier distributed free smartphones to a number of students.

A fresh list of needy students is being prepared for distribution of free smart phones, the vice-chancellor said.   

The university had started teaching through online classes in March last year after the countrywide lockdown was imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

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