The state government’s ambitious scheme — e-Adhigam (Advance Digital Haryana Initiative of Government with Adaptive Modules) — which was launched to promote digital learning through free tablets, seems to have run into trouble on the ground.In several government schools across Karnal and Kaithal districts, the majority of the tablets issued to students have reportedly been taken back due to the non-availability of Wi-Fi connectivity and SIM cards, technical glitches and the lack of operational support.The project was introduced by the Education Department with an aim to provide tablets to students of Classes IX to XII to help them access digital learning material, enhance skills and explore new educational opportunities. The scheme was launched by then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on May 5, 2022, in Rohtak.Under the scheme, students were provided free tablets with preloaded digital content and activated SIM cards offering 2 GB of free daily data, enabling access to video lectures, digital textbooks and online assignments. Around five lakh tablets were distributed across the state.Groundwork missingThe idea was good, but the groundwork was missing. Without Wi-Fi and SIM cards, tablets cannot function as learning tools. — A teacherHowever, sources said for nearly seven to eight months, neither were SIM cards provided for these tablets nor Wi-Fi connections installed in many government schools. As a result, the scheme appears to have derailed.Apart from connectivity issues, several technical problems have also been reported. Many tablets are either non-functional or suffer from damaged screens, poor battery performance or fail to turn on, making these unsuitable for regular academic use.In Karnal district, as per the data, around 32,000 tablets were distributed among students from Class IX to XII as well as among teachers. Of these, nearly 23,000 are working, while the remaining are lying non-functional due to damage to screens or battery issues.In Kaithal district, around 27,000 tablets were distributed among students and teachers. Of these, nearly 20,000 are functional, while the remaining devices are either damaged or are not working due to battery and other technical issues.Teachers and the school authorities confirmed that in the absence of reliable Internet facilities, the tablets could not be used for their intended purpose. As a result, thousands of devices are now lying unused in school cupboards, and classrooms have reverted to the traditional chalk-and-board teaching.A senior official said most government schools did not have Wi-Fi connections, and digital classes were not being conducted. In a few schools, teachers were using their personal mobile data, but students did not have access to the network.Earlier, the tablets were linked to the AVSAR portal for monitoring, but now details are being updated on the MIS portal, where effective monitoring is reportedly not being carried out. Teachers also pointed out that earlier there was a mechanism to reset tablets if students broke the digital lock or misused the devices, but such a system was currently missing.The sources said the department was now planning to procure SIM cards again to re-enable the tablets with Internet connectivity.“We are collecting data from all schools along with their requirements to make the tablets functional,” said Sumit Maan, District Math Specialist and nodal officer of e-Adhigam in Karnal.Chatarpal, District Math Specialist and nodal officer of the e-Adhigam scheme in Kaithal, said the programme was ambitious and should be continued.Teachers said the situation had created confusion and disrupted academic planning. “The idea was good, but the groundwork was missing. Without Wi-Fi and SIM cards, tablets cannot function as learning tools,” a teacher said.Students, who initially welcomed the move towards digital education, are now back to using textbooks and notebooks.“We were given tablets for study, but without the Internet, these were of no use. After some time, the school asked us to return these,” said a student of a government school.