Hardware of Justice—The Stakes Behind Stalin’s ‘Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil’
Laptops Relaunched: CM Stalin revived the free laptop scheme for 10 lakh students after a 4-year hiatus.
The comeback of a famous person in Tamil Nadu’s history of welfare has officially begun. This Monday(Jan 5th 2026), Chief Minister M.K. Stalin opened the first phase of the relaunched free laptop program at the Chennai Trade Centre. It is now called “Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil” (The World Is in Your Hands). The DMK administration is doing more than just keeping a promise made in their platform by giving 10 lakh laptops to college students this year.It is trying to fix a four-year gap that left a “digital-sized” hole in the state’s education story.
But there is a lot of financial stress, ideological fighting with the Centre, and a high-stakes political bet going on behind the high-definition screens and slick Intel i3 CPUs. The 2026 Assembly elections are only a few months away.
1. Bridging the COVID-Era Scar: Is this a helpful step?
The “Policy Discontinuity” over the last four years is the strongest reason to bring back the plan. Sceptics and opposition leaders, like Edappadi K. Palaniswami of the AIADMK, have been quick to point out that the program, which was once a flagship of the late J. Jayalalithaa, has been effectively mothballed since 2021.
This shortfall wasn’t just a line in a budget; it was a failing of the whole system throughout the pandemic. The Tamil Nadu Covid Pulse Survey and other studies showed a big digital gap that made it challenging for government school children to learn online. As their friends in private school moved to Zoom classrooms, many of first-generation students in rural Tamil Nadu were left with only textbooks and TV shows.
The Stalin government is trying to show that it is a “Restorative Governance” force by restarting the program now. The claim is simple: the laptop is not a luxury; it’s necessary to live in an economy after a pandemic.
2. Education as a Form of Social Justice, Not a “Freebie”
People in the halls of Fort St George think that the word “freebie” (or revdi) is an insult to the Dravidian model. CM Stalin was very clear when he launched it: “This is not an expense, but an investment.” From a social justice point of view, the scheme levels the playing field. For a student from a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or Other Backward Class background, a personal laptop is frequently the initial “capital asset” the family has possessed. It is the tool that makes it possible:
- Competitive Exam Prep: Get access digital libraries for TNPSC, UPSC, and NEET.
- Skill Development: Joining forces with the “Naan Mudhalvan” program to help people learn new skills.
- Digital Literacy: Going from using mobile devices first to making things on PCs first.
The DMK is strengthening its underlying belief that the government should step in when the market doesn’t offer fairness by calling access to technology a “Right” instead of a “Privilege.”
3. The ideological split: Tamil Nadu vs. the NEP
You can’t read this manoeuvre without thinking about New Delhi. The release of “Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil” comes at a time when the National Education Policy (NEP) is becoming more controversial in both the legal and political arenas.
Tamil Nadu has gone to the Supreme Court to say that the Centre is holding back about ₹2,300 crore in Samagra Shiksha grants because the state won’t apply the NEP’s three-language formula. The centre is pushing for standardisation and centralised digital platforms, while Tamil Nadu is sticking to its “Infrastructure First” policy.
The laptop program is a real sign of rebellion. It means that Tamil Nadu will develop its own digital highway, even though the government will pay for the tolls. It is a strong claim of state independence under a federal system.
The Skeptic’s Corner: Fiscal Strain and Execution Hurdles
While the social intent is laudable, a senior editor must look at the balance sheet. Tamil Nadu’s debt is projected to hit ₹9.3 lakh crore by March 2026. With an allocation of ₹2,000 crore for the first phase alone, critics ask if this is sustainable.
| Feature | Specification / Detail |
| Phase 1 Target | 10 Lakh Students |
| Budget Allocation | ₹2,000 Crore (approx. ₹20,000–₹23,000 per unit) |
| Projected State Debt | ₹9,29,959 Crore (26.07% of GSDP) |
| Implementation Agency | ELCOT (Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu) |
Key Challenges to Watch:
- Maintenance: Previous versions of the scheme were plagued by “dead hardware” within six months. The inclusion of district-level service centers this time is a necessary, albeit untested, fix.
- Connectivity: A laptop without affordable high-speed internet is just a sophisticated typewriter. The state’s BharatNet rollout must keep pace with hardware distribution.
- Corruption: Large-scale procurement is a magnet for tender-related controversies. Transparency through the new ELCOT portal will be the ultimate litmus test for the DMK’s “clean governance” claim.
In the end, it’s more than just hardware.
The free laptop programme’s return is a brilliant way for politicians to get their message out. It talks to young people (Gen Z), makes up for mistakes in prior policies, and makes it apparent that the Centre’s educational templates are not good. But for the 10 lakh kids who will get these devices, the potential is more important than the politics. If this plan works, it will be a major step forward in social mobility since it will help people get jobs once they get their degrees. If it fails because of quality or too much spending, it will be seen as a “revdi” before the election. Access is the first step towards social fairness. The Stalin dictatorship has given us the tool for now. The world is really in the kids’ hands; now they need the right environment to move it.