"The laptop is not a gift but an opportunity..." says CM Stalin as Tamil Nadu announces free laptops for 20 lakh college students

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced on December 6 the distribution of free laptops to college students. Unveiling the scheme, the CM said the laptops are an opportunity for students to take the world by storm, rather than a gift to be kept.

All about Tamil Nadu's free laptop distribution scheme

The scheme, titled ‘Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil (The World Is in Your Hands)’, intends to empower students digitally while developing their skills.

"The laptop is not a gift; it is an opportunity to rule the world. As far as we are concerned, this is not an expenditure, but an investment for the future generation's education. We are creating all the opportunities for you to learn. Study well and choose a good path," CM MK Stalin said.

Of the 20 lakh laptops to be handed out, 10 lakh will be given in the first, current phase, and an allocation of Rs 2,000 crore has been made for this initiative in the current fiscal.

The recipients include students enrolled at government-run institutions, including polytechnic colleges and Industrial Training Institutes. Students from all streams, such as engineering, arts and science, medicine, agriculture, and law, are eligible to receive the free laptop.

Laptops from top brands like Dell, HP and Acer, powered with Intel i3/AMD Ryzen 3 processors, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD (Solid-State Drive), Windows 11 Home Strategic, BOSS Linux OS, and MS Office 365 will be distributed to students.

The government shall also offer a free six-month Perplexity Pro AI subscription to the students.

Reminiscing about the discovery of fire and the wheel by humans, CM Stalin said, "AI is the second fire given to humans, and the laptop is provided to you to properly utilise AI."

"However, while AI can never replace humans, it would only help complete work quickly and in a better fashion. A lot of skill-based job opportunities have come up, and the young generation must utilise them all. They should rise and progress and support the collective growth of all," he added.

Advising students to dream bigger than a mere college degree, CM Stalin asked, "Are you going to use the laptop to watch movies or play games, or are you going to use it as a launch pad for your career? Whatever may be your career, you must be in the top position in that field."

#உலகம்_உங்கள்_கையில்: Access is the key to Success!

💻 கற்கும் மாணவர்களுக்கு எது தேவையென்றாலும் அதைச் செய்துதரும் ஆட்சி இது! அதன் அடையாளம்தான் இன்று வழங்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் மடிக்கணினிகள்!

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— M.K.Stalin - தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) January 5, 2026

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