Mumbai News: BMC To Distribute 19,317 New Tablets To Class 9 Students Across Civic Schools At ₹49.19 Crore Cost

Mumbai: The BMC will distribute new tablets to 19,317 of standard 9 across civic-run schools in Marathi, Urdu, Hindi, and English mediums. These tablets will have a one-year warranty and four years of maintenance. M/s. Skill tree Consulting Private Limited has been appointed for the procurement, which includes e-content and maintenance services, at a total cost of Rs 49.19 crore, approximately Rs 25,464 per student.

BMC’s Tablet Scheme History

The civic body introduced a tablet distribution scheme in 2015 to support digital learning among students. The initiative continued for three years until 2018 and in 2021–22. Under this scheme, 18,078 tablets with maintenance support were procured in 2017–18 for 9th-grade students.

The lifespan of these devices lasted from February 2018 to February 2023. Consequently, for the academic year 2025–26, the civic body has decided to procure 19,317 new tablets for 9th-grade students.

Past Costs And Procurement Controversies

In the inaugural year of 2015, the BMC spent Rs. 32 crore to purchase 22,799 tablets, each priced at Rs. 6,850. In 2018, another contract worth Rs. 18 crore was awarded for the procurement of 18,078 tablets, costing around Rs. 10,000 per unit.

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However, the tablet purchases have been mired in controversy, with several political parties raising questions about the cost, quality, and transparency of the procurement process.

Total number of tablets: 19,317

Cost of tablets: Rs. 15,550 each

E-content cost: Rs. 1,970 per tablet

Annual maintenance and e-content update (for 4 years): Rs. 605 per year.

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