Somen Saren, a student of engineering at Jadavpur University, was missing out on online classes as he did not have a smartphone.

The boy from Purulia, who is staying at his sister’s house in Sodepur (the university’s hostel is closed because of the Covid pandemic), would wait for his brother-in-law to return home from work at night and then use his mobile phone to access the recorded lectures uploaded on JU’s website.

A fourth-year student of food technology and bio-chemical engineering, Somen heaved a sigh of relief on Tuesday when the university handed him a smartphone.

“I missed out on live classes for want of a smartphone.... I am relieved now as I have got a smartphone,” said Somen, who turned up on the campus during the day to collect his phone.

“Our family income is Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 a month. My father can’t afford to buy me a smartphone,” Somen said.

JU is handing smartphones to 200 students to bridge the digital divide and enable them to attend classes on digital platforms amid the pandemic, which has forced colleges and universities to discontinue in-person classes.

A combination of live and recorded classes are being conducted under the distant digital mode.

JU officials said around 20 students had visited the campus since Monday to collect smartphones. “Those who cannot come will get their phones through courier,” said Gourkrishna Pattanayak, the finance officer of JU.

JU is also buying 800 students data packs for three months.

Vice-chancellor Suranjan Das said: “We are taking all steps to reach out to students who cannot afford the devices.”

Extension

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations has extended till November 16 the time for “submission of eligibility request and registration” of Class XI students for the 2020-21 academic session.

The council had received requests from school principals all over the country for candidates who were "either in containment zones or had moved to their hometown" in the wake of the pandemic.