Fact check: Is there a Government of India's ‘Free Smart Tablet Scheme 2024-25’?

A WhatsApp and social media message is going around stating that the Government of India has issued a "Free Smart Tablet Scheme 2024-25" for students of 8th, 10th, and 12th classes, as well as undergraduates, postgraduates, and diploma students. The message directs users to apply through links given, assuring free tablets for online education and skill upgradation.

The facts?

1. No official announcement or notification

• Government schemes are always publicly announced. Significant schemes of the central government, particularly free distribution of devices or monetary benefits, are always made through official press notices, government websites, or important news channels.
• No such scheme is mentioned. It is evident from a careful examination of the Ministry of Education's official website (education.gov.in), the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in), and the Digital India portal (digitalindia.gov.in) that there is no mention of any 'Free Smart Tablet Scheme 2024-25' for students.

2. Dubious application links

• URL red flags
 The links given in the viral message (e.g., tinyurl.com/newtabletyojana) are URL shorteners, not official government websites.
• Official government links

Official government schemes have official URLs ending with http://gov.in/ & http://nic.in/

Example: https://pmaymis.gov.in (for PMAY), https://scholarships.gov.in (for scholarships).

• Risk of phishing

These unofficial links always redirect to imitation sites that are made to steal information or for installing malware.

3. No media coverage

• Key schemes are reported by media. If the central government was giving free tablets to crores of students, it would have been prominently covered by leading news outlets like The Hindu, Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, etc.
• No such media reports are available for this scheme.

4. Previous examples of similar scams

• Recurring pattern

There have been similar "free laptop/tablet/scholarship" scams in the past, preying on the hopes of students and parents. These are regularly busted by independent fact-checkers and cybersecurity professionals.

5. Verification of government schemes

Check always

•  https://www.india.gov.in/
•  https://www.education.gov.in/
•  https://www.digitalindia.gov.in/
•  https://scholarships.gov.in/

If a scheme is not available on these websites, it is highly likely to be fake.

Takeaway

The fake viral news regarding a "Free Smart Tablet Scheme 2024-25" by the Indian Government is totally false.

• Official announcement, no government notification, and no authentic news coverage of such a scheme exist.
• Provided links are suspicious and can be harmful.

Advice

Don't click on the link, and don't share your personal data. Always check any scheme through official government websites or authentic news channels.