Delhi teachers still await for refund after 2 years of purchase e-tabs: RTI

New Delhi: Even two years after Delhi's Directorate of Education (DoE) instructed teachers to buy e-tabs for teaching work, those who had purchased the devices were yet to receive reimbursement, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application. On December 7, 2023, the directorate issued a circular asking all teachers under its jurisdiction to buy tablets at their own expense and submit the bills for reimbursement.

Under the RTI, PTI-Bhasha sought details on the number of teachers who purchased the tablets, the payments made, and the funds allocated for this purpose. The RTI reply provided details of about 9,000 teachers across nearly 300 schools in 10 zones.

According to the information, not a single teacher has been reimbursed so far. The directorate did not provide information on the funds allocated for the tablet purchase, even after a first appeal under the RTI.

According to the December 2023 circular, the scheme was launched in 2018, and guidelines were set that same year, instructing all regular and guest teachers to purchase tablets worth Rs 15,000. The amount was to be reimbursed by the directorate upon the submission of the bill. Clause five of the 2018 guidelines clearly states that teachers were required to submit the original bill to the head of school after purchasing the tab, following which the payment was to be made within 15 days.

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e-Tablets Scheme: Rs 8.27 crore spent

According to teachers, those who purchased tablets when the scheme was launched in 2018 were reimbursed at that time, as confirmed in another RTI response by the directorate. The reply stated that Rs 8.69 crore had been allocated for the 2018 e-tab scheme, of which Rs 8.27 crore was spent.

Nearly five years later, on December 7, 2023, the directorate issued a circular stating that teachers who had purchased tablets more than four years ago under the 2018 guidelines were eligible to buy a new tablet worth up to Rs 15,000, with reimbursement promised by the directorate.

The circular referenced the 2018 guidelines, but teachers who bought tablets under the 2023 instructions have still not been reimbursed. Krishna Kumar Phogat, president of the Democratic Teachers' Forum, Delhi, told PTI-Bhasha that over 50,000 teachers purchased new tablets following the 2023 directive, yet none have received reimbursement so far.

Phogat, who has raised the issue with former chief minister Atishi, current Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Education Minister Ashish Sood, said the government has assured that payments will be released soon. Two school principals from central and northwest Delhi, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that teachers who purchased tablets under the 2023 instructions have not been paid.

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One of the principals said the tablets are used to mark student attendance online via the directorate's app, enter exam scores on the Edudel portal and generate complete results. Online classes are also conducted using tablets. A teacher from East Delhi said the tablets are used to submit Mission Buniyad (now Nipun) assessment details, scholarship records, U-DISE (Unified District Information System for Education) registration, and APAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) IDs.

No response was received from Education Director Vedita Reddy on this matter till the filing of this report.