Are you a woman or a girl from Rajasthan who wants a free smartphone? If yes, then you should know about the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Yojana. This is a scheme launched by the Rajasthan government to make the women and girls of the state more digital and empowered.
The Chief Minister announced this scheme in his budget speech. He said that the female heads of the Chiranjeevi families will get smartphones with internet access. The scheme will start from 10 August 2023. The scheme will also cover girls who are studying in class 9th to 12th and college. To get a free smartphone, you just need to apply for this scheme and meet the eligibility criteria. Don’t miss this opportunity to join the digital revolution!
What is the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme?
The Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme is a welfare scheme of the Rajasthan government to provide free smartphones with internet connectivity to the women heads of the chiranjeevi families in the state. The scheme is named after the former prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, who was also the first woman prime minister of the country. The scheme is expected to benefit around 1.35 crore women in the state, including students from class 9th to 12th and college students.
objectives of the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme?
The main objectives of the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme are:
- To empower the women and girls of Rajasthan by providing them digital literacy and access to information and opportunities.
- To ensure the safety and security of the women and girls who are studying or working in distant places by enabling them to communicate with their families and authorities.
- To facilitate the women to avail the benefits of various government schemes and services such as pensions, employment, education, health, etc. through online platforms.
- To promote the digital transformation and innovation in the state by creating a large pool of digitally skilled women and girls.
Who are eligible for the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme?
The eligibility criteria for the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme are:
- The beneficiary must be a woman head of a chiranjeevi family in Rajasthan. A chiranjeevi family is a family that is covered under the universal health insurance scheme of the state government.
- The beneficiary must belong to one of the following categories:
- Widow/single woman (pensioner)
- NREGA (100 days in 2022-23)
- Indira Gandhi Urban Employment (50 days in 2022-23)
- College student (arts, commerce, science)
- College student (Sanskrit)
- College student (polytechnic)
- College student (ITI)
- Class 9th to 12th student (government school)
How to apply for the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme?
The application process for the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme is as follows:
- The eligible women are required to visit their nearest “Mehngai Rahat Camp” (Inflation Relief Camp) that are being organized at various locations across the state.
- At the camp, the e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) of the women will be done and an e-wallet app will be downloaded in their phone.
- Through the e-wallet app, Rs. 6800 will be provided to each woman beneficiary through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
- The beneficiary can choose a smartphone of any branded company of her choice from the authorized dealers at the camp.
- The beneficiary can also choose a SIM and internet data plan of her choice from the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) authorized by TRAI in Rajasthan, such as Jio, Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL.
Online method
To apply for this scheme, you need to follow these steps:
- Visit the official website of the scheme
- Check your eligibility by entering your Jan Aadhaar number and mobile number.
- If you are eligible, you will see a message saying “I am eligible” and a list of nearby camps where you can register for the scheme.
- Visit the nearest camp with your Jan Aadhaar card, Aadhaar card, and documents related to the Chiranjeevi Yojana.
- At the camp, your e-KYC will be done and an e-wallet app will be downloaded on your phone.
- Through the e-wallet app, you will receive Rs. 6800 as assistance to buy a smartphone of your choice from any branded company.
- You can also choose a SIM and internet data plan of your choice.
What are the features and benefits of the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme?
The features and benefits of the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme are:
- The scheme will provide free smartphones with internet connectivity to around 1.35 crore women in the state in two phases. In the first phase, around 40 lakh women will get the assistance to choose a smartphone of their choice. In the second phase, 95 lakh women will get the assistance for the purchase of smartphones.
- The scheme will enable the women to access various government schemes and services online, such as pensions, employment, education, health, etc. The scheme will also provide information and awareness about various welfare and empowerment initiatives of the state government for women and girls.
- The scheme will enhance the safety and security of the women and girls who are studying or working in distant places by enabling them to communicate with their families and authorities. The scheme will also provide emergency helpline numbers and panic buttons in the smartphones for the women in distress.
- The scheme will promote the digital literacy and skills of the women and girls in the state by providing them access to various online courses, platforms and resources. The scheme will also encourage the women to participate in the digital transformation and innovation in the state by creating a large pool of digitally skilled women and girls.
What are the challenges and limitations of the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme?
The challenges and limitations of the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme are:
- The scheme may face some logistical and operational issues in the distribution and activation of the smartphones and SIM cards to the beneficiaries, especially in the remote and rural areas of the state.
- The scheme may not be able to reach all the eligible women and girls in the state due to the lack of awareness, accessibility and affordability of the scheme. Some women and girls may also face social and cultural barriers in using the smartphones and internet.
- The scheme may not be able to ensure the quality and durability of the smartphones and internet services provided to the beneficiaries. Some smartphones may be defective, damaged or stolen, while some internet services may be slow, unreliable or unavailable in some areas.
- The scheme may not be able to monitor and evaluate the impact and outcomes of the scheme on the empowerment and welfare of the women and girls in the state. Some women and girls may misuse or underuse the smartphones and internet for unproductive or harmful purposes.
What are the best practices and suggestions for the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme?
The best practices and suggestions for the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme are:
- The scheme should ensure the smooth and transparent distribution and activation of the smartphones and SIM cards to the beneficiaries, by involving the local authorities, NGOs and community groups in the process.
- The scheme should create and disseminate a comprehensive and user-friendly awareness and education campaign for the scheme, by using various media and communication channels, such as radio, TV, newspapers, social media, etc.
- The scheme should provide adequate training and support to the beneficiaries on how to use the smartphones and internet effectively and safely, by organizing workshops, webinars, tutorials, etc.
- The scheme should ensure the quality and durability of the smartphones and internet services provided to the beneficiaries, by collaborating with the reputed and reliable smartphone companies and TSPs, and by providing warranty and maintenance services to the beneficiaries.
- The scheme should monitor and evaluate the impact and outcomes of the scheme on the empowerment and welfare of the women and girls in the state, by collecting and analyzing the data and feedback from the beneficiaries, and by conducting periodic surveys and studies.
What are the similar schemes and initiatives in other states and countries?
The similar schemes and initiatives in other states and countries are:
- The Jagananna Vidya Kanuka Scheme of Andhra Pradesh, which provides free smartphones to the students of class 9th to 12th in the state.
- The Sanchar Kranti Yojana of Chhattisgarh, which provides free smartphones to the women and students of the state.
- The Samajwadi Smartphone Yojana of Uttar Pradesh, which provides free smartphones to the residents of the state who are above 18 years of age and have completed high school education.
- The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan of India, which provides digital literacy training to the rural households of the country.
- The Digital Bangladesh Vision of Bangladesh, which provides digital devices and services to the citizens of the country, especially the women and youth.
- The One Laptop Per Child Project of Uruguay, which provides free laptops to the primary school students of the country.
What are the future prospects and opportunities
The future prospects and opportunities of the Indira Gandhi Free Smartphone Scheme are:
- The scheme can be expanded and extended to cover more women and girls in the state, especially those who are from the marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society, such as the SC, ST, OBC, minorities, differently-abled, etc.
- The scheme can be integrated and linked with other government schemes and services, such as the Aadhaar, Jan Dhan, Ujjwala, Ayushman Bharat, etc. to provide seamless and holistic benefits to the beneficiaries.
- The scheme can be leveraged and utilized to create and promote various digital platforms and applications for the women and girls in the state, such as e-commerce, e-learning, e-health, e-governance, etc. to provide them more opportunities and choices.
- The scheme can be transformed and upgraded to provide more advanced and innovative features and benefits to the beneficiaries, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, etc. to provide them more convenience and security.
