Karnataka: Huge demand for digital gadgets as online classes begin

HUBBALLI: With the government allowing schools across the state to resume online classes for students from Class 1-10, demand for smartphones and tablets has gone up. There is a mad rush for android gadgets with capacity of 2 GB ram and 32 GB memory, costing Rs 10,000 to 12,000.
Mahaveer Kothari, a smartphone dealer, said that people from surrounding villages are coming to Hubballi to purchase gadgets.“People are asking for devices in Rs 10,000 to 12,000 range. But currently devices are available for Rs 17,000 and above, leaving many people disappointed as it does not fir their budget.”
Mohammed Zameer Madeen, ST Communication, said: “If a person books a tablet, it takes at least 10 days to get the delivery. Now that people have started avoiding China manufactured devices, demand for Samsung has gone up.”
Santosh Chavan of Santosh Telecom said that people from Haveri, Gadag and other districts are coming to Hubballi to buy smartphones and tablets. “They ask for features like video calling, MS Word and adequate space. But there is short supply of affordable gadgets,” he added.
Ramachandra Kurubar from Sonia Gandhi Nagar in Hubballi said that he went to purchase a smartphone because schools are insisting. “But I am not getting the device within my budget,” he said.
Parvez Konnur, a social worker, said that the government should reconsider its decision of allowing online education, because huge network problems persist especially in rural areas and many families are not in a position to spend on devices.