A city NGO working with women and children for almost five decades will provide underprivileged children in the city with phones to prevent them from giving up studies because of circumstances triggered by the pandemic.

Their parents, mostly helps, rickshaw-pullers, and idol-makers, have to sign a contract that the phones, along with SIM cards and data plans, will be used only for online classes and to submit assignments and not for any other purpose.

If the students miss two online classes, the NGO, Calcutta Social Project, will have the right to take back the phones. If the data pack is exhausted before the usual time, parents will have to recharge, a member of the NGO said.

The idea behind the contract is to create a sense of responsibility and accountability among parents and children, the member said. Also, this will prevent any adult in the house from taking the phone from the child and using it.

The NGO, though, understands it is natural for children to browse various sites if they have a phone and it is not possible for teachers to monitor the usage.