Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu Government to provide free laptop computer to a Class X student, deprived of the benefit under a scheme for meritorious students due to 'negligence' in evaluating his maths answersheet last year.

Petitioner R Ravindran of Nagapattinam district had secured 94 marks in maths but on retotalling it was revised to 97 and his overall total to 478 out of 500.

Due to erroneous totalling of marks, the petitioner was initally found not fit to get the laptop under the state government scheme. He submitted 35 students, who had obtained 465 marks, were given laptop in the district.

Justice N Paul Vansanthakumar said "this case reveals how a meritorious student was put to sufferings due to negligence on the part of the examiners even though he has not committed any mistake".

"It was evident that the petitioner is a brilliant student, who has secured over 96.5 per cent is eligible to get the free lap top as per the scheme," he said adding "due to such mistakes innocent students are unnecessarily put to embarrassment".

"Hence it is expected that such mistakes are bound to be avoided by the department, which is conducting the exams", he said.