Mobile Phones for Boards Work
PSEB has a very good and economically viable solution for purchase of mobile phones for Boards work, where PSEB provides money for purchase of mobile phones to the officers/ officials, and that mobile phone is used for Board's work, and a life is also fixed for the mobile phone. During the life of the mobile it is expected that the officer/ official shall be responsible for the upkeep of the mobile. After a fixed time (3 years) the officer/ officials is allowed to purchase another mobile for Boards work. This arrangement allows for a sense of ownership and the mobile handset is cared for properly even officers/ officials are allowed to spend more than the specified limits if they desire so (e.g. AE is allowed 3500/- but can spend more).

Computers (Laptops/ Netbooks) for Boards Work
PSEB is planning to go for IT implementation and as per availability of funds computers and other equipments will be purchased in huge numbers. If possible a schema similar to mobile handsets for Boards work can be considered for computers for Boards work as well (rather laptops and handheld netbook computers). Where PSEB can give money to Officers/ officials of PSEB for purchase of Laptops/ Netbooks for Boards work.
These days a netbook laptop costs around 17000/- and as we all know there is no upper limit. The cost of a reasonable configuration computer is also coming down like mobile phones.
This kind of schema can help Board outset the cost of maintaining a significant amount of inventory of computers/ spares and its management, cost of ensuring the computers are well maintained, cost of untimely replacements etc and also inculcate a sense of ownership among its officers/ officials.
As per my knowledge PSEB uses 12.7% (please correct if this is wrong) as the rate of depreciation for computer equipments. This would put the life of equipment to an unrealistic 7+ years. Govt of India puts rate of depreciation @ 60% for computers (as per IT Act) and @ 40% as per Schedule XIV to the Companies Act, 1956.

Why Laptops or Netbooks
Desktops are much cheaper but sponsoring them may not be entirely possible, as their location will remain fixed and officers/ officials may not be tempted/ feel a sense of ownership; even though purchased for Boards work. Besides if the computer is portable it can be carried along in meetings/ visits, homes (along with work to home), and in field (many private companies buy laptop computers for use by their employees for this particular reason only). Anyway it is easier to carry a laptop/ netbook than a bundle of files even to work.

Though mobile phones are simple equipments, but allowing officers/ officials to buy just any laptop/ computer for Boards work may not be that straight forward and the following problems can arise:

Boards Software for Boards Work on Just Any Computer
When officers/ officials are required to use computers for Boards work this would mean that they in the long run need to use software applications required for Boards work, they may have specific H/W software platform requirements.
This problem can be offset by going for a web applications/ web interfaces for majority of Boards application software (e.g. for ERP) and avoiding binary blob applications that require specific software configurations, Hardware configurations. Web based application are platform independent and can run on any standards compliant web browser software (e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, Mobile Phones Web Browsers etc). Technology has advanced to such an extent that applications can be developed in a technology neutral way using Web Browser as a standard platform neutral interface for use interaction with the application.
Fortunately as of now Board has no special applications for Boards work, except for some used at central locations, and some of them have already been web enabled (e.g. HR database application, Official email @psebindia.org etc). In future when Board decides for ERP implementation Board can insist for Web interfaces for all applications.
Also web application in general decrease the over all cost of maintenance of application on user side as well, as it assumes only a web browser and no binary blobs are required to be configured/ installed and subsequently maintained.
There can be specific cases where specific hardware may be specified e.g. in Civil where CAD applications may be required or some other proprietary technology is required, the officers/ officials may be provided computers in office for that special purpose.

Choice of Hardware
For normal office work document typing, spreadsheets, presentations, Internet access (email, web surfing etc) and also for using Board future web based ERP applications via a Web browser on a low cost Netbook computer @ approximately 17000/- would be sufficient. But like in case of mobile phones, this choice to buy what, may be left to the end user, allowing them to choose their hardware and Board can consider paying for a minimum amount e.g. as in case of mobile phones. But in general Board will get a better value for its expenditure as officers/ officials will try to buy a better hardware.

Choice of Software (Operating System/ Application Software etc)
It is suggested that choice of software may also be left to the end user, but just ensuring that they install the necessary software for Boards work, e.g. the following:

1. Standards Compliant Web Browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari Etc). The specific standards can be from W3C (World Wide Web Consortium http://www.w3c.org) for using Boards web enabled ERP and other applications.
2. An Office Suite that can create/ open/ edit standard office documents. The standards compliant documents can be as per ISO Standard ISO/IEC 26300:2006 (ODF 1.0) and ISO/IEC 29500:2008 (DOCX), PFD may also become an ISO standard soon and also support for legacy doc can be asked for. Proprietary MS Office can do thiss on Windows platform and the free Open Office Suite can do it on Windows, GNU/ Linux, Mac OS etc)
3. Choice of Operating System can be left to individual users, all Windows, GNU/ Linux (in India also available as BOSS from C-DAC http://www.bosslinux.in ), Mac OS etc can be used.
4. Antivirus and other Security Software: This is a significant problem on Windows platform and a cost driver as well as they cause downtime and problems. Though there are plenty of good free antivirus software, which can be used free of cost for personal work, but if they are allowed to be installed legally on a laptop/ netbook that is used for both personal as well as Boards official work needs to considered. Else on Windows platform they must installed even if purchase/ subscription is required. GNU/ Linux and Mac OS platform are not seriously affected by this problem.

Use of lowcost/ free Operating Systems, Office Suites will also decrease the overall cost of computers for Board.

Upkeep of Computers
Officer/ Official can be made responsible for any expenditure on upkeek of computers as in case of mobiles. Though a comprehensive warranty of 3 years should take care of that, some special monthly allowance can also be considered.

Training for Computer Use
PSEB is already providing computer training to its officers/ officials at in house training centres and also outside agencies.
Also if the officer/ officials is given a laptop/ computer like a mobile phone, besides decreasing cost of inventory management, the officer officials having a sense of ownership may also be inclined to use it and learn it.

This ofcourse require making available central computing facilities (applications) via a Network/ VPN or the Internet itself, which is already being carried out. If laptops/ netbooks are used WiFi networking (via a Captive Portal) in PSEB offices may be considered for easy seamless connectivity, that to some extent is already being carried out.

Disclaimer: These are personal views and emerged from a discussion with other engineer friends over lunch time. Others can throw more light upon these suggestion.