Punjab government revives laptop program following seven-year break
Following a seven-year break, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved the program’s resume on Friday.
After a seven-year break, the province administration announced that Punjabi students will once more receive the newest laptops.
This was decided at the changes to the higher education sector conference chaired by CM Maryam, during which a thorough briefing on laptops, student transportation, and the promotion of higher education was also provided.
The meeting was informed that more than 0.65 million students were enrolled in Punjab’s public and private universities. The group was briefed on the student population at universities, which consisted of 44% males and 56% females.
The meeting was also attended by the chief secretary, secretary of higher education, senior provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, provincial education minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, information minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, and other officials.
The government would revive the laptop program in 2023 under the auspices of the Prime Minister Youth Program, according to statements made on May 26, 2023, by Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the then-special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM) for youth affairs.
Khawaja had revealed that 100,000 computers would be given to young people as part of the program.
She expressed regret that the previous government had discontinued the program, but she also noted that the youth had been able to continue working and attending school during COVID-19 thanks to laptops given by the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government.
Concurrently, CM Maryam announced that 20,000 electric bikes will be distributed by her government to students throughout the province.
A plan to give 20,000 electric motorcycles to students on flexible installment plans was approved by the CM on March 19.
“E-bikes are crucial for lowering pollution, but because of low mileage and battery theft, they are not suitable at the moment,” the speaker stated.
She added that the government has made the decision to offer both gasoline and electric motorcycles on flexible payment plans.
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