LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday approved the resumption of the laptop scheme after a gap of seven years.
Punjab students will be given the latest laptops again after seven years, the provincial government said.
In the meeting chaired by CM Maryam, decisions on reforms in the higher education sector where the development of higher education, laptops and transportation facilities for students were detailed.
The forum was informed that more than 0.65 million students are studying in private and public universities in Punjab. Among university students, the share of boys is 44%, and the share of girls is 56%.
The meeting was attended by provincial chief minister Marryum Aurangzeb, provincial education minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, information minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, principal secretary, higher education secretary and other officials.
On May 26, 2023, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, said that the government will relaunch the laptop scheme in 2023 under the Prime Minister’s Youth Program.
Khawaja said that under this scheme, 100,000 laptops will be provided to the youth.
Lamenting that the previous government had stopped the scheme, he said the laptops provided by the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had enabled the youth to continue their education and work during the COVID-19 era.
Meanwhile, CM Maryam said her government will also provide 20,000 electric bicycles to students across the province.
The CM on March 19 approved a plan to provide 20,000 electric bicycles to students in easy installments.
“E-bikes are important to reduce pollution, but now they are not viable due to battery theft and long distances,” he said.
He also said that the government has decided to provide petrol bikes and electric bikes in the light segment.
