ISLAMABAD, Aug 7 (INP): Around 175 students of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) from Southern Punjab were handed over laptops under the Prime Minister’s Youth scheme. In third phase, 2500 enrolled students of the university have been declared eligible by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the laptops. The recipients are talented students from all over the country who showed their merit in Master, M.Phil and PhD-level programs. The excited students received the laptop machines with specifications that could be used both as a computer and a notepad. In addition, an internet device was also the part of the package. Minister of Education Engr. Muhammad Balighur Rehman was the chief guest on the occasion distributed the laptops and hoped that the winning students will use them as a tool to overcome knowledge gap in their study. Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddique in his welcome address assured that the university will continue its march towards a better future for their students, by providing them quality education, with best study environment. He hoped that the laptops will help them to undertake innovative and applied research work to serve the society. He thanked the HEC for giving necessary funding in doing the research work that is the university’s top priority. In a short-span of time, they have published twelve newly brand research journals. He also spoke about the other initiatives of academic and administrative nature, taken during the last two and half years. Engr. Baligur Rehman appreciated vice chancellor and his team for bringing about qualitative improvement in the university’s overall working that also strengthened the government to improve literacy rate in the country at secondary level. About the laptop scheme, the minister said it was designed and being implemented through a transparent and impartial manner and purely on merit basis. He also highlighted various achievement of the present government in various socio-economic sectors, particularly a allocating a record budget to promote higher education in the country. The function was also addressed by Director Regional Services Dr. Mian Arif Saleem Arif, Director Students’ affairs Rana Javed Tariq and Chairman department of Mass Communication Dr. Saqib Riaz. INP/AH