The government has decided to distribute 100,000 laptops among university and college students at a cost of Rs10 billion to revive the laptop scheme under the Prime Minister's Youth Programme (PMYP). The program aims at digitally empowering the youth and providing them with livelihood opportunities.

Under the scheme, a special quota has been reserved for the students from Balochistan and the number of laptops to be distributed have been doubled. Additionally, 50% quota has been specified for women in the laptop scheme. According to Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the revival of PMYP, which was initiated in 2013 with the goal of empowering the young population, will ensure their inclusion in the digital world.

She said the students who didn’t fall in merit would also be able to get laptops on easy instalments through commercial banks. She said the programme was launched in 2013 by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, adding that soon after coming to power, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had started work to revive it.

The laptops delivered among the youth between 2013-18 brought about revolution as most of them were earning huge foreign exchange reserves for the country through e-lancing services. The scheme is for talented students with the objective to enhance the scope of research and quality education in the country and increase the access to information technology. The youth can access these opportunities by visiting pmyp.gov.pk, she added.

Meanwhile, the government has also decided to revive four other initiatives, including Prime Minister National Innovation Award to support the best business ideas in the country, National Youth Commission to increase the role of youth in policy-making, National Youth Employment Policy for the creation of two million jobs annually, and Revised Prime Minister’s Youth Business Laon Scheme to empower youngsters with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk