Islamabad, Nov 21: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced that 35,000 laptops will be distributed to outstanding students under the Chief Minister Laptop and Honhar Scholarship Program, with the distribution set to complete within 90 days.
According to 24NewsHD TV channel, the initiative aims to provide Core i7, 13th-generation laptops to top students, including 2,000 from minority groups.
The laptops will be awarded to matriculation and FSC position holders, 20,000 university students, 14,000 college students, 4,000 students from the industry and agriculture sectors, and 2,000 medical and dental students. Moreover, 32% of the recipients will be from South Punjab.
The government plans to distribute 5,000 laptops within the first 30 days, and 35,000 laptops by February 20, 2025.
Scholarships will also be granted to students from 30,000 government institutions and 10,000 private institutions across the province, with 18,000 scholarships designated for female students.
Additionally, the Honhar Scholarship will cover full tuition fees for four to five years. As of now, 68,329 scholarship applications have been received, with 34,290 verified.
In line with the Chief Minister’s vision, Punjab’s largest higher education internship program has concluded, with 7,354 college teacher interns recruited in government colleges, ensuring merit and transparency.
These interns will receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 50,000 for eight months, continuing until the academic session ends on March 31.
During a briefing to the Chief Minister, Secretary of Higher Education Dr. Farrukh Naveed reported the transfer and posting of 962 college teachers under the e-transfer policy, with appointments managed through an online portal to ensure transparency.
Additionally, the recruitment of principals and directors for government colleges will follow strict merit-based criteria.
The Chief Minister praised the higher education team for their commitment to maintaining transparency and merit in these initiatives.
