Punjab: 80,000 Class 12 govt school students get smartphones
To facilitate seamless e-learning in government schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday virtually launched the second phase of the ‘Punjab Smart Connect Scheme’, marked by the distribution of smartphones to another 80,000 class 12 students of Government Schools.
The event — Punjab Smart Connect Scheme — witnessed the simultaneous distribution of phones at 845 schools on Friday by various Ministers, MLAs and other dignitaries across the state.
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Kick-starting the second phase at the Government Senior Secondary School here, the Chief Minister announced that the remaining 45443 smartphones of the targeted 1,75,443 would be provided to students by the end of this month, to fulfill his government’s commitment to further strengthen digital infrastructure in schools.
While his government had tried to distribute these phones urgently to meet the online education challenges amid Covid, closure of the industry had somewhat delayed the process, he added.
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In the 1st phase, 50000 students had received smartphones. Under the scheme, the state government is spending Rs 87.84 crore for the digital empowerment of 88059 boys and 87284 girls.
The Chief Minister said that 877 tablets were also being provided today in 22 senior secondary schools at the cost of Rs. one crore. Earlier, 2625 tablets were provided to 372 primary schools at the cost of Rs. 2.99 crore.
Addressing the students, Captain Amarinder said when the Punjab Congress promised smartphones in its manifesto, nobody knew these phones would become so vital for students due to the Covid pandemic.
-PTC News
