ISLAMABAD, Jan 23 (APP):The government has decided to revive various programmes, including the laptop scheme under the Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP) with the aim to digitally empower the youth of the country and enabling them to better compete with the world.
Under the laptop scheme, 100,000 laptops will be distributed with a budget of Rs 10 billion among the students from different universities and colleges across Pakistan which will help empower the youth digitally and provide livelihood opportunities to them.
Under the scheme a special quota has been reserved for the students from Balochistan and the number of laptops to be distributed under this scheme have been doubled. Additionally, 50 percent 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 Prime Minister’s Youth Programme initiated in 2013 with the goal of empowering the young population will ensure their inclusion in the digital world.
She further said, the students who do not fall in merit would also be able to get laptops on easy installments through commercial banks.
She said that the programme was launched in 2013 by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, adding that soon after coming to power, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif started work to revive it.
The laptops that were 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.
Prime Minister’s Laptops Scheme is for talented students with the main objective of the scheme 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.
The government 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 2 million jobs annually, and Revised Prime Minister’s Youth Business Laon Scheme to empower youngsters with an entrepreneurial mindset.
