From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jan 10: The B S Yediyurappa-led BJP regime will start distribution of free laptops to one lac government first grade colleges in the state from January 12.
The chief minister will be launching the distribution of free laptops on Swami Vivekananda Jayanti Day on Sunday at Sri Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bengaluru, by symbolically presenting laptops to a few students.
The programme will be carried out in all first year degree students of Government First Grade Colleges, in their respective colleges subsequently.
B S Yediyurappa
Deputy chief minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, who also holds the Higher Education and IT/BT portfolios, who addressed news conference in Bengaluru on Friday, said laptops of HP and Acer brands would be distributed free of cost to all first year students of the First Grade Government Colleges.
A total of 1.09 lac students would get laptops and estimated expenditure was Rs 300 crore.
He said youth empowerment centres would be established in each district, in lead government first grade colleges.
The centres would function under the guidance of a committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner of the respective district and senior officers of 21 government departments as members.
These centres would disseminate information regarding job openings, opportunities in higher education, various scholarships available, educational loans, schemes for the youth implemented by government departments, hostel facilities, and employability related issues.
“This programme will act a one platform where all services will be provided for students”, Dr Narayan said.
Yediyurappa would inaugurate the Bengaluru Centre Sunday and the district centres would be inaugurated on the same day in all districts.
In the second phase, centres would be established in all 224 Assembly constituencies, he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the State has been offering more jobs than the actual demand.
There was no shortages of jobs for skilled graduates, he claimed.
However, owing to communication gap some graduates have not been employed, he said.