ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and other pertinent institutions are rumored to have purchased at least 800,000 computers in light of the multiparty-led government in the center's announcement that it intends to relaunch the Prime Minister's Laptop Scheme for students.
Reliable sources claim that the government would buy computers to give qualified young people nationwide through a competitive process.
As the project includes billions of rupees, the PC-1 is being developed for submission to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
"We are awaiting news of the CDWP decision and ensuing ECNEC clearance. An advertisement for the acquisition of a laptop meeting the acceptable parameters will be published, according to an HEC official source.
A representative said that the government plans to import or buy at least 0.8 million laptops. The laptops would be distributed to at least 100,000 eligible youngsters in the program's initial phase.
The government intends to distribute the computers similarly, even though the quality of the laptops it purchased has been a problem. When the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) was in power at the federal level from 2013 to 2018, one of the programs that stood out in the higher education sector was the PM's Laptop Scheme. the thousands
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already hinted about the youth-free laptop program's return.
The prime minister stated last month that free laptops provided to high achievers during the PMLN's previous administration had not only helped the students continue their education during the COVID-19 period but had also helped Pakistan's youth establish a solid foothold in the international freelance market.
Later, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the prime minister's special assistant for youth issues, asserted that the 2017 population count had revealed that up to 50 million people in the nation between the ages of 15 and 29 might earn a significant sum of money by using cellphones effectively.
It should be noted that students who previously got laptops generally complained about the product's poor quality. The problem with the electronic item wasn't just its quality; there were also several related problems.
The market did not have spare parts for the specific company's laptops. An employee of Dubai Plaza, a well-known electronic market in Rawalpindi, claimed that previously, the government-notified spare parts centers would charge students a much higher price and that too up front, while requesting that they wait for at least two to three months, citing a shortage from manufacturers.
The government should make sure
that spare parts and accessories are available in the nation while importing or
purchasing particular computers; according to the laptop repairrepairerhat thousands
of distributed laptops can be repaired and maintained.
The chairman added that the program also creates a program for online courses for students in Pakistan's universities, with assistance from Microsoft and other international organizations.
After announcing plans to restart the historic Prime Minister Laptop Scheme under the Youth Development Initiatives, the federal government led by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) made the announcement.
Laptops will be given to BS, MA, Ph.D., and undergraduate students under the program, according to HEC sources, who claim that a budget of Rs. 10 billion has been set out for it (with a limited number).
The government also established a committee that will finalize all issues, including criteria and others, under the direction of Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC