15 of 11,894 Class XII students get smartphones

Our Correspondent

Jalandhar, August 12

On the occasion of International Youth Day and Janamashtami, Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi unveiled the first phase of ‘Punjab Smart Connect Scheme’ and distributed smartphones to 15 Class XII students of government schools.

The 15 students who received smartphones on Wednesday include 11 girls and four boys namely Meena Kumari, Bharti, Benuka, Saloni, Saloni Gogna, Prerna, Pooja, Lovepreet Kaur, Prabhjot Kaur, Navpreet Kaur, Pooja, Anshpreet Singh, Sahil, Rajivir and Dishant Chaudhary.

While distributing the smartphones, Channi said this was a historic step taken by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh-led government to equip all those students of government schools, who were facing difficulty in accessing online study material or other educational content in these trying situation of Covid.

He said the pandemic had stalled routine classes in schools, which led to an adverse impact on poor and rural students, especially of government schools, who were facing several problems in getting equal opportunities like others in private educational institutions.

Channi said this move would not only ensure students’ connection with education, but will also empower them digitally.

He said under this scheme, phones would be given to total 11,894 students of government schools of Class XII comprising 5,509 boys and 6,385 girls. He announced that the remaining phones would be given in a phased manner following strict adherence to Covid protocols.

Channi said youth would also get information about employment opportunities, job fairs and recruitment drives under Ghar-Ghar Rozgaar programme of the state.

The Technical Education Minister was accompanied by Member of Parliament Chaudhary Santokh Singh, MLAs Sushil Kumar Rinku, Rajinder Beri, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and SSP Satinder Singh. Others present on the occasion were Additional Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh, SDMs Rahul Sindhu, Dr Jai Inder Singh, DEO (Secondary) Harinder Pal Singh, Congress leaders Sukhwinder Singh Lalli, Baldev Singh Dev, Angad Dutta, Honey Joshi and others.

Balachaur MLA distributes phones in Nawanshahr

Darshan Lal Mangupur, MLA, Balachaur, distributed 15 smartphones to Class XII students of government schools at the DC office in Nawanshahr on Wednesday. He said, 15 smartphones were handed over to students on Wednesday, while the rest of the distribution will be done by the DEO and DC in a phased manner. He said a total of 3,763 students of government schools of Class XII from Nawanshahr comprising 1,897 boys and 1,865 girls, will receive the phones.

Commerce minister hands over smartphones in Hoshiarpur

Industries and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora handed over smartphones to 15 students of Class XII here at the Hoshiarpur District Administrative Complex on Wednesday. He said a total of 10,584 students, comprising 5,404 boys and 5,180 girls of Class XII in the district, would get phones.

District Phones to be given

Jalandhar 11,894

Nawanshahr 3,762

Hoshiarpur 10,584

Kapurthala 4,306