Govt pushes for free internet to students

BENGALURU: The government has held talks with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide free internet to 1.10 lakh students who have been given laptops by the department of higher education, DyCM Dr CN Ashwath Narayan said.

Dr Narayan, who holds the higher education portfolio, held a video-conference with representatives of ISPs in this regard on Tuesday. “Though students have availed laptops, they are currently not put to good use. Against this backdrop, ISPs have been requested to provide them with internet connection and the latter have agreed,” he said.

These students with laptops are first year graduates. “As they get promoted, we are mulling over imparting them online education along with general physical classes,” he noted. “We will think about the students left out of this scheme in due course of time,” he said.