Free laptop scheme gets BBMP chief’s nod

BENGALURU: Students of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike PUC and Degree colleges will soon get laptops as Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath has given the green signal to the proposal for free laptops at a cost of Rs 41.5 crore.  Confirming this, Palike Special Commissioner Ramprasat Manohar told New Indian Express that soon tenders for the scheme will be called for. “To start with, we will distribute 5,000 laptops. Later, more students will be covered.”

The BBMP has 15 Pre-University and four Degree colleges with student strength of 4,398 and 1,104, respectively. The Palike also has two post-graduate colleges with 71 students. SC/ST, Backward Class and Minority students will be eligible.

Education expert Sashikumar said the Palike should have invested more on infrastructure like setting up of computer labs and replacing old desktops as well as hiring more teachers. “Giving laptops to only 5,000 may demotivate other students. At many computer centres of the Palike, there are no teachers and some cannot handle language programs like C+, Microsoft and others,” he added.