GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today claimed that his government's scheme of awarding first-division holders in the High School Leaving Certificate Examination with computers has been very successful leading to a quantum jump in students passing in first division.
The scheme, Anundoram Borooah Award, launched in 2005, is one of the most popular and successful schemes of the present government and is aimed at enhancing healthy competition amongst students and to help them to acquire latest knowledge and information using computer as a tool, Gogoi said in a statement here.
''This has led to a big leap in the number of students securing first division. In 2005, the number of students obtaining first division was 12,756 while this year it shot up to 51,046'', he added.
Students from rural areas have benefitted immensely from this unique scheme and the way they have excelled over the past ten years has proved effectiveness of the scheme.
The pass percentage of students securing first division has gone up from 53 per cent in 2005-the year of introduction of the scheme-to 70 per cent in 2013.
There has been a big jump in the number of students securing first division with the introduction of laptop in the year 2010 and in fact, the number of students securing first division has more than doubled during the last five years, he added.
"Access to computers is essential for pursuing higher studies. Students connected to internet can utilise the computer as a complete tool to help them in their education," the Chief Minister added.