BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has initiated the process for distribution of free laptops to 15,000 meritorious students who have cleared the 2019 annual Plus II examinations in various streams this year. The laptop distribution process will be completed by December, said Mihir Kumar Das, head of Higher Education Department Performance Tracking Cell.
Das said the State Government has set aside Rs 41.86 crore budget for procurement of laptops and Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) will soon float tender in this regard. The students will get laptops under ‘Biju Yuba Sashaktikaran Yojana’ -- a youth empowerment scheme of the Government. The Higher Education department will also release a merit list of students eligible for laptops.
Das said the distribution process will take at least three months and is expected to be completed by this year-end. Apart from distributing laptops to meritorious students of Arts, Science and Commerce, the Government last year issued revised guidelines stating that meritorious vocational students passing from CHSE Odisha and Up-Shastri students from Shree Jagannath Sanskrit University, Puri would also be eligible for the scheme. Sources said laptops would be distributed in 30 nodal centres. The IT Department will deliver the laptops to these centres.