Islamabad, Pakistan (CU)_ According to Shaza Fatima Khawaja, special assistant to the prime minister for youth affairs, the Prime Minister Laptop Scheme initiative is under progress, and it plans to provide 100,000 free laptops to students studying at government institutions and colleges. According to her, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) administration launched the Prime Minister Youth Program in 2013, which contained six measures to empower youth.
While addressing the media, she stated that as part of the program, youngsters will receive high-quality laptops based only on their merit. She said, “These laptops will be provided to all PhD and postgraduate students while the top performers in undergraduate programs will also be included in the scheme”.
According to her, the quota for Balochistan students in the laptop scheme has been doubled, and quotas have also been established for impaired students, along with a 50 percent quota for women in the scheme. She stated that a total of 100,000 young individuals will receive training in skills and information technology under the Prime Minister Skilled Programme.
Shaza denied the notion that the Prime Minister Youth Loan Scheme will be discontinued, deeming it incorrect, and said that the program has been restructured with new changes and with the revised loan cap. She added, “Now the youth will be provided interest-free loans up to Rs 500,000, while loans from Rs 500,000 to 7500,000 will be provided on easy terms”.
Shaza stated that nearly 20 lakh college graduates enter the workforce annually and emphasized the critical need to provide these young adults with market-relevant skills. She also reported that the Prime Minister’s Youth Program is in the process of developing a National Youth Employment Policy. She added that the previous administration had terminated the National Internship Program.
