Laptops to 45,313 SC, ST students under Vidyakiranam Project: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Laptops would be provided to 45,313 children belonging to SC/ST category in Kerala. (Image: PTI)

On Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that laptops will be provided to 45,313 children belonging to the scheduled caste/scheduled tribe category in the state for online learning under the ‘Vidyakiranam’ project.

In a release, the CM said that this will be the first phase of laptop distribution. He further added that in subsequent phases the govt will provide laptops to around 3.5 lakh ST/SC students of Classes 1 to 9 in the state. He inaugurated the project by distributing the first laptop to a fifth class student of GHS Vazhamuttam School in Thiruvananthapuram, the release said.

The chief minister said that such a scheme was being introduced for the first time in the country to enable SC/ST students to study online.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Twitter and tweeted:

Inaugurated the distribution of free laptops for all ST students from classes 1 to 12 as part of the #Vidyakiranam project. 45,313 students will be benefitted. 81.56 Cr has been allocated, and distribution will be completed in November. pic.twitter.com/52V6NTV5pg

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) October 25, 2021

The laptops, with a three-year warranty and pre-loaded with Kite’s free software applications, will be provided to children through schools to the children who have requested such equipment on the ‘Sampoorna’ portal, the release said.

For this, a memorandum of understanding will be signed between the schools and the parents and laptops worth Rs 81.56 crore would be distributed at a cost of Rs 18,000 per laptop including tax, it said.

(With PTI inputs)

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