PM Shehbaz Sharif launches PM Youth Chromebook Scheme for 500,000 students

What happened

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has officially launched the PM Youth Chromebook Scheme in Islamabad. The initiative aims to distribute 500,000 refurbished Chromebooks and internet facilities to talented students across Pakistan over the next two years [1, 4, 5].

Key details of the program include:

• Distribution is based strictly on merit [1, 2, 3].
• Recipients will receive a Chromebook, a school bag, and a MiFi internet device to enable remote learning and access to electronic libraries [1, 2].
• The scheme targets students in both schools and religious seminaries [1, 2, 3].
• The Tokyo Technology Care Foundation has donated towards this initiative [1, 2, 3, 5].

During the launch ceremony, the Prime Minister distributed laptops and internet devices to high-performing Grade 9 students and students from seminaries [4, 5].

PM Shehbaz Sharif compared this timeline to a previous program under former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, noting that 600,000 laptops were distributed over approximately 10 years across Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir [1, 2, 3, 5].

The Prime Minister also discussed the Daanish Schools program, stating that one school was recently inaugurated in Islamabad and 27 more are currently under construction nationwide [1, 2, 3, 5]. These schools provide free education, accommodation, and meals, and feature smart boards and electronic libraries [1, 2, 3].

Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood stated that the Tokyo Technology Care Foundation’s contribution represents practical steps toward providing digital facilities to students [5]. He also noted that overseas Pakistanis have shown confidence in the government through their support for such educational developments [5].

Who is affected

• 500,000 talented students across Pakistan [1, 2, 3].
• Students enrolled in schools and religious seminaries [1, 2, 3].
• High-performing Grade 9 students [4, 5].
• Deserving students who can access the Daanish Schools program [1, 2, 5].