Don’t Play Politics with Students and Education – Minister Basavaraj during Free Laptop distribution
Mangaluru: Under the free laptop scheme, the state government distributed laptops to the students belonging to SC and ST communities at the Town Hall here on January 6.
The programme began with an invocation. The programme was inaugurated by the Minister for Higher Education Basavaraj Raya Reddy by lighting the traditional lamp along with other dignitaries on the dais. Laptops were distributed to the SC/ST students who have passed the secondary examinations.
Addressing the gathering Minister Basavaraj Raya Reddy said, “In the state, 31,800 students belonging to the SC/ST communities including 650 students from Dakshina Kannada district have benefitted from free laptop scheme. By February end all the students those who are studying in 1st year Degree, 1st PG, 1st year Engineering or polytechnic etc will receive laptops. Nearly 1.5 lakh students from 1st year PUC to Post graduation will receive laptops by the first week of March.”
Minister Basavaraj further said, “Our country has youth power but only 24 percent of the youth are pursuing higher studies. In our state, it is 27% and we need to increase it further. We need to increase the knowledge of our students and to increase the knowledge our students need to google on the internet. When I discussed this with the Chief Minister he immediately formed an expert committee and asked to prepare a report on this. After a detailed study, the expert committee suggested that the knowledge of students can increase with the access to the internet. The CM then decided to distribute laptops to students to assist them to browse the internet and search for information to gain knowledge”.
Basavaraj also said, “In the beginning, we thought of distributing laptops to only the students from the SC/ST community studying in government colleges since those who cannot afford to pay the fees. We have selected 31,800 students in the state and the distribution of laptops is in progress. Students from other communities will be given laptops by March first week. When we decided to distribute the laptops the former CM from the opposition criticized us. The state government had allocated Rs 225 crore for the free laptop scheme for 1.5 lakh students from all communities, but the opposition alleged that we were involved in a Rs 300 crore scam in the free laptop scheme. If I have made even a single Rupee out of the scheme I am ready to resign from my post immediately. We have distributed branded Pentium 3 Acer laptops to the students and each laptop cost Rs 14,499, the actual MRP of the laptop was Rs 21,000 but the Acer company has reduced the price for the scheme and we have thus saved Rs 10 crore. The main aim of the free laptop scheme is to encourage the students from the SC/ST communities for higher studies. Students those who are studying in government colleges will benefit from the free laptop scheme.”
“We should not play politics with students they are the future of our country. If they are educated our country will prosper. I request all the students to make good use of the free laptops so that they can come up in life and have a bright future.”
Addressing the gathering District Minister In-charge B Ramanath Rai said, “Mangaluru is called an intellectuals city at the same time it is also famous for the wrong reasons. Some so-called highly intellectual people are trying to spoil the peace in the society. Students and youth should be very careful. The future of the country is in the hands of the youth and they should decide on which direction the country should move. Today 650 students have received laptops under the scheme and they should use it for a good purpose. Parents should instil the values in their children and make them disciplined citizens of this country.”
MLA J R Lobo delivered the presidential address and said, “When we were young we did not have such facilities from the government. If someone receives a scholarship that was something great at that time. But now students are getting a huge amount of scholarship and today the government has distributed laptops to the students. If we give fish they will eat it but we teach them how to fish that will help them in their life. Even if we provide all the facilities and the receiver does not know how to use those facilities, it will not benefit anyone. So, students should always remember to be grateful when they receive any favour from anyone.”
MLA Moideen Bava also spoke on the occasion. Mayor Kavitha Sanil, Chancellor of Mangaluru University Prof K Byrappa and others were also present.
