Higher Education and Technical Education Minister Prem Prakash Pandey on Monday informed that nearly 44,000 computer Tablets had been distributed in the State to college students.
Fund of Rs 80 crore have been provisioned in fiscal year 2016-17 for free distribution of laptops and Tablets.
The State Government has provided educational loans to more than 3,500 students for pursuing higher education so far, officials stated.
Under the Mukhya Mantri Ucchya Siksha Anudan Yojna so far, around Rs 93 crore has been distributed to students at the rate of one percent interest rate, officers said here on Sunday.
According to official information, students belonging to families with annual income below Rs 2 lakh per annum are eligible for the scheme. Earlier, the interest rate was 4 per cent which was revised to 1 per cent from fiscal 2014-15, officials said.
State Higher Education Minister Prem Prakash Pandey informed that students hailing from insurgency-hit areas are getting interest-free education loans.
“The scheme was enacted on November 29, 2012, in Chhattisgarh. Canara Bank has been made nodal bank for the scheme and 49 banks have been registered under this scheme,” he said.
Banks like Andhra Bank, Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, Maharashtra Central Bank, UKO Bank, Union Bank, Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank, Chhattisgarh Gramin Bank, Punjab National Bank and others have doled out Rs 92.92 crore to 3,627 students, he added.
According to the Minister, this scheme is valid only for domiciles of Chhattisgarh and one-time loan is provided to the student for pursuing graduation/diploma or post graduate programme.
Students taking admissions in high ranking institutions outside Chhattisgarh are also eligible for getting the benefits of the scheme, he mentioned.
The State Higher Education Department is targetting to provide Wi-fi connectivity to around 106 Government colleges during the current financial year across the State.
The work for providing Wi-fi connectivity had already commenced in 50 college campuses.
Talking to The Pioneer recently, State Higher Education Minister Prem Prakash Pandey said, “As of now, 50 Government colleges have been selected on the basis of the strength of the students and internet connection availability. It is difficult to name the colleges. We hope to cover 106 Government colleges by the end of this financial year ending in the month of March.”
Notably, Chhattisgarh Infotech and Biotech Promotion Society (CHiPS) had been assigned the task to provide Wi-fi connectivity of the 50 chosen colleges.
Vijay Chandrakar, the CHiPS Project Manager of Wi-fi City project said, “We hope to complete the project by the end of April as certain formalities from the Higher Education Department’s side are still under process.”
He further informed that the funds for implementing the project are yet to be received.
Sources claimed Bharat Sanchar Nigam limited (BSNl) and CHiPS are likely to work together on this project.
As per the announcement of Chief Minister Raman Singh, CHiPS is extensively working for making campuses of colleges and public places securely Wi-fi enabled.
Notably, in July last year, Chief Minister Raman Singh had launched ‘Wi-fi City Project’ by ensuring secured Wi-fi facility at five public places in the city.
According to information received, CHiPS will soon equip Telibandha and Civic Centre, Bhilai with Wi-fi facility.
To access internet facility from Wi-fi being provided by the Government, a person has to complete requisite formalities pertaining to identification through his/her smart phone or other gadgets equipped with Wi-fi following which a One Time Password (OTP) will be received on the gadget, informed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CHiPS Saurabh Kumar, adding that the OTP will help the person to access the internet.