Karnataka: 1.1 lakh UG students to get free laptops soon

BENGALURU: The state government will distribute free laptops to over 1.1 lakh undergraduate students from this academic year.
The cabinet meeting here on Friday approved the scheme. This year, first- and second-year degree students will get them, and from next year, only first-year students will be eligible. “It’s to ensure that a student uses the laptop for three years,” rural development and panchayat raj minister Krishna Byregowda said after the cabinet meeting.

The Siddaramaiah government in 2015 had implemented the scheme for students belonging to Scheduled Castes but extended it to students of all categories two years later. The decision, however, had not been implemented. The scheme would cost the exchequer around Rs 220 crore.
The cabinet also decided to spend Rs 7,182 crore over the next five years on 24,246km of rural main roads under the new CM Rural Sumarga scheme.
Work on RGUHS
The cabinet gave its approval to construct hospitals, medical, dental and nursing colleges, hostels and quarters for teaching and non-teaching staff at the new campus of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences near Ramanagara.
Barring construction of the administrative block, which the high court has stayed, work on other facilities will begin soon, Gowda said, adding that the government is spending Rs 483 crore for it.