The students outside the press club. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD JAVAID/ EXPRESS
A day before the distribution of 100,000 free laptops to university students under the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme, MPhil students from Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), who were disqualified last-minute due to a tweak in policy, staged a protest in front of the National Press Club on Thursday evening.
The students, who had eagerly waited for the day to receive their laptops, learnt of a change in criteria from the official website two days before the distribution ceremony, chanted slogans against the government and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
They tried to protest outside the Prime Minister’s office, but were directed by the police to go to the National Press Club.
The scheme launched in 2013 is likely to benefit 100,000 students shortlisted out of 500,000 applicants from 85 private and government universities from across Pakistan. Students enrolled in enlisted universities from 2012 onwards were eligible to apply for a free laptop.
The distribution ceremony was to be held in January but a change in plans and priorities postponed the ceremony till June. Speaking to The Express Tribune, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said it was decided that laptops would be given to students who at least had a semester left.
He explained that the HEC in collaboration with the government had decided to engage companies and manufacturers rather than purchase laptops on its own to benefit more students which led to the postponement of the distribution ceremony.
The protesting students, who number approximately a hundred, are not eligible anymore as they have less than a semester left. However, the HEC has immediately called a steering committee meeting and will try to address their grievances.
The university administration said that the matter was between the students and the government now. The students have also registered a complaint with the federal ombudsman. There are 400 MPhil students from QAU who were promised laptops. As the change will affect students pursuing other degrees, the number is likely to be much higher.
The government cannot take our right from us,” said Zaheer Kiyani, an MPhil student at QAU. “We have tried approaching the HEC chairman as well as the prime minister, but we were directed towards the press club.”
Hundreds of students will get free laptops at a ceremony to be held at the Convention Centre on Friday at which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected as the chief guest. “Tomorrow our juniors will get laptops, while we’ve been invited to watch the show,” said Faheem Rahim, another MPhil student at QAU.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2014.
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Please give jobs not laptops. With jobs, our youngsters can buy hundreds of better laptop than yours. Stop bribing and luring our informed youngsters it won't work . They know better
A desperate attempt to woo the young voters. It would be a calamity for this nation if our future builders can easily be tempted by tangible bribes.
Poor batch that was also ignored when laptops were distributed in federal universities last time. We are still eligible as HEC has mentioned clearly in eligibility criteria that all M.phil students enrolled before December 2012 are eligible. Are we responsible for the delay that HEC and Government has made? Is this 100% coverage of PhD and M.Phil scholars?. A decision which has been made between govt and few highly ranked HEC officials has made us to suffer and the worse thing is that HEC even bothered to inform students. Is it really a HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION?
The Government and HEC has disappointed the Students. The same semester was ignored one year back because they were YOUNG for the criteria and now they are TOO OLD for that
HEC isn't even able to update eligibility criteria on website even now and this policy is not applied to all universities. Is it 100% coverage of M.phil and Phd students? a question which needs to be answered by government and HEC
It is unjustified distribution of laptops, that every student is placed in a single sheet without differentiating them on the basis of. their percentages.