Pallam Raju to launch ‘Vidya Jyoti’ on Sunday

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Kochi: Union HRD Minister, Pallam Raju, will launch “Vidya Jyoti,” the education support programme, envisaged by the union minister, K.V. Thomas, for schools in Ernakulum Lok Sabha constituency represented by him, at a function at St Teresa's College auditorium at 10 am on Sunday.
Under the programme, 266 students who passed the SSLC examination with A+ in all subjects in 2011, would be provided tablet computers costing ` 8,500 a piece. Orientation courses were conducted for the students to use the tablets, which would have extra lessons and question banks too.
The programme is supported by various Central and State PSUs as well as private companies, said  Thomas to media persons here. As a second phase of the programme, all students studying in Class XI at St Peter’s School, Kumbalangi would be provided with the tablet computers on January 21 by the chief minister, Oommen Chandy.
This programme is the latest in the series of initiatives taken by Thomas for encouraging students. He had undertaken another scheme called ‘Vidya Poshanam, Poshaka Samrudham’ for providing nutritional food to 17,000 students belonging to 50 schools in his constituency. Under this programme, an additional ` 5 is being spent for each student, a day, to the Rs 6 spent by the state government for the mid-day meal scheme.
Another initiative of the minister was to provide digital libraries in five colleges in the constituency. He also used MP fund for constructing new buildings for 20 anganvadis and 10 schools. He also plans to launch a scholarship scheme to support poor students by next year.