Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched the PM Youth Chromebook Scheme in Islamabad, promising to distribute 500,000 refurbished Chromebooks and internet devices to students across Pakistan over two years. At the ceremony, the prime minister also distributed laptops and internet devices to high-performing Grade 9 students and students of seminaries, describing students as Pakistan's real asset and the scheme as the start of a journey towards empowering young people.

Shehbaz said talent and hard work were not restricted by wealth or poverty, and that the programme would help students access online education, digital libraries and other learning resources regardless of their financial circumstances. Each selected student will also receive a school bag and a portable internet device, according to reporting of the launch. Selection is based on academic performance, with examination records verified through the relevant education boards and the Inter Boards Coordination Commission.

Who is eligible

According to the scheme's published eligibility guidelines, selection is based on academic performance, with top-performing students of government and public schools eligible on the basis of the 2026 annual examinations. Eligible students include Grade 9 students in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, while eligible students in Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan may include those in Grades 9 and 10. Applicants should check the official scheme guidance rather than relying on social media summaries, which have varied.

The prime minister recalled that about 600,000 laptops had been distributed to students on merit over the past decade, and said at least 27 Danish schools were being built across the country, offering free facilities. Prime Minister's Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood said the Tokyo Technology Care Foundation had taken practical steps to provide digital facilities to 500,000 students. Sources: The News and Centreline.