Punjab: Mobile phones for class 12 students, and Amendment in Part-II B of PPSC (Limitation of Functions) Regulation
Chandigarh, April 26: To facilitate seamless e-learning ingovernment schools amid Covid-19 pandemic, the Punjab Cabinet on Mondayapproved modalities for distribution of mobile phones to nearly 2.15 lakhstudents of class 12 for the academic session 2021-22 under ‘Punjab SmartConnect Scheme’.
This decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired byChief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh here at Punjab Bhawan this evening.
Notably, the state government has allotted a budget ofRs.100 crore to the School Education department for the scheme for thefinancial year 2021-22. As many as 1,75,443 regular students (boys & girls)studying in class 12 of government schools have already been given mobilephones last year.
According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office,realising the benefit of imparting online education remotely to the studentsthrough the distributed smart phones, particularly in the adverse pandemicsituation last year, it has now been decided to extend the scheme to thestudents to be admitted in class 12 of the academic year 2021-22.
The procurement shall be carried out through PunjabInfotech, under the Industries & Commerce department. The mobile phones tobe distributed under the scheme shall have various smart features such as touchscreen, camera and pre-loaded government applications such as e-Sewa App withe-content related to Class 12 as approved by School Education department.
It may be recalled that the Punjab government had announcedthis scheme with the objective to provide digital access to youth and informationregarding education, career & skill development and employmentopportunities besides basic citizen centric services through governmentapplications etc.
Gives post facto approval to Amendment in Part-II B of PPSC(Limitation of Functions) Regulation, 1955
To further speed up the process to fill nearly one lakhvacancies in various departments, boards, corporations, agencies of the stategovernment during the year 2020 to 2022, the Cabinet gave post facto approvalto amend Part-II B of the Punjab Public Service Commission (Limitation ofFunctions) Regulation, 1955, by putting these posts into Commission's purview.
It may be recalled that PPSC had brought into the notice ofthe State Government that different departments have sent their requisitions toit for direct recruitment of those vacancies that were earlier covered underClass III rules and which have been notified. Although, as per new grouping of5th Pay Commission, these posts have fallen in Group-B Rules but the departmentshave not yet notified their Group-B rules. Further, due to the applicability ofnew Central pay scales on new recruitments, old grouping became irrelevant. Asper the Punjab Public Service Commission (Limitation of Functions) Regulations,1955, only Group A and B recruitment can be done by the Commission. Due tothis, such requisitions are being sent back by the Commission to the concerneddepartments. Therefore, the Commission has requested for giving some commonguidance in this regard, so that the delay occurring in the recruitment processdue to returning of requisitions may be reduced.