LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday finalised merit criteria for laptop scheme for the students of the province.

Provincial Minister for Education Rana Sikandar Hayat presided over a highlevel review meeting to discuss the launch ofthe laptop scheme. The session, attended by Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education Ajmal Chandio and Higher Education Department (HED) Secretary Dr Farrukh Naveed, focused on finalising the scheme`s rules, procedures, and eligibility criteria.

The minister directed to expedite the process and sought final dates for the web portal launch, application scrutiny and merit list announcement.

In the first phase, laptops will be distributed to first and second-semester students.

The merit criteria have been set at a minimum of 65 per cent for BS students and 80pc for medical students, based on their intermediate examination marks.

Mr Hayat also instructed the immediate completion of the online application portal and emphasised the final preparations for the `Honhaar Scholarship Programme Phase 2.