Punjab to provide free text books to poor SC, ST girls
Chandigarh, July 25 (UNI) The Punjab Government has launched a special scheme to provide text books free of cost to the scheduled caste girls living below poverty line and studying at schools and colleges.
Disclosing this here today SC/BC Welfare Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, said that the scheduled caste girl students studying in government as well as private recognised schools or colleges were eligible to get text books free of cost during the academic session.
The students would be provided assistance of Rs 1300 for medical and non-medical science stream and of Rs 800 to Commerce and Arts for purchase of books for class 10+1 and 10+2.
The department of welfare would purchase the books of compulsory subjects from Punjab School Education Board and of optional subjects from Punjab NCERT or private publishers for supplying to the girl students.
An amount of Rs 80 lakh has been provided for annual plan 2008-2009 to cover 9000 girl students.
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