47,000 tablet PCs for students on Parrikar's birthday

Over 47,000 school students in Goa got a hi-tech birthday return gift from Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who turned 58 Friday.

At a function organised by the state education department and chaired by Parrikar, also the state's education minister, nearly 800 school students received tablet computers.

According to deputy education director Anil Powar, over 47,000 students of Classes V and VI across Goa are eligible to get the tablet and the same would be distributed to them by January.

Parrikar, also treated to a birthday song in Sanskrit by the city-located K.B. Hedgewar School, said school teachers too would be given tabs soon.

"Teachers will be trained in these tabs too. Class teachers should also be given tabs so they learn and help the students understand its functioning," Parrikar said.

The chief minister also told the students that apart from playing games, they should also use educational tools and apps loaded on the tabs.

"I normally do not celebrate my birthday by organising such programmes, but since this deals with imparting of knowledge, I okayed this function," Parrikar said.

Goa was the first state in the country to provide free personal computers to school students when Parrikar was the chief minister 10 years ago.

After coming to power in 2012, the state government has already distributed free laptops to higher secondary students.