In April, Patnaik had unveiled the Youth Policy under which he announced distribution of laptops to meritorious students to bridge the digital divide between students. The laptop distribution would start at BJB College of Bhuba-neswar. The distribution of free laptops would begin simultaneously in all the 30 districts.
"In the first phase, 3,750 laptops will be distributed among meritorious students on August 15. The entire process will be completed by September," said higher education minister Badri Narayan Patra.