PM Youth Chromebook Scheme: Private School Students Currently Not Eligible, IBCC Portal Confirms

Students enrolled in private schools across Pakistan have been seeking clarity on whether they can apply for the Prime Minister's Youth Chromebook Scheme, a federal initiative aimed at distributing hundreds of thousands of laptops to high-performing students to strengthen digital education and internet access.

According to the official registration portal at pmychromebooks.ibcc.edu.pk, the published eligibility criteria currently restrict applications to students enrolled in government schools. The portal states that top-performing Grade 9 students from government schools in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan will be considered on the basis of their Annual Examinations 2026 results.

For students linked to examination boards in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Islamabad Capital Territory and Gilgit-Baltistan, the criteria extend to top-performing Grade 10 students. In each case, the portal explicitly identifies government-school enrollment as a requirement, and private-school students are not listed among eligible applicants.

The current portal rules differ from some reports published around the scheme's launch, which described a wider eligibility arrangement covering students from private schools supported by provincial education foundations as well as registered religious seminaries. The government's launch announcement had also referred to providing devices to students from schools and madrassas.

Students are advised to distinguish between the broader statements made at the launch and the specific eligibility rules displayed on the application website. Those unsure about their institution's status should contact the relevant education authorities before assuming that enrollment qualifies them for the scheme.

The initiative forms part of the government's wider push to expand access to modern technology and connectivity for students. Applicants can review the official criteria and register through the IBCC portal.