Shillong, April 6 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday said that around 35,000 students will receive M-Tabs (PC tablet), a programme that aims to empower higher secondary students with digital learning aid. Speaking to students from different schools in East Khasi Hills district at U Soso Tham Auditorium here, Sangma said that the Government is aware of the importance of digital learning and has made its endeavour to reach out to the students. Reminding the gathering on his interaction with a student in a rural school, wherein a student was spending time in a ‘smart classroom’, he said that the student was sitting in the classroom with the “hope he will get smart”, without using the technology and the interface that was available for learning. “So, my message is very simple. You have to actually use the technology; sitting idly in a classroom will not make you smart”, the tech-savvy Chief Minister said while urging the students to utilize the M-Tabs for learning. “Technology is as good as you use it. If you simply think that you will be able to take this tablet and hold it, and put it in your bag and you will get smarter and automatically you can learn, this is not happening. So you have to learn to use and take advantage of the device,” he underscored. Terming that digital learning is very important, he said, “Technology is going to help you in many ways that you can’t imagine. So, therefore, please do use it in the best way possible, to ensure that you are able to get the best out of it”. Sangma told the gathering that to ensure better internet connectivity in the State, the Government will soon launch the State Wide Area Network wherein academic institutions across Meghalaya will be able to access better connectivity. The Chief Minister along with Information Technology and Comm cation Minister, Hamletson Dohling distributed M-Tabs to students from various schools in the East Khasi Hills district. RRK ARN