By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday inaugurated a new government girls’ and co-educational senior secondary school campus in Dwarka’s Sector 16B, built at a cost of ₹33.27 crore, while criticising the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s education model as a publicity exercise.
The 8,000-square-metre campus has the capacity to accommodate 2,000 students and features 75 classrooms, including 12 smart classrooms, an information and communication technology (ICT) laboratory equipped with 40 computers, language-learning facilities and specialised science laboratories. The school also incorporates ramps, lifts and rainwater harvesting systems.
Addressing the gathering, Sood said the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government was moving away from what he described as “photo-op education” towards more equitable infrastructure development across the capital, particularly in West Delhi and rural areas.
He alleged that the previous government’s much-publicised education initiatives were concentrated in a limited number of schools and questioned the institutional outcomes of visits by foreign dignitaries to Delhi government schools.
Sood said the present administration was expanding digital learning facilities across municipal zones, including Dwarka, Mandoli, Tughlakabad, Salapur Majra, Aya Nagar and Bawana. He also highlighted plans to equip government schools with smart displays from brands such as BenQ, LG and Samsung, alongside dedicated budget allocations for Chromebooks, in line with the National Education Policy.
₹700 crore education infrastructure push
The minister outlined education and technical training projects worth ₹700 crore across Delhi, including new polytechnic facilities, advanced manufacturing infrastructure, faculty offices and a girls’ hostel at Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT).
He also announced plans to upgrade Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Narela, Hari Nagar and Shahdara into Centres of Excellence. Citing the condition of the eight-acre Shahdara ITI campus, which he said had deteriorated under the previous administration, Sood stressed the need to strengthen technical education and vocational training.
The Delhi government is also preparing to introduce the Delhi Skill Mission, aimed at linking vocational education with employment opportunities and helping young people secure jobs.
Startup policy targets 10,000 ventures
Sood highlighted a proposed ₹400-crore startup policy designed to support 10,000 startups and generate four lakh jobs for Delhi’s youth. The policy roadmap, he said, was finalised following discussions with leading industry founders on September 6.
He also cited progress under the Vidya Vahini Yojana, stating that more than 25,000 free bicycles had been distributed to female students to improve access to education and reduce distance-related barriers.
Concluding his address, Sood said the government’s focus was on extending modern educational infrastructure from primary schools to higher education institutions, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.
