Delhi’s Education Minister has taken his office to the school gate. A 12-day district-by-district outreach drive has begun — where the minister and senior DoE officials are sitting down directly with Heads of Schools to understand what is broken and how to fix it. Here is everything the programme covers, what changes are coming, and what it means for Delhi’s 1,500+ government schools.
The Initiative — What Has Been Launched?
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood and a team from the Directorate of Education have launched a 12-day outreach initiative aimed at strengthening the functioning of Delhi government schools through direct interaction with Heads of Schools across the capital.
The programme intends to address various aspects of school functioning, from academic performance to infrastructure development and administrative concerns.
The first session was held on the first day of the drive: Sood held a detailed interaction with principals and Heads of Schools of Zone-1 and Zone-2 of East District at CM Shri School, Surajmal Vihar.
Format & Coverage — How the 12 Days Are Structured
Under the initiative, the minister and senior officials will visit every district to discuss academic performance, infrastructure development, human resource concerns, and other key administrative and educational issues.
The outreach programme with principals and Heads of Schools will continue for the next 11 days, during which the Delhi Government plans to hold similar interactions across districts to discuss reforms aimed at improving the overall quality of education in the capital.
This means every district in Delhi will receive a dedicated session — a structured, face-to-face conversation between the city’s education leadership and the principals who run its schools on the ground.
What Is Discussed in Each Session?
These interactions cover academic outcomes, progress in infrastructure development, human resource needs, and other critical administrative and educational matters pertinent to the functioning of government schools.
The four pillars of every district session:
| Pillar | Topics Covered |
| Academic Outcomes | Board results, learning levels, student attendance |
| Infrastructure | Classrooms, labs, libraries, sports, water, sanitation |
| Human Resources | Teacher vacancies, training needs, HR concerns |
| Administration | Operational challenges, principal suggestions, policy feedback |
The Minister’s Message — Why This Drive Was Needed
Addressing principals and Heads of Schools, the minister stressed the need for dialogue and coordination to further improve the quality of education in Delhi government schools.
“The objective of this interaction programme is to directly understand the challenges faced at the school level, receive suggestions from teachers and school administration, and make government schools more modern, empowered, and student-friendly,” he said.
Crucially, the minister explicitly broadened the scope of the government’s ambition beyond exam results:
Sood emphasised that the government’s focus extends beyond academic results and includes the overall development and well-being of students. “The Delhi Government’s objective is not merely to achieve better results, but to create a positive, safe, and inspiring academic environment for the holistic development of students,” he stated.
The Big Push — 38,000 Smart Classrooms for Delhi
The headline infrastructure announcement from the first session was a target that signals the scale of Delhi’s digital education ambition:
In a major push towards digital education, Sood announced that the Delhi Government aims to convert all 38,000 classrooms in the capital into smart classrooms.
He informed that nearly 9,000 smart classrooms, 175 ICT labs, 100 language labs, and 100 digital libraries are currently being developed.
| Digital Infrastructure | Status |
| Smart Classrooms (Target) | 38,000 (all classrooms) |
| Smart Classrooms (In Progress) | ~9,000 |
| ICT Labs (In Development) | 175 |
| Language Labs (In Development) | 100 |
| Digital Libraries (In Development) | 100 |
This target is part of the Delhi Budget 2026-27’s digital education push — which allocated ₹10 crore for integrating Artificial Intelligence into education, ₹200 crore for new school buildings and ₹275 crore for expanding existing infrastructure.
Science for All — EWS Students Get Equal Access
A clear social equity signal emerged from the East District session:
The Education Minister further emphasised expanding science education opportunities for students from economically weaker sections and said every child should have equal access to science education and professional opportunities.
This statement directly targets one of the most persistent inequities in Delhi school education — where students from lower-income families studying in government schools have historically had less access to quality science labs, equipment and teaching compared to private school peers.
The link to the CM SHRI School programme is explicit: the 75 CM SHRI Schools across Delhi already offer STEM labs, robotics facilities and digital resources as standard — and the broader push to give EWS students equal access to science education reflects the same philosophy applied at scale across all 1,500+ government schools.
Infrastructure Directives — What Schools Are Being Told to Fix
During the session, Minister Sood conducted a review of existing infrastructural facilities. He issued directives to officials for the strengthening of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, sports amenities, provisions for drinking water, sanitation facilities, and digital education infrastructure.
These six areas of focus span both learning and welfare:
| Area | Directive |
| Classrooms | Strengthen and upgrade physical infrastructure |
| Laboratories | Expand and modernise science and computer labs |
| Libraries | Develop digital library capabilities |
| Sports | Improve sports amenities and facilities |
| Drinking Water | Ensure adequate, clean drinking water provision |
| Sanitation | Strengthen toilet and hygiene infrastructure |
The inclusion of drinking water and sanitation alongside academic infrastructure reflects the government’s stated commitment to holistic student welfare — not just exam results.
Operational Reforms — Biometric Attendance & Teacher Relief
Beyond infrastructure, the outreach drive surfaced several key operational reforms:
Sood also discussed plans related to biometric attendance systems, collaborative school inspections, and restructuring teacher training programmes to avoid disruption during academic sessions. He stressed that teachers should be relieved from non-academic duties as much as possible so they can focus primarily on classroom teaching.
Three specific operational changes discussed:
1. Biometric Attendance Systems Plans to implement biometric attendance across Delhi government schools — covering both students and teachers. This addresses long-standing concerns about teacher absenteeism and irregular student attendance in government schools.
2. Collaborative School Inspections A shift toward joint, constructive school inspections rather than top-down oversight — giving school heads a voice in how inspections are conducted and what they evaluate.
3. Teacher Training Without Academic Disruption A restructuring of in-service teacher training schedules to ensure professional development does not pull teachers out of classrooms during active academic sessions — a significant practical reform that directly protects teaching hours.
The directive to relieve teachers from non-academic duties is particularly significant — it addresses a chronic problem in government schools where teachers are frequently deployed for administrative tasks (data entry, scheme implementation, census work) that reduce time available for classroom instruction.
The minister also highlighted the importance of discipline, regular attendance, modern teaching methodologies, and increased student participation in school activities.
Budget Backing — ₹19,148 Crore for Delhi Education
The 12-day outreach drive is backed by Delhi’s most education-heavy budget in recent years:
The education sector has received ₹19,148 crore, accounting for 18.64% of the total budget — the highest share.
Key education budget allocations supporting the reforms discussed in the outreach:
| Initiative | Allocation |
| Free bicycles for 1.30 lakh Class 9 girls | ₹90 crore |
| New school buildings | ₹200 crore |
| Expanding existing infrastructure | ₹275 crore |
| AI integration in education | ₹10 crore |
| Sports hostels and facilities | ₹50 crore |
| Free laptops for meritorious Class 10 students | ₹10 crore |
The 12-day outreach serves as the on-the-ground implementation check for this budgetary commitment — ensuring allocated funds are being deployed effectively at the school level.
Delhi 12-Day School Outreach Drive 2026 — FAQs
Q. What is Delhi’s 12-day school outreach drive?
A district-by-district initiative launched by Education Minister Ashish Sood, where he and senior DoE officials meet Heads of Schools and principals in every district to discuss academic, infrastructure, HR and administrative concerns.
Q. Where did the first session take place?
At CM SHRI School, Surajmal Vihar — with principals and Heads of Schools from Zone-1 and Zone-2 of the East District.
Q. What is Delhi’s smart classroom target?
All 38,000 classrooms in Delhi government schools will be converted into smart classrooms. Currently, approximately 9,000 are being developed along with 175 ICT labs, 100 language labs and 100 digital libraries.
Q. What operational reforms are being introduced?
Biometric attendance systems, collaborative school inspections, restructured teacher training schedules and relief for teachers from non-academic duties.
Q. How much has Delhi budgeted for education in 2026-27?
₹19,148 crore — the highest share of the total budget at 18.64% — supporting infrastructure, digital education, teacher training and student welfare schemes.
Q. What is the focus on EWS students?
Minister Sood specifically emphasised that every child — including students from economically weaker sections — should have equal access to science education and professional opportunities.
Q. Who leads the 12-day outreach?
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, accompanied by a team from the Directorate of Education (DoE).
