Delhi Aims for AI-Driven Education Revolution, Tackles Air Pollution and Fee Hikes

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Delhi's education minister, Ashish Sood, has outlined the government's vision for a tech-driven education system, emphasizing the importance of AI-driven learning and innovation. Speaking at the HT Future-Ed Conclave, Sood emphasized the need for a model that focuses on students' individual strengths and skills, rather than labeling them as 'failed.' This approach aims to provide students with a wide range of opportunities and activities to explore their potential. The minister also addressed the issue of air pollution, which has forced schools to switch to online or hybrid classes. To mitigate this, the government plans to install 10,000 air purifiers in primary classrooms, prioritizing the youngest children. Sood clarified that the government does not intend to change the academic calendar but rather implement administrative reforms. In a separate development, the Delhi government has notified rules for the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. The law aims to prevent indiscriminate fee hikes by private schools, and Sood defended the 15% threshold for filing formal complaints, stating that it helps to rationalize the interests of both sides. Sood also criticized the previous AAP government for the poor state of 1,500 municipal primary schools, citing a lack of funds and investments. In contrast, the Delhi government has released Rs175 crore to the corporations and plans to allocate another Rs500 crore to clear the backlog. Addressing concerns about mental health and cases of student suicides, Sood emphasized the importance of a readiness plan to tackle these issues. He has written a letter to all government and private schools to come up with a plan, and the department will hold a conclave to implement measures to support students. The minister also spoke about the issue of poor enrollment and dropout rates at the secondary education level, attributing it to interstate movement and lack of support systems. To address this, the government plans to upgrade the VSK Vidya Samiksha Kendra, which will provide software to assess students and raise early drop-out alarms and identify vulnerable children.