Delhi Government ‘s Shifts Focus from AAP’s Education Programs to Nationalism and Entrepreneurship Initiatives Education Minister Ashish Sood on March 28 announced that the Delhi government under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would discontinue distributing the Happiness Curriculum, Business Blasters, and Mission Buniyaad, three signature education programs introduced by the earlier Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
He added that the current programs will be substituted with new ones such as Science of Living, Rashtraneeti, and the New Era of Entrepreneur Ecosystem and Vision (NEEEV). The AAP’s education programs, Sood stated, were more for political and publicity reasons rather than for the students.
He asserted that instead of helping students to become self-reliant and prepared for the outside world, the AAP government’s educational schemes—Business Blasters, Happiness Curriculum, and Mission Buniyaad—were aimed at scoring political brownie points and taking out advertisements. “In the new budget, the BJP government has earmarked funds for new programs which will replace the existing ones. We will roll them out once administrative formalities are completed,” Sood added.
Class 8 and above students will be interacting with startups and companies as part of NEEEV to gain hands-on experience.
Instead of the ₹2,000 awarded to individual students under Business Blasters, NEEEV will provide student teams ₹20,000 as seed capital, said a senior official of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). By placing them in contact with entrepreneurs and industries, we will provide them with hands-on training so they can acquire practical experience and practical skills. Sood explained, “The students simply need the opportunity to learn. They don’t lack anything.” The SCERT official added, “This approach fosters teamwork and real-world business experience.”
Delhi Government Launches Living Program
In addition, the government is launching the Science of Living program, which will integrate a number of well-being programs into one unified framework. In addition, Rashtraneeti, a course to promote nationalism and civic duty, would be initiated. Yoga, meditation, moral values, care for the elderly, and gender sensitization will all be covered under Science of Living.
“To make them good citizens, students will also be taught traffic rules and legal literacy,” Sood said. The government is keen on “imparting the ethos of nationalism” among students by launching the Rashtraneeti campaign.
Also, the administration plans to have “no-bag days” when students would attend participatory classes on themes of nationalism and community development. The government also wants to “teach the values of nationalism” to children through the Rashtraneeti programme. “We want our children to be confident and ready for the outside world,” Sood said.
A senior SCERT official said that erstwhile separate programs—such as the Happiness Curriculum, yoga classes, and rural visits—would now be brought under the Science of Living umbrella for better implementation.
Starting in 2018, the AAP’s “Happiness Curriculum” focused on mental wellness, while “Business Blasters,” which made its debut in 2021, focused on entrepreneurial skills. Rather than spreading activities over weeks, a carefully planned timetable will ensure everything is addressed adequately, the official said. The BJP’s shifts represent a sea change in Delhi’s educational model, with a focus on nationalism, even though others have been praising the AAP’s school programs for their creativity.
Conclusion
The Delhi government’s move to substitute AAP’s education initiatives with new ones like Science of Living, Rashtraneeti, and NEEEV is a major change in the educational scenario of the city. By focusing on nationalism, entrepreneurship, and exposure to the real world, the government wants to impart practical skills and independence to students.
The launch of NEEEV, with increased seed capital and direct interaction with startups, shows a practical mode of learning, going beyond textbooks. Although it is claimed to be politically driven by critics, the supporters believe that it will make the upcoming generation more industry-oriented. Only time will tell what the real effect of this shift will be as students have to go through this new academic setup in the next few years.
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