Education is widely recognised as one of the most sustainable and transformative investments a society can make for its long-term future. It shapes not only employability and socio-economic and technological mobility but also civic consciousness, social cohesion, and national character. For a country as young and diverse as India, the effectiveness of the education system often determines whether demographic potential is converted into a dividend or allowed to drift into distress. In urban centres such as Delhi, India’s political capital and a major hub of education, employment, and migration, the quality, accessibility, and relevance of education carry special importance. Schools and universities here do not merely serve local populations; they shape national debates, institutional practices, and benchmarks for the rest of the country.
Over the past decade, India’s education policy has acquired a clearer long-term direction through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. NEP 2020 represents a decisive shift away from rote learning and exam-centric instruction towards foundational literacy, critical thinking, multidisciplinary education, teacher empowerment, and the strategic use of technology. Education is now increasingly viewed not merely as a welfare responsibility but as essential national infrastructure supporting economic growth, governance capacity, and social stability.
Within this national framework, Delhi’s recent education reforms reflect a conscious attempt to align governance practices and classroom outcomes with the principles of NEP 2020. Under the leadership of Education Minister Ashish Sood, a former DUSU president with substantial grassroots experience in education-related matters, the emphasis has shifted away from headline-driven initiatives towards institutional accountability and measurable learning outcomes. Greater attention is now being paid to how schools function on a daily basis, how teachers are supported, and whether students are actually learning what curricula promise.
A central pillar of the reform agenda has been foundational learning. Through the implementation of the NIPUN Bharat Mission, early-grade literacy and numeracy have been placed at the centre of system priorities. SCERT-developed academic frameworks and district-level monitoring mechanisms now track reading proficiency and basic arithmetic as core indicators of performance. Teacher development has emerged as a major pillar of reform. Programmes such as Mission Buniyaad emphasise classroom practice, diagnostic assessments, and sustained professional mentoring rather than one-time training workshops. The underlying logic is that while infrastructure and curricula matter, learning outcomes ultimately depend on the quality of classroom teaching.
Nevertheless, one of the most politically sensitive areas of reform has been the regulation of private school fees. Delhi has nearly 1,700 private schools, serving a substantial proportion of middle-class families. The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025 seeks to address long-standing grievances by institutionalising fee oversight through school-level committees, prescribing penalties for violations, and establishing formal grievance redressal mechanisms. Although the legislation attracted criticism over consultation and implementation, it represents a significant attempt to introduce transparency and predictability in a sector long characterised by regulatory ambiguity and litigation.
Technology and skills education have also become central to Delhi’s education strategy, with platforms such as DIKSHA and PM e-Vidya supporting teaching, training, and assessment. At the secondary level, vocational exposure under Samagra Shiksha promotes employability through skills and entrepreneurship. Higher education reform is progressing more gradually, focusing more on academic standards, administrative discipline, and student welfare.
Overall, Delhi’s education reforms reflect steady alignment with the priorities of NEP 2020 and the longer-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, particularly in foundational learning, teacher development, skills integration, and institutional accountability. Important groundwork has been laid, but the scale and complexity of the system mean that much remains to be done. Policy continuity, stronger administrative capacity, credible learning assessments, and deeper school–community engagement will be critical if these reforms are to translate into lasting improvements in quality and equity. The progress achieved so far offers a foundation, but the coming years will determine whether it becomes truly transformative.
