New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday distributed bicycles to 581 Class 9 girl students at two government schools in A-Block, Janakpuri, under the Delhi government's Vidya Vahini Yojana.

The bicycles were distributed to students of Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya and Government Girls Senior Secondary School in the area. Under the scheme, the government has decided to provide high-quality branded bicycles to around 1.40 lakh Class 9 girl students across Delhi. So far, around 18,000 students have received bicycles.

Addressing students, parents and school officials, Sood said the initiative was aimed at promoting independence among girls beyond facilitating their daily commute.

"For me, this joy is not merely that bicycles are being given to our daughters. My joy lies in the fact that while we perhaps could not attach wings to their dreams, we have given them wheels," he said.

He said bicycles would give students greater freedom and self-reliance to travel to school and other nearby places without depending on family members. He also urged mothers to encourage their daughters to cycle and build confidence in travelling independently.

Sood also highlighted infrastructure and education-related works in government schools. He said two new foot-over bridges had been approved near C-1 and Jeevan Park Som Bazaar on Pankha Road to address traffic and improve pedestrian safety.

The minister said schools were being equipped with 75-inch smart displays to promote experiential learning under the National Education Policy 2020. Modern ICT laboratories with 40 computers and specialised language labs have also been provided.

Under the NEEEV project, student teams are being given grants of up to Rs 20,000 for innovation projects, including drones, smartwatches and mobile applications.

Sood also assured that the around 50-year-old school building would be completely rebuilt during the government's current five-year term.

Under the Madan Mohan Malaviya Education Mission, the government is providing two years of free coaching through institutes such as Aakash and Narayana for competitive examinations including NEET, CUET, CA, CWA and CLAT.

He urged students to focus on conceptual understanding rather than marks alone and aim for admission to leading universities through CUET.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.