581 girl students receive bicycles under Delhi govt's Vidya Vahini Yojana

New Delhi: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday distributed bicycles to 581 Class 9 girl students under the government's Vidya Vahini Yojana, aimed at making daily commute to school easier and promoting independence among girls. The bicycles were distributed to students of Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya and Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Janakpuri, according to a statement.

Under the scheme, the Delhi government plans to provide branded bicycles to all 1.4 lakh girls studying in Class 9 across the city. Nearly 18,000 girls have received bicycles so far, it said. Addressing students, parents and school officials, Sood said the initiative was not merely about transportation but also about giving girls greater confidence and independence.

"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. Sood said the bicycles would allow girls to travel to school and nearby places more independently, and urged mothers to encourage their daughters to ride them with confidence.

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Delhi schools get smart labs

The minister also highlighted infrastructure and education initiatives being undertaken at government schools, including the installation of 75-inch smart displays to support experiential learning under the National Education Policy 2020. The schools have also been provided with ICT labs equipped with 40 computers and language laboratories to support learning of regional and international languages, he said.

Under the NEEEV project, student teams are provided grants of Rs 20,000 to develop innovations such as drones, smartwatches and mobile applications, according to the statement. Sood also said approvals had been secured for two foot-over bridges on Pankha Road near C-1 and Jeevan Park Som Bazaar to address traffic congestion and improve safety for schoolchildren.

He said the government would completely rebuild the 50-year-old school building during its current five-year tenure. The minister also highlighted free two-year coaching being provided under the Madan Mohan Malaviya Education Mission for entrance examinations such as NEET, CUET and CLAT.

He urged students to focus on conceptual learning rather than merely examination scores and encouraged them to aim for admission to leading universities through CUET and pursue careers in different fields.