Due to quality education provided in Delhi govt schools, 1,141 students cleared JEE, NEET: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Due to quality education provided in Delhi government schools, 1,141 students have cleared JEE and NEET examinations, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday. He was addressing an event organised to felicitate toppers of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) at the Thyagaraj Stadium here.

Kejriwal said 18 crore children study in government schools across the country and most of these schools are in poor state. "These government schools can be improved the way we did it in Delhi. We provided quality education to students, and because of that, 1,141 students of our government schools cleared JEE and NEET exams," he said. Earlier, a perception was created that governments cannot run schools, and such schools should be handed over to private players or handled through CSR initiatives, Kejriwal said. "Education is not a matter of charity, it is a matter of right. The country's poverty can be eradicated if we provide good education to every child," he said.

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The chief minister felicitated 28 students who secured ranks in the top 1,000 in JEE and NEET exams. Of these 1,141 students, 648 cleared NEET and 493 cleared JEE, he said, adding many of them are from underprivileged families. Kejriwal appealed to the toppers to never forget their families, teachers and the country. "People of this country have spent money on your education by paying taxes to the government. So when you become doctors and engineers, never forget to do something for you country," the chief minister said.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also attended the programme, said 1,141 children of Delhi government schools clearing NEET and JEE was a matter of pride for the government school system of Delhi and the whole country. "It is the result of the work being done on education in Delhi that so many students from our schools are succeeding in JEE and NEET,"he said.