New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday announced a comprehensive structural audit of all govt schools to assess the condition of infrastructure and essential facilities. The announcement was made after CM conducted a surprise inspection of Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Roop Nagar on Friday.During the inspection, CM interacted with students in classrooms and sought feedback on drinking water facilities, fire safety measures, the condition of toilets, cleanliness, arrangements to tackle the heat, availability of teachers and the overall academic environment. The students informed her that the school lacked proper access to clean drinking water, with water coolers and RO systems lying non-functional for a long time. As a result, many students were forced to drink tap water directly. They also complained about the poor condition of toilets, saying several doors were broken, regular cleaning was not carried out and water supply remained inconsistent.During the inspection, Gupta found that the school’s fire safety system was also non-functional. Expressing strong displeasure over the lapses, CM reprimanded officials and said negligence related to children’s safety would not be tolerated under any circumstances. She directed the departments concerned to immediately fix all safety-related shortcomings in the school.Students also raised the issue of shortage of teachers.“In a long conversation with students in the classroom, gathered information from them regarding drinking water, fire safety, sanitation, facilities being provided to combat heat, and educational arrangements. Clear instructions have been given to officials that no negligence will be tolerated in matters of students’ safety and basic facilities. A detailed list of necessary improvement works has been sought from the school administration. Govt schools in Delhi have been suffering for years from mismanagement, dilapidated infrastructure, and shortages of basic facilities. But for the past one year, we have been working at a war footing to continuously strengthen essential facilities in schools, improve infrastructure, and ensure a safe and better environment for students,” CM said in a post on X.According to Delhi govt data, there are 1,270 govt and govt-aided schools across the capital, accounting for nearly 22.9% of the total schools functioning in Delhi. Despite their lower share in the overall number of schools, these institutions cater to a significantly larger student base, with govt and govt-aided schools accounting for around 39.8% of the total enrolment in Delhi during the 2024-25 academic session. In 2024-25, the total student enrolment across all schools in Delhi stood at around 34.6 lakh.An official said the audit will examine the structural strength and safety of school buildings, along with basic amenities such as drinking water, toilets, cleanliness and fire safety systems.Nearly 700 schools in Delhi require new buildings or large-scale redevelopment, as many structures are 40 to 50 years old and have become severely dilapidated. The audit will cover structural stability, drinking water arrangements, sanitation, hygiene and fire safety preparedness.Gupta further said that the condition of govt schools had exposed the gap between publicity and reality. “Had previous govt genuinely strengthened the education system, students would not be struggling for basic facilities today,” she added.There was no response from AAP on this matter.
