New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi education minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday held an interaction with college and school students, working women and sportspersons at the Delhi Secretariat to gather suggestions ahead of the Delhi budget, placing young voices at the centre of the policymaking exercise. Officials said the suggestions will be examined for possible inclusion in the budget, with the interaction reinforcing the idea of youth as active participants in governance under the ‘Amrit Kaal’ vision. Students highlighted several areas requiring greater investment — reconstruction of dilapidated school buildings, modern digital libraries, better access to higher-education books, improved water supply, enhanced women’s safety, women’s hostels, upgraded internal school roads, clean toilets, AI-enabled facilities, career-counselling rooms and well-maintained playgrounds. A Class XI student suggested extending the mid-day meal scheme to Class XII and including protein-rich food. Another called for improved sports training facilities and access to trained coaches, saying this would help students pursuing sports professionally. Gupta interacted with the students and shared her own experiences. Opening the event, Sood said, “Today’s youth are not just citizens of tomorrow but citizens of today, who are aware of ongoing developments in the country and the city. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate their expectations and ideas into the budget.” Teachers, particularly working women, raised safety concerns, pointing to anti-social elements at metro stations during their commute. They also flagged issues related to public transport, traffic management, school infrastructure and civic amenities. Some sought a salary hike for guest teachers and an additional monthly leave. There were also demands for AI training for women teachers and crèche facilities in schools.Sportspersons and representatives of sports bodies sought a higher allocation for sports and proposed making sports compulsory in the school curriculum. They also called for lower rental charges at Delhi govt stadiums, permanent coaches—including women coaches—more physical education teachers, improved sports equipment, grants to sports bodies and world-class infrastructure in the capital.
