NEW DELHI: With the BJP government completing 100 days in office, cabinet minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday listed the achievements of the departments under him, asserting that the government is working for the welfare of capital residents. Addressing a press conference, Sood, whose portfolios include education, home, power, and urban development, said the government has released grant-in-aid of Rs 417 crore to 12 Delhi University colleges fully-funded by it and other universities.
“Antyodaya is our pledge, and welfare of the underprivileged is our mission – this is not just a slogan but a way of functioning for this government. Several schemes have been launched to ease the lives of poor and middle-class families. The problems of people living in slums and lower-income groups are being prioritised. Special attention has been given to communities long neglected, with policies centred around their aspirations,” Sood said.
On the education front, Sood highlighted the new government’s “landmark” reforms.
75 CM Shri Schools equipped with smart classrooms, AI-based learning, robotics, and data science programmes are coming up at an allocation of Rs 100 crore, the minister said, adding that students will benefit from advanced features like AR/VR labs, robotics, and data science. These state-of-the-art schools aim to surpass private institutions, with a focus on AI-based learning outcomes.
The initiative ensures poor children receive the same global opportunities as their privileged counterparts. The schools will not be limited to textbooks but will provide practical, modern education to prepare students for global competition, Sood asserted.
He further announced that Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Language Labs will be established in 100 schools to teach students foreign languages like English, French, and German. Additionally, 250 government schools will get digital libraries.
Financial aid has also been extended to all state universities and 12 Delhi University colleges, with Rs 275 crore released in the first installment for staff salaries and other expenses, Sood said, adding, the government addressed the backlog of scholarships for students from families earning less than Rs 3 lakh annually, releasing a total of Rs 19 crore for 1,300 students, to resume the scholarship which had been stalled since 2021–22.
On power reforms, the minister announced that under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the subsidy has been raised from Rs 6,000 to Rs 30,000. Now, a 3-KW-solar system that costs about Rs 1.08 lakh will receive a joint subsidy of Rs 1 lakh from the Centre and State.
He presented comparative data on power cuts in Delhi, showing a marked improvement. In February-May 2020, there were 2,721 instances of power cuts lasting over 30 minutes; in 2021 – 2,209 times; 2022 – 1,918; 2023 – 2,167; and 2024 – 2,045. In contrast, in 2025, under the BJP, only 1,946 such instances were recorded, highlighting consistent efforts for uninterrupted power supply.