New Delhi: In a major push toward digital transformation in education, the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Rs 900 crore initiative to install 18,996 smart blackboards in government school classrooms across the capital. The decision, taken during the 10th Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, was announced by Education minister Ashish Sood in a press conference.
“This is the first major step towards making Delhi’s government schools better than private schools,” said Sood. He added that the initiative aligns closely with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and
marks a decisive shift toward experiential and personalised learning in Delhi’s public education system.
The project will roll out in five phases and include a dedicated training module for teachers to effectively use the new technology. “The work to install 18,996 smart blackboards will be carried out in five phases. A teachers’ training module to teach using the blackboards has also been passed in the meeting,” Sood said.
Of the total, 2,466 smart blackboards will be installed specifically in the CM Shri Schools, a model school initiative that represents Delhi’s vision for future-ready classrooms. The remaining 16,530 units will be installed in regular government schools, with special focus on underserved and peripheral areas such as Najafgarh, Narela, Seemapuri, Mahavir Enclave, and Kirari.
“You will be surprised to know that Delhi has a total of 37,778 classrooms in government schools, yet between 2014 and 2024, only 799 of these were equipped with smart blackboards, and even those came through CSR donations, not government funding,” Sood pointed out.
He emphasised that the current project breaks with past trends, which often prioritised central areas. “Unlike earlier governments who posed in front of school buildings for photo ops, we are investing in classrooms and teachers,” he said. “We did not cut the education budget, we prioritised it.”
Sood noted that the plan extends to all Classes 9 to 12 and is expected to be fully implemented by the academic year 2029-30. The training module will equip teachers to effectively integrate technology into their lesson plans, allowing for real-time interaction, multimedia teaching aids, and dynamic content delivery. “This is a leap forward in making digital learning accessible to every child, not just the privileged few,” the minister concluded.