New Delhi: Delhi’s Higher Education Minister Ashish Sood on Thursday inaugurated the newly constructed Student Facility Centre and laid the foundation stone for the Indian Knowledge Tradition Centre and a sports facilities lounge at Maharaja Agrasen College, Vasundhara, marking a renewed focus on infrastructure and systemic reform in the higher education sector.
At the event, Sood also dedicated a Multimedia Seminar Hall, five Smart Classrooms and launched an RFID-enabled Library Management System aimed at modernising academic resources and streamlining services for students and faculty. The programme was presided over by Prof. Balram Pani, Dean of Colleges, University of Delhi, and attended by a delegation of 12 principals from fully Delhi government-funded DU colleges. Addressing the gathering, Sood said the government is committed to strengthening higher education through infrastructure, technology
and cultural integration. He described the initiative as a “qualitative transformation in Delhi’s education system with scale and speed.”
He assured institutions of financial stability, stating, “No institution will face shortage of funds, and no teacher’s dignity will be compromised.” Emphasising systemic reform, he added, “No teacher will be forced to take to the streets to safeguard their dignity, and no student will lag behind due to lack of infrastructure.”
Highlighting the broader vision, Sood said the government is working towards a long-term mission. “The Government of Delhi envisions not just a five-year roadmap, but a long-term mission to establish Delhi as a ‘Knowledge Capital’ by 2047, when India completes 100 years of Independence,” he said.
The Minister noted that in the coming phase, 7,000 classrooms for Classes 9 to 12 will be converted into Smart Classrooms. He stressed that the government intends to move beyond optics. “Our goal is not to make Delhi a degree-distribution centre, but a knowledge-production centre,” he emphasised.
Calling for collective participation, Sood urged students, teachers and staff to contribute to the revival of higher education in the Capital.