Delhi's innovations a model for India: Sisodia at Harvard

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is providing world-class facilities to the 95 per cent population that cannot access expensive private facilities, asserted Education Minister Manish Sisodia, at Harvard University.

Sisodia, who is also the Delhi Education minister, said that AAP government's innovations in education and healthcare are a model for the country.

"India has created several public institutions like the IITs, IIMs and AIIMS that produce professionals of high caliber. But all these institutes currently cater to 1-5% of the population. For the rest of the 95 per cent, the system has completely collapsed. The situation is similar to healthcare as well," he said.

Sisodia, who also looks after the education portfolio, added that the country's development depends on the quality of its human resource, its people; and the quality of the human resource depends on their access to high-quality education and healthcare.

"Delhi's model of governance addresses this fundamental need," he said.

Describing the education model of Delhi he said, "In the first year we concentrated on improving the infrastructure of schools. Delhi government schools now have smart classrooms, clean and modern washrooms, air-conditioned Assembly halls and some even have swimming pools and athletic tracks.

"Many schools were given such facelifts. We have also built 8,000 new classrooms and 10,000 more are in various stages of completion."

He further explained that Delhi government schools have been made more accountable to parents. Parent bodies called School Management Committees (SMCs) have been rejuvenated and empowered in the last three years.

They have altered the parent-school dynamic in ways that nothing else had before them.

"The government also began to conduct Mega Parent Teachers Meetings across 1023 Delhi government schools in July 2016," said the Deputy CM.

He added that they have also been spending resources on training our teachers and Principals at universities around the world, including Cambridge, Singapore, and Harvard.

The focus of teaching is now learning-oriented in Delhi government schools. The teaching at the right level model recommended by MIT's J-PAL has been implemented in Classes VI to VIII to bridge children's learning deficits.

Talking about healthcare he said: "In a country like India where people cannot afford high insurance premiums, we need a health assurance model and not a health insurance model.

That is what we are developing through a three-tier healthcare program. In the first tier is a re-imagined primary health care unit, the 'Mohalla Clinic'. An average primary care unit costs close to Rs 5 crore to build, while the Mohalla Clinic, a temporary air-conditioned structure within the community costs about Rs 20 lakhs instead! We are now building 25 Mohalla clinics at the cost of one erstwhile dispensary."

NEW DELHI: Delhi is a victim of "step-motherly treatment" by the Centre, its Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has alleged and said the Central government is confused if it should treat Delhi as a Union Territory or as a state.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has in the past accused the Centre of "disrupting an elected government" and creating hurdles in its functioning.

It has also been demanding that the share in central taxes and duties for the city should be increased.

"Delhi is a victim of step-motherly treatment by the centre," Sisodia said on Saturday during a panel discussion here on "Cooperative and Competitive Federalism" at the annual India Conference organised by the prestigious Harvard University.

The Deputy Chief Minister noted that this "step-motherly treatment" was also there during the previous governments at the Centre.

However, senior Haryana Cabinet Minister Captain Abhimanyu asserted that federalism has strengthened under the Narendra Modi government.

Implementation of GST Council is the best example of co-operative federalism in a highly complicated environment.

Earlier, the Delhi government reacted sharply to the Union Budget on Thursday, calling it "disappointing" and accusing the Centre of treating Delhi residents like "second-class citizens".

In particular, the Delhi government criticised the Centre for "not increasing Delhi's share in central taxes, which has been stagnant since 2001-02".

After the Union Budget was presented, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said, "I had expected some financial assistance to important infrastructure projects. I am disappointed that the Centre continues its step-motherly treatment to Delhi."

The Chief Minister had also tweeted, "There is nothing for the middle class and traders in this budget. Completely ignored."

His deputy Sisodia had raked up the issue of Delhi's share in central taxes remaining dormant at Rs 325 crore since the 2001-02 Budget.