
4.2 lakh govt school students opted for vocational courses in 2024-25: Sood
2
New Delhi: Education minister Ashish Sood on Thursday attended a vocational placement drive at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Rohini. The initiative aimed to provide job opportunities to students from Delhi govt schools who completed vocational training along with their Class XII education in the academic year 2024–25 or earlier.
More than 30 reputed companies participated in the placement drive organised by the Directorate of Education. Sood held discussions with representatives of these companies, seeking clarity on the selection process, job roles, salaries and facilities. He also spoke with the students about their career goals.
Parents, school staff and representatives from various industries were present at the event. "Over the next five years we plan to implement transformative changes in govt schools at multiple levels," the minister said.
You Can Also Check:
Delhi AQI
|
Weather in Delhi
|
Bank Holidays in Delhi
|
Public Holidays in Delhi
Sood emphasised that the placement drive was not just a recruitment event but also a reflection of how far vocational education has advanced in Delhi's school system. "In the last academic year, more than 4.2 lakh students across govt schools opted for vocational courses in different trades. This is clear evidence that skill-based learning is becoming an integral part of mainstream education," he said.
The initiative is in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes the integration of vocational and academic education.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Student leaves Bluebells School after not paying fee for four years, now court orders parents to pay Rs 1.2 lakh with interest
A civil court in Delhi has directed a father to clear outstanding school fees amounting to over ₹1.2 lakh, with 10 percent interest, as reported by TOI. The student had attended Bluebells School International in south Delhi. Civil Judge Yashu Khurana said the suit filed by the school went unchallenged, as the parent, Virender Rana , did not appear to contest it. 'The case of the school stands duly proved by virtue of unchallenged suit and the documents placed on record,' said Advocate Atul Jain, appearing for the school. The school told the court that the father had failed to pay fees across four academic years: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21. The student eventually left the school in 2022 while in Class VII. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program In its plea, the school submitted that Rana 'under the shield of the directorate of education order dated Aug 1, 2018, regarding the fee structure of the school for the year 2017-18 and in the guise of the fact that the issue regarding the same was sub judice before Delhi High Court, long delayed the payment of the dues.' The school also argued that it relied entirely on parental fees to function. The judge observed, 'Perusal of the record shows that the present suit was filed on Oct 16, 2024, whereas the cause of action last arose upon the plaintiff on Feb 7, 2024, when the defendant made the last payment against the outstanding amount.' A new bill targets fee regulation in Delhi schools On the same day that this ruling gained attention, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood presented a new bill in the Assembly aimed at regulating private school fees. Live Events The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, introduced during the Monsoon Session, promises to bring more oversight to how private unaided schools set and raise their fees. 'Education is not a thing to be sold. This bill aims to halt the commercialisation of education. We are bringing the bill to take action against those mafias who are selling education,' said Sood. The draft legislation, which had received Cabinet approval in April, covers all 1,677 private unaided schools in the capital. It proposes structural changes, including a grievance redressal system, caps on fee increases, parent representation in decisions, and penalties of up to ₹10 lakh for violations. Sood called it a 'permanent solution to a long-ignored issue that affects millions of parents and children in Delhi.' He also added, 'This bill is a small effort on our part to honour Dr. Mukherjee's vision and to ensure that education does not become a burden on the people of India, but instead becomes a path leading them to a better future.' How the fee regulation will work The new bill introduces a three-tier regulatory framework meant to vet fee hike proposals and resolve disputes. School-level fee regulation committee Every private school must form a committee by 15 July each year. It will include five randomly selected parents from the Parent-Teacher Association, with at least two women and one member from SC, ST or other backward communities. A representative from the Directorate of Education (DoE) will also be on the panel, which is chaired by a school management representative. Schools must submit their fee proposal to this committee by 31 July. If approved by 15 September, that fee structure stays fixed for the next three academic years. However, if at least 15 percent of the school's parents disagree, they can escalate the matter to the district-level appellate committee by 30 September. District fee appellate committee This committee will examine disputes and must deliver a decision within 45 days. If the conflict is unresolved, the final appeal lies with the Revision Committee . Revision Committee This highest-tier body will give binding rulings that will remain valid for three years. According to Section 8 of the bill, criteria for setting fees will include the school's location, infrastructure, staff salaries and revenue surplus. Section 12 sets the penalties. An unauthorised fee hike could attract a fine between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh, doubling every 20 days until compliance. Persistent offenders may be forced to refund overcharged fees and could lose school recognition. Transparency promised, but concerns persist The Delhi government argues that the bill will increase transparency and curb profiteering. It mandates schools to submit audited financials and infrastructure costs before proposing any fee hike. It also allows the Director of Education to order fee rollbacks and refunds if the hike is deemed unjustified. But many parents and political opponents remain sceptical. AAP: Bill protects profiteers, not parents Leader of Opposition Atishi has strongly criticised the bill. 'After letting private schools hike fees unchecked for four months, the BJP now brings a sham bill that hands control to school owners, blocks parent voices, and protects profiteers,' she said. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded that the bill be referred to a Select Committee and that all fee hikes for the 2024–25 academic year be frozen. Atishi also pointed out that introducing the bill after the academic session had already started allowed schools time to raise fees without scrutiny. Parents push back Several parents' groups have raised questions about the bill's design. The biggest concern revolves around the 15 percent threshold required to challenge a school's fee decision. Critics argue that this is an unrealistically high bar and effectively prevents parents from raising objections. 'Requiring a minimum of 15 percent of a school's parents to challenge the school-level Fee Regulatory Committee's decision before the district committee is nearly impossible. It effectively denies parents the right to contest arbitrary fee hikes,' said Ashok Agarwal, chairperson of the All India Parents Association, speaking to The Print. Others worry about the selection process for the parent members on the committee. Some feel it opens the door to tokenism and weakens true representation. Will the Bill rein in commercialisation? The bill does attempt to set clear limits: Schools can raise fees only once per academic year with prior approval They must disclose financial and operational data A three-stage complaints system is now in place Penalties are defined and severe for unauthorised hikes But gaps remain. There are no provisions to freeze current hikes, no retrospective control over hikes already enforced this year, and no strong deterrent against non-tuition charges. The school-led committees may also lack the independence needed for fair decisions. Crucially, the bill does not provide safeguards for students who may face expulsion due to fee disputes. The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 is a long-awaited intervention in a space that has seen little regulation. It proposes systems where there were none. It talks about participation where decisions were once unilateral. But the big question is whether it does enough. For many parents, the answer may depend not just on the text of the law, but on how it plays out in classrooms, fee counters and committee rooms. The court's ruling against Virender Rana is a timely reminder of the pressure many families face. The challenge for lawmakers now is to ensure that regulation means real relief, not just another layer of red tape.


Fashion Value Chain
2 days ago
- Fashion Value Chain
LEAD Group Achieves EBITDA Breakeven; Secures ARR of Rs. 415 Cr for AY '25 – '26
In a landmark year, LEAD Group has achieved an Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of Rs. 415 crore for AY '25 – '26, representing 30% growth over the previous academic year (July 2024 – June 2025). This growth was driven by rising demand for LEAD's category-defining, proprietary Learning System – a research-backed platform that integrates curriculum, pedagogy, and AI-enabled resources and technology, to deliver measurable learning outcome improvement for nearly 4 million students across 8,500+ schools. LEAD Group closed FY' 25 with revenue of Rs. 367 Cr. and achieved operating EBITDA breakeven. LEAD Group is the only Learning System company in India with 100% net revenue retention among its partner schools, underscoring its enduring impact and strong relationships. LEAD's strong AY '25 – '26 performance is a result of deepening partnerships with its existing network of schools and rising adoption of its Learning System by new schools. The company was able to derive significant benefits from scale efficiencies and AI-driven productivity enhancements this year. Sumeet Mehta, CEO and Co-founder, LEAD Group Sumeet Mehta, CEO and Co-founder, LEAD Group, said, 'This has been a defining year in our growth journey. Our results reflect both the measurable learning impact we are delivering for students, and the growth we have already achieved for the academic year '25 – '26. We remain committed to building India's most trusted Learning System and making excellent education accessible to every child, in every school.' This was also a year of deep innovation for LEAD. The company launched TECHBOOK – India's first AI-powered, AR-integrated textbook – ushering in a new era of personalised and experiential learning in Indian schools. As NEP 2020-aligned reforms take centre stage in Indian education, LEAD Group's Learning System-built to ensure conceptual understanding and the development of 21st century skills for every child-is today the preferred choice for schools across the country. From Coding and AI, to IIT-JEE/NEET foundation programs, LEAD Group is enabling India's schools to deliver future-ready education at scale. About LEAD Group LEAD Group is Indias leading Learning Systems company dedicated to transforming school education at scale. With a presence in 8,500+ schools across 400+ towns and cities, LEAD Group today reaches nearly 40 lakh students and empowers 60,000+ teachers. Since its founding in 2012, LEAD Group has been committed to delivering an international standard of education to schools across India. LEAD Group combines research-backed curriculum and pedagogy with cutting-edge technology to enhance student learning outcomes and teacher effectiveness. LEAD Learning System helps partner schools provide holistic education, equipping students with the skills and confidence to succeed in 21st century careers, and in life. Founded by Sumeet Mehta and Smita Deorah with the mission to transform school education in India, the Group continues to set new benchmarks, inspiring the next generation of learners and educators.


New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
New excise policy in works as govt constitutes panel headed by Parvesh Verma
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has constituted a high-level committee to formulate a transparent and socially secure excise policy, to be headed by Cabinet Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma. The move comes as the city continues to operate under an extended version of its old excise policy, with a fresh framework yet to be finalised. In addition, another high-level committee led by Cabinet Minister Ashish Sood has been formed to draft a comprehensive and public-oriented Electronic Vehicle (EV) policy for the capital. Earlier, the government had informed that a committee under Chief Secretary Dharmendra Kumar was already reviewing excise policies of other states to adopt best practices focused on effective distribution and social safeguards. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the new excise policy will incorporate several reforms, including scientific testing of liquor quality, digitisation of the sales system, stricter enforcement against illegal sales and enhanced transparency in the licensing process. She added that the committee is consulting stakeholders and studying models from other states to prepare a robust and welfare-driven policy. The Excise Department has been directed to provide all necessary administrative support to the committee, which will also examine the current and previous policies of the Delhi government. Final recommendations will be submitted for Cabinet approval. The existing excise policy was put in place in September 2022 after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government scrapped its 2021–22 excise policy following allegations of irregularities. That policy, which came into effect on November 17, 2021, and ended on August 31, 2022, had overhauled the liquor trade in the capital by dividing the city into 32 zones and issuing 849 retail licenses through open tenders. A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), yet to be officially released, reportedly pegged the revenue loss due to policy lapses at `2,026 crore. The BJP had attacked the previous AAP government over the issue during Assembly campaigns, alleging corruption, which led to arrests of several leaders and eventual policy withdrawal.