The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government will discontinue the flagship education schemes — Happiness Curriculum, Business Blasters, and Mission Buniyaad — introduced by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said on Friday.
He added that these programmes will be replaced by new initiatives: Rashtraneeti, New Era of Entrepreneur Ecosystem and Vision (NEEEV), and Science of Living.
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Sood, talking to HT on Friday, alleged that the AAP’s education programmes were designed more for political mileage and advertisements than for students’ benefit.
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“The AAP government’s education schemes (Business Blasters, Happiness Curriculum and Mission Buniyaad) were focused on advertisements and gaining political mileage out of it rather than helping the students become self-dependent and ready to face the world,” he said.
“The BJP government has allocated funds in the new budget for new schemes that will replace the previous ones. After completing administrative formalities, we will launch them,” Sood said.
Under NEEEV, students from Class 8 onwards will receive practical training by working with startups and industries. Instead of the ₹2,000 provided to individual students under Business Blasters, NEEEV will offer ₹20,000 as seed funding to student groups, according to a senior State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) official.
“We will provide them on-the-ground training by linking them with startups and industry to learn practical knowledge from them. The students don’t lack anything, they just need the opportunities to learn,” Sood said.
“This approach fosters teamwork and real-world business experience,” the SCERT official said.
The government is also introducing Rashtraneeti, a curriculum aimed at instilling nationalism and civic responsibility, and Science of Living, a programme that combines multiple well-being initiatives into a single structure. Science of Living will include yoga, meditation, moral values, elderly care, and gender sensitisation. “Students will also be taught traffic rules and legal awareness to help them become responsible citizens,” Sood explained.
Under the Rashtraneeti scheme, the government plans “develop of the values of nationalism” among children.
Additionally, the government plans to introduce “no-bag days,” where students will engage in interactive sessions focused on nationalism and community building. “Our aim is to instil confidence and real-world readiness in students,” Sood said.
A senior SCERT official confirmed that previously separate activities like the Happiness Curriculum, yoga sessions, and village tours will now be merged under Science of Living for better implementation. The AAP’s “Happiness Curriculum”, launched in 2018, emphasised emotional well-being, while “Business Blasters”, introduced in 2021, promoted entrepreneurial skills. “Instead of spreading activities over weeks, a structured timetable will ensure everything is covered efficiently,” the official added.
While the AAP’s education programmes had been praised by some for innovation, the BJP’s overhaul signals a significant shift in Delhi’s education policy, with a focus on nationalism.
