Sat Dec 13 18:51:08 UTC 2025: Summary:

Delhi’s Education Minister, Ashish Sood, has criticized the education policies of the previous AAP government, citing data presented in the Rajya Sabha showing that over 320,000 Class 9 students in Delhi government schools failed in the past five years. Sood alleges this was a “filtering policy” that pushed students out of the system, particularly towards the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). AAP countered that the claims were illogical, noting that only a fraction of those who failed enrolled in NIOS voluntarily. AAP said the data was provided by one of their own Rajya Sabha members.

News Article:

Delhi Education Minister Slams AAP’s Education Record, Cites High Failure Rates

New Delhi, December 14, 2025 – Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood has launched a scathing critique of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) previous administration’s education policies, citing data presented in the Rajya Sabha revealing a significant number of Class 9 students failing in Delhi government schools. According to figures presented in Parliament, over 320,000 students failed Class 9 in the last five years.

Sood asserted that this data proves the AAP’s much-touted “education reform” was, in reality, a “filtering policy” designed to push struggling students out of the system. He further claimed that the previous government encouraged students to enroll in the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), with over 71,000 students taking this route in the past five years.

“The data exposed the truth behind AAP’s so-called education revolution,” Sood stated on Saturday. “It was not an education reform, but a filtering policy that pushed children out of the system.”

AAP has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “illogical.” The party responded by pointing out that only a fraction (22%) of the 320,000 students who failed opted for NIOS. They maintain that these students chose NIOS voluntarily, rather than repeating the class.

“These students opted for NIOS voluntarily so that they did not have to repeat the same class. Had the government been pushing them to polish statistics, as alleged by the BJP government, why were only 22% students pushed and not all 100%,” AAP asked.

This issue has been publicly raised by AAP’s own Rajya Sabha MP, Swati Maliwal. The debate over the effectiveness and impact of past education policies is likely to continue, raising questions about student support and alternative pathways to education in Delhi.

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