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Here's why Delhi school principals will undergo mandatory training as part of NEEEV scheme
Students in classes 8 to 12 in Delhi Government schools will soon begin learning entrepreneurship as part of their regular curriculum. The lessons will slowly progress from understanding the startup ecosystem, ideation techniques, prototype generation, and funding opportunities to eventually building their startups, as per senior officials.
To kickstart this transition, all Heads of Schools (HoSs) will undergo a one-day orientation next week under the newly launched New Era of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem & Vision (NEEEV) Scheme.
The training will be conducted by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) between July 21 and 24 in multiple batches across venues. As per a recent SCERT circular, school heads have been asked to attend the training without fail.
The circular issued on July 16 by Dr Mukesh Yadav, Joint Director (Academic), SCERT, states that the NEEEV Scheme, introduced during the 2025-26 Budget Session, is a 'pioneering initiative aimed at integrating entrepreneurship education into the school curriculum.'
The circular went on to state that the programme is 'aligned with the vision of NEP 2020' and promotes 'skill-based, experiential, and competency-driven learning to prepare students for real-world challenges and opportunities.'
An introductory overview of the scheme shared by the Directorate of Education (DoE) on July 8 outlines an 'experiential' and 'hands-on' learning model. It states that 'Entrepreneurship Education has emerged as a critical component of modern schooling, fostering traits like creativity, problem-solving and self-reliance among students.'
The scheme is introduced 'to foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Delhi and bridge the existing gaps in education and employability skills.' NEEEV is described as 'a specialized, skill-based and competency-driven entrepreneurial education scheme uniquely designed for school students.'
It aims to 'provide advanced entrepreneurial training while fostering innovation…and business acumen from an early stage.' The curriculum will follow 'a progressive, hands-on approach to entrepreneurial competency, starting in Class 8 and advancing through Class 12, blending experiential and theoretical learning for holistic, future-ready development.'
Entrepreneurship classes will be held once a week and taught by teachers nominated by the Principal or HoS from within the school faculty. Each school must also designate a NEEEV School Programme Coordinator and maintain lesson progress on an upcoming online module prepared by the DoE. Along with this, a School Innovation Council (SIC) will be established in every school, headed by the principal or school head.
Two new initiatives have been planned to be integrated into the classroom learning. 'NEEEV Dialogue', a speaker series, will be held twice a year, giving students from these classes 'the opportunity to engage with university incubators, entrepreneurs, and industry experts'.
A 'Startup Stormers' competition, open to students of Classes 9 onwards, is also to be held under the scheme to gradually help the students fund their business ideas. The circular added that shortlisted teams from the competition, selected by their School Innovation Councils, may receive financial support 'to strengthen their concepts and to help transform their solution/idea/prototypes into viable ventures.'
In 2019-20, in a similar effort the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had introduced the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC). As part of this, seed money was provided under Business Blasters— a practical component of the curriculum.
In schools equipped with Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), students have been advised to use resources such as 3D printers, IoT (Internet of Things) kits, Artificial Intelligence AI and Robotics tools, LEGO kits, and other STEM equipment for hands-on innovation.
As part of the scheme, to support a 'decentralised implementation', the directorate will also establish District Innovation Councils (DICs) and Zonal Innovation Councils (ZICs), it said.
Nodal schools are to be assigned for coordination and reporting in each district and zone, and respective Deputy Directors (DDEs) will oversee its implementation, the circular said.
The NEEEV Scheme, the directorate notes, aims 'to empower aspiring entrepreneurs and strengthen the startup landscape,' while encouraging a shift from rote learning to experiential, competency-based education.
