CM Rekha Gupta Opens STEM Lab at Pitampura School
Synopsis
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta launched a STEM Innovation Lab at Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya Pitampura on 6 August 2026, backed by a public-private partnership with former cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and Sophie Dhawan, advancing the Viksit Bharat education vision in state-run schools.
Key Takeaways
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta inaugurated a STEM Innovation Lab at Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Pitampura on 6 August 2026 .
The lab was established through a public-private partnership with former cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and philanthropist Sophie Dhawan .
CM Gupta framed the initiative as part of PM Narendra Modi 's Viksit Bharat vision for modernising school education.
The project aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 , which mandates STEM and experiential learning in government schools.
The Pitampura model could serve as a template for scaling similar labs across Delhi's Sarvodaya Vidyalaya network.
A cricket legend's off-field move just lit up a Delhi classroom. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday, 6 August 2026 inaugurated a STEM Innovation Lab at Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Pitampura — a facility made possible through a public-private partnership with former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and philanthropist Sophie Dhawan.
Posting on X in Hindi, CM Gupta declared: 'Every student of Delhi should dream big and get modern opportunities to realise those dreams — this is our commitment.' She framed the lab's launch as a step aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Viksit Bharat (Developed India) vision, which sets modernising school education as a national priority.
What the Pitampura Lab Represents
The STEM Innovation Lab at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya Pitampura is designed to bring experiential, innovation-focused learning into a government school setting — the kind of infrastructure historically associated with private institutions. CM Gupta specifically credited the Dhawans' contribution as 'an important investment in the bright future of Delhi's children,' calling the collaboration a demonstration of janbhagidari (people's participation) in public education. Shikhar Dhawan, who retired from international cricket, has stepped into education philanthropy through this initiative. His partnership with the Delhi government signals a growing appetite among public figures to channel resources into state-run schools rather than building standalone private institutions.NEP 2020 and the PPP Push in School Infrastructure
The lab's launch fits squarely within the framework of the National Education Policy 2020, which mandated the introduction of STEM labs and multidisciplinary learning environments in government schools across India. Since 2014, central schemes have actively encouraged public-private partnerships to close the infrastructure gap between government and private schools — and Delhi's Pitampura model is a direct product of that policy architecture. The broader national pattern is clear: states are increasingly leveraging celebrity-backed and corporate PPPs to upgrade facilities without sole dependence on public budgets. This approach has been replicated across multiple states, and Delhi's move adds momentum to that trend under the Viksit Delhi banner CM Gupta has championed. Whether the Pitampura lab becomes a template — rolled out to other Sarvodaya Vidyalayas across the capital — will be the real measure of this initiative's ambition.Point of View
Not just policy promises. Deploying a celebrity PPP with Shikhar Dhawan gives the initiative cross-partisan appeal and media traction that a purely government-funded project would struggle to generate. The move also reflects a deliberate national strategy: use NEP 2020 as the policy spine and private capital as the muscle, reducing fiscal pressure on state budgets. The critical question now is replication — a single lab in Pitampura is a photo opportunity; a network of them across Sarvodaya schools would be a governance story.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the STEM Innovation Lab inaugurated by Delhi CM Rekha Gupta?
It is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics innovation facility launched at Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Pitampura on 6 August 2026, designed to give Delhi government school students access to experiential, innovation-focused learning.
Who funded the STEM lab at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya Pitampura?
The lab was established through a public-private partnership with former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and philanthropist Sophie Dhawan, who contributed alongside the Delhi government.
What is Viksit Bharat and how does this lab connect to it?
Viksit Bharat (Developed India) is PM Narendra Modi's vision for India's comprehensive development by 2047, which includes modernising school education. CM Gupta framed the Pitampura lab as a step aligned with this national goal.
What is a Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Delhi?
Sarvodaya Vidyalayas are a category of Delhi government schools that offer education from primary through senior secondary levels, intended to provide quality schooling to all sections of society.
How does this initiative relate to the National Education Policy 2020?
The National Education Policy 2020 mandates the introduction of STEM labs and multidisciplinary, experiential learning in government schools. The Pitampura lab is a direct implementation of those targets through a public-private partnership model.
