In a significant move to reshape education, the Delhi government has launched a groundbreaking entrepreneurship curriculum for its schools. This initiative, part of the New Era of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Vision (NEEEV) programme, introduces specially designed manuals for students in classes VIII to XII, aiming to move beyond theoretical study and into the real-world experience of building businesses.
Interactive Learning: From Kindness to Quick Business Ideas
The new curriculum is brought to life through a series of dynamic classroom activities. One key exercise, ‘Tumse Ho Payega!', focuses on building a culture of kindness and confidence by inviting students to share uplifting messages and their career aspirations. Government officials highlight that this activity actively rewires the classroom atmosphere, replacing the fear of failure with words of affirmation.
Another engaging task, the ‘Business in a Box-Rapid Fire Challenge', pushes students to work in teams. They are required to brainstorm quick business ideas using quirky objects and specific customer profiles, thereby igniting their imagination, teamwork, and decision-making skills on the spot.
Drawing Inspiration from Real-World Grit and Innovation
The manuals powerfully draw from the stories of renowned achievers and innovators. Students are encouraged to explore the journeys of role models like astronaut Kalpana Chawla, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, and Manoj Kumar Sharma. The curriculum also taps into the popular inventive spirit of shows like ‘Shark Tank India' and the impactful work of social entrepreneurs.
A particularly inspiring example cited is Arunachalam Muruganantham, known as the ‘Padman of India', whose creation of a low-cost sanitary pad machine revolutionized rural health and livelihoods. The manuals also celebrate innovators like Narayana Peesapaty with his edible cutlery and Mansukhbhai Prajapati with his clay-based fridge, teaching students that high-tech is not always a prerequisite for meaningful innovation.
Beyond business, the programme highlights the entrepreneurial spirit in education itself, sharing the story of Chitra Gupta, the principal of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, who transformed a struggling Old Delhi school through determination and community engagement.
Building a Foundation for Future Job Creators
This is not the first entrepreneurial push in Delhi's schools. The AAP government has previously introduced initiatives like ‘Business Blasters' to hone the mindset of young entrepreneurs. This shift in education aligns with the Centre's broader focus on cultivating job creators instead of job seekers, as seen in policies like Startup India, Stand-Up India, and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The NEEEV teaching manuals also include practical sections on the mechanics of building a business, breaking down the journey of unicorn startups from a "crazy but clear idea" to scalable models and raising smart capital. The overarching message is clear: in Delhi's classrooms, the seeds of future enterprises are being deliberately and creatively sown.
