New Delhi: At a government school in Delhi, a drone slowly moves through corridors, classrooms and laboratories, capturing every corner of the campus in detail as part of a large-scale digital mapping and infrastructure audit exercise. Over 500 high-resolution images are taken for just one school, allowing officials to later walk through the building virtually, room by room, through a 360-degree digital map.
The exercise goes beyond creating photographs or spotting visible cracks. It can count the number of switches in a classroom, check whether a tap is functional, record the condition of furniture, and even flag damaged safety equipment. Every classroom, laboratory and facility is digitally tagged to create a database of the school’s infrastructure. Drone-mapping has been completed for nearly 360 schools and may extend to all 1,080 government schools spread across nearly 800 campuses in the coming months, creating what officials describe as the city’s most detailed digital record of school infrastructure.
Education Minister Highlights Benefits of Digital Audit
Education minister Ashish Sood said unlike traditional audits that simply note whether fans, lights or toilets exist, this system measures whether they actually work. The digital reports cover everything from blackboards, cupboards and dustbins to fire extinguishers, desks and teacher chairs, categorising them as functional, needing minor repair or requiring urgent attention. Officials said the images are updated once the required repairs are done.
“The initiative is intended to create a scientific and verifiable infrastructure database, replacing manual reporting systems that only recorded whether facilities existed,” Sood said. “The digital reports are expected to help prioritise repairs, monitor spending and prepare a broader white paper on the condition of Delhi government school infrastructure.”
“Unlike conventional inspections where officials physically visit schools and fill out checklists, the new system creates an interactive digital map of the campus. Officials sitting in offices can virtually enter a school, move from one block to another, open individual classrooms and inspect facilities remotely,” he added.
Detailed Documentation and Structural Safety Checks
Using drones and 360-degree imaging, every block, classroom, corridor, laboratory, toilet and staff room is digitally documented. The software not only records details as basic as the number of classrooms and open spaces, but goes much deeper. Officials said the reports capture extensive infrastructure data, including the condition of furniture, fans, lights, switchboards, electrical systems, toilets, fire safety equipment, water dispensers, smart boards and computer facilities, among others.
For instance, at CM SHRI School in Dariyapur Kalan, the digital audit revealed both functioning infrastructure and serious maintenance gaps. Of the school’s 13 building blocks, four were found to be in satisfactory condition while the remaining were categorised as dilapidated and requiring repair, rehabilitation or further structural evaluation. Inspectors found columns, beams and RCC slabs in the satisfactory blocks were structurally adequate, with no major cracks, spalling or reinforcement exposure. However, damp patches, peeling plaster and ageing finishes were documented across several sections.
The digital reports also went room by room through the school’s laboratories and facilities. In the biology laboratory, the system recorded three almirahs, one display board, three teacher chairs and two teacher tables in good condition. But all four fire extinguishers in the lab were marked under the “major repair” category. Officials said this was a significant safety concern because laboratories regularly handle chemicals and experiments. In the chemistry lab, most furniture and safety equipment were found functional. However, one almirah and one cupboard required minor repairs.
The mapping also includes structural safety inspections. Engineers and non-destructive testing teams assess columns, beams, slabs, walls, roofs and plaster conditions using visual inspections and images collected during the survey. Reports record dampness, seepage, cracks, peeling paint and signs of structural weakness block by block.
Long-Term Goals for Infrastructure Monitoring
Sood said the larger objective is not just to identify damage but to build a long-term infrastructure monitoring system. Once the database is complete, authorities will be able to track repairs, compare infrastructure conditions across schools and identify campuses requiring urgent intervention. The government plans to use the data to prepare a comprehensive infrastructure white paper on Delhi government schools. Officials said for the first time, they will have a scientific and verifiable record of everything, from structural safety to the condition of classroom furniture and electrical systems.
For now, as drones continue moving across campuses and cameras document schools room by room, the government is attempting to turn infrastructure monitoring into something measurable and visible.
