Overview On December 19, 2025 , Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood announced a plan to install air purifiers in 10,000 classrooms across Delhi's schools. This initiative aims to provide cleaner air for students and underscores the government's commitment to tackling pollution through long-term administrative reforms and policy measures. The announcement also included a critique of previous approaches, such as the Odd-Even scheme implemented by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Key Developments Classroom Air Purifiers: Installation in 10,000 classrooms in the first phase. Total Classrooms: Plans to eventually equip 38,000 classrooms with air purifiers. Tendering Process: Tenders for the first phase have already been floated. Mechanical Road Sweepers: The Public Works Department (PWD) will procure these for each assembly constituency using the environment cess. MCD Support: Funds are being allocated to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for procuring mechanical road sweepers. Analysis of the Initiative The Delhi government's initiative to install air purifiers in classrooms reflects a growing concern over air quality and its impact on children's health and education. By focusing on long-term administrative measures, the government aims to address the root causes of pollution rather than relying solely on temporary solutions like the Odd-Even scheme. The procurement of mechanical road sweepers further demonstrates a multi-pronged approach to reducing air pollution levels in the city. Critique of Previous Policies Minister Ashish Sood criticized the previous AAP government's Odd-Even scheme, suggesting it was more of a publicity stunt than an effective solution. The Odd-Even scheme, implemented in 2016 , restricted vehicle movement based on registration numbers to curb vehicular pollution. The current administration emphasizes sustained administrative reforms over short-term campaigns. UPSC Relevance This news is relevant to the UPSC syllabus, particularly GS3 (Environment) and GS2 (Government Policies) . It highlights the challenges of environmental governance, the role of state governments in addressing pollution, and the importance of sustainable urban development. The discussion around different policy approaches (Odd-Even vs. long-term measures) provides valuable insights for Mains answers. Important Facts Date of Announcement: December 19, 2025 Initial Phase: Air purifiers in 10,000 classrooms Total Schools: 1,047 government and government-aided schools Odd-Even Scheme: Implemented in 2016 Procurement Agency: Public Works Department (PWD)