Will Bijli And Pani Power Kejriwal Back To Delhi Durbar?

Naresh Gupta, 46, is basking with his son outside his house in south Delhi’s Govindpuri. A ribbon of sunlight cuts through the otherwise damp, cold lane, painting the duo yellow in its stride. “I’ll put him in the School of Excellence at Kalkaji when he grows older,” he says. “It is very good, I’ve heard.” The self-­employed insurance advisor is all praise for the state education minister: “I keep listening to [Manish] Sisodiaji’s videos on Facebook. He does what he says.” Gupta is equally effusive about the AAP government—the water and electricity subsidies help him save Rs 3,000-3,500 a month.

Reforms in the education sector have been the flagship of the government’s programmes. It allocated 35 per cent of its budget—an unprecedented figure—to education this year, introduced edgy subjects such as happiness and entrepreneurship, and reinvigorated teacher trainings. Schools now hold parent-­teacher meetings regularly. Some government schools have buildings and facilities that can give private schools a run for their money.