Delhi government to start 'Schools of Excellence'
New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said the government will start five "Schools of Excellence" next year in order to provide better quality education.
"These schools will impart education in English language. The admission process for nursery to Class V and, Class IX and XI will be conducted under the neighbourhood criteria next year," Sisoida, who also holds the education portfolio, told the media.
He said the proposal to open these schools was approved in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The schools, to be initially opened in Rohini, Madanpur Khadar, Khichripur, Kalkalji and Dwarka, will start functioning from the coming session in April 2018.
"The vision of the government is to ensure at least one school of this format in each of the 29 zones of Delhi," said Sisodia.
He said the Education Department's proposal for setting up a "world-class" skill centre was also approved at the Cabinet meeting.
"The skill centre will be set up in Jonapur Village in South Delhi district at an estimated cost of around Rs 254 crore with an aim to provide skill development facilities at par with global standards," he said.
The centre will have the departments of Hospitality and Tourism, Retail Merchandising, IT and IT-enabled services, Accounts, Banking and Finance, Food Processing, Logistics, Electronics, Production and Manufacturing, Automobile, and Health and Wellness.
Each department is proposed to have 500 seats for the one-year duration courses. The courses will be added or replaced as per demand from time to time.
Currently, one such centre is functioning at ITI-Vivek Vihar with training courses available in sectors like Hospitality, Retail Services, Software Testing and Finance.
The Deputy Chief Minister also said that the government would start the Mission of Excellence in Sports scheme, under which, a sportsperson would be supported for his/her needs related to food and nutrition, sports equipment, sports kits, training and travel, boarding and lodging (within the country and abroad) and medical facilities.
"The quantum of support will be demand-linked but will not exceed Rs 16 lakh per year," he added.
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India misses 2025 TB elimination target; cases stand at 185 per 100,000 population
New Delhi: India reported an estimated 2.7 million tuberculosis cases in 2025 which translates into an incidence of 185 cases per 100,000 population, according to the latest official update on the disease burden.
The figure is more than four times the elimination benchmark set under the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis. The plan had aimed to bring down incidence to 44 cases per 100,000 population and mortality to three per 100,000 by 2025. The target was announced in March 2017 and was set five years ahead of the global End TB goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Data indicate that TB notifications have increased by 13 per cent compared to pre-Covid levels, as IndiaSpend reported in July 2025. Public health experts have said higher notification does not necessarily reflect a rise in incidence, but indicate improved case detection. Authorities have stepped up efforts to improve reporting and plug gaps in diagnosis and treatment, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
According to a 2019 study published in PLOS Medicine, the most substantial gap occurs during the testing stage, with nearly half of those with incident tuberculosis not receiving diagnostic tests. Experts say stigma, restricted availability to molecular testing, and dependence on sputum microscopy continue to impede early detection.
According to official data, 19.3 million smear microscopy tests were performed in 2023, compared to 6.83 million molecular tests using the CBNAAT/GeneXpert and Truenat platforms, indicating that smear-based diagnosis will continue to be used. While doctors report inconsistent implementation across regions, legislation mandates 100% molecular testing for suspected tuberculosis patients.
Health officials point to the increase of diagnostic infrastructure, which includes approximately 10,000 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test equipment and over 25,000 microscopy centers across the country. Eexperts identify operational difficulties such as specimen transportation, machine maintenance, supplier chains, and unequal distribution of skilled staff.
Under the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the government has expanded active case-finding in high-risk areas and identified 1.58 lakh vulnerable villages and urban wards using an AI-based mapping tool. Under which the latest campaign document states that of the 2.73 million cases reported in 2025, 35 per cent were asymptomatic.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
The government increased financial aid for Tuberculosis patients under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana to ₹1,000 per month, as the disease is mostly linked with malnutrition and poor living conditions and those with a BMI less than 18.5 are given energy-dense nutritional supplements for the first two months of therapy.
