CM Rekha Gupta inaugurates AI smart toilet, STEM lab at Delhi govt school

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday inaugurated technology-driven facilities, including an AI-integrated smart toilet, STEM Innovation Lab, a computer lab and smart classrooms, at the Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Shalamar village under the 'Saksham Programme'. The facilities have been developed by the Laadli Foundation with CSR support from Honeywell Technologies to provide students access to modern education tools, digital learning platforms and improved health and hygiene facilities, a statement said. The chief minister inaugurated the AI-integrated smart school toilet equipped with sensor-based monitoring systems, hygiene monitoring features, water conservation mechanisms and improved maintenance facilities. She said better sanitation facilities were essential for ensuring the health, safety and dignity of girl students and encouraged their regular attendance in schools. She also inaugurated a STEM Innovation Lab, which will provide students practical exposure to emerging technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, coding, Internet of Things (IoT), electronics, design thinking and space science. The lab will also support interactive learning through digital content, smart boards and computer-based training. Under the initiative, a health programme for nearly 3,000 girl students was also launched, covering medical check-ups, eye screening, distribution of spectacles wherever required, deworming campaigns and menstrual hygiene awareness sessions, it stated. During the event, Gupta felicitated five students selected for the Space Science Programme at the United States Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) in Alabama, USA, based on their performance in the STEM Innovation Lab. The students were provided air tickets for their visit to the United States. Gupta said she had visited the school nearly a year ago and was unhappy with the condition of toilets and other arrangements on the campus. She said she was pleased to see the transformation of the school after the development of new facilities. "When I came here for the first time, I had left very angry after seeing the condition of the toilets and other facilities. Today, after one year, I am happy to see that this school has emerged as one of the best among more than 1,000 schools in Delhi," she said. Gupta said a modern, scientific and technology-based education system was the foundation of a developed India. She said the government was focusing on digital education, skill development, science and innovation to ensure students had access to quality learning opportunities. The achievement reflected the growing opportunities available to girl students in science and technology and would encourage more students to pursue innovation and research, she said. She thanked Honeywell Technologies president Ashish Modi and Laadli Foundation founder Devendra Gupta for supporting the initiative and providing the facilities for students. "A state cannot progress only through the efforts of the government. Society and people also need to come forward and take initiatives. Only when the government and society work together can the country and the state progress," the CM asserted. Recalling her association with community initiatives in her constituency, Gupta said she had earlier worked with local residents to organise programmes for children, women and youth, including distributing school bags and honouring meritorious students. She said such efforts were aimed at supporting children and creating better opportunities for them, adding that she never imagined she would get the opportunity to contribute to government schools on a larger scale. PTI SHB SHB MDO MDO