I am a teacher’s kid, my mother is a senior PGT in Physics currently working in the Delhi Administration where she's teaching since the last 30 years so I believe I am suitable to answer your queries.
Look below here:
This isn't the worst but certainly not the best classroom you can get to offer in an urban city like New Delhi. People used to stereotype teachers so badly that they aren't teaching and government schools are not as good as private schools in terms of results and competence. However, how can you expect teachers to be able to deliver their best when the environment was as follows:
I remember my mother used to complain a decade back that she couldn't use the washroom in schools and she once got seriously because of dehydration as she never used to drink water fearing the urge to go to washroom. It wasn't like Sheila Dikshit didn't had the money to implement good government schools but there were too many middle men involved and the end users never got the benefit because on paper it's written that a school has over 100 classrooms, 10 clean washrooms, and classic infrastructure while the reality was in stark contrast with it.
Then in the last five years, Arvind Kejriwal even though some people agree with him while some others disagree irrespective of their opinions who I duly respect, came to power. He didn't do anything special like allocation of huge budget and all, yet he just ensured that classrooms are made in real, their volunteer worked hard to reach ground level and check the progress of work. Here is the government school in present:
The same school which used to remind of the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum which we read in class 12 transformed into a school equipped with classrooms having smart boards, good desks if not the best, teachers got the ideal environment to teach and the same set of teachers produced results better than private school within the last three to five years. It wasn't some magic wand that AAP used nor did they change the faculty they just ensured that whats written on paper also stands there in reality.
Kejriwal also introduced better collaboration between parents and teachers through a concept called Student Member Committee or SMC as it's fondly called where all the parents and teachers gather together, discuss the new infrastructure needed by the school, evaluate performance of children and apply for funds to improve the schools. This is my mother's school today:
With fully equipped practical labs, proper facilities, clean washrooms (yes this does matter), the school is considered a model school in New Delhi owing to its infrastructure, facilities and there is literally huge competition to even get admission here! Recently, a few of my mother's students also secured 97 percentile in JEE Mains and all these students come from a simple economic background who can't afford huge coaching facilities. This didn't happen only because they studied but because my mother was also able to deliver the best in the newly cultivated environment where the government provided the proper infrastructure. Also, in the last three years my mother's class has produced 100 percent pass percentage with over 35 students securing 90+ in Physics. This wasn't even close to be a reality just seven years ago. So the answer to your question how has Delhi transformed or not is you to decide. I am a proud Delhiite born and brought up in the city of djinns having experienced the entire Delhi since last twenty years (I am 21 only đ) but didn't see this level of transformation and so fast previously. There didn't use to be amazing medical facilities before AAP, the OPD queues were long and the dispensaries were equipped badly. With the new Mohalla Clinics, we do have a better set of doctors, well equipped medicine chemists giving out medicines for free:
The earlier times when one wanted to access free medical facilities you had to go to the nearest government hospital where the waiting area itself looked like:
I guess you can see the difference here yourself, and I dont need to justify more. Also, the funds sanctioned for free medicines never used to reach last mile and hence many a times, you won't even get the medicine prescribed by the doctor in the hospital. With the Mohalla Clinics, the last mile delivery atleast has been made to a certain degree and definitely I hope will improve more in the near future.
Earlier you used to go to the Transport Department and see so many agents outside the office who claimed to get you a driving license made for 6k plus and it was nearly impossible to get work done by yourself within a month. Now, under AAP you have a portal online where you apply for driving license, book an appointment, go and give the driving test and your passing status is updated within a day followed by you get door step delivery of your license.
My driving license was made within a week delivered at home and I was shocked to hear my friends at college in Karnataka tell me that it takes minimum three months or more for even processing and the only way out is to get an agent. So yes I believe Kejriwal did make the system transparent and corruption lessened in New Delhi by a huge degree. Also, whoever is involved in corruption is strictly handled by the government even if they do belong to their own government serving officer category as evident by the recent spur before elections when an officer was convicted of accepting bribe.
Now comes the main allegation towards the it where people accuse them of offering freebies in terms of water and electricity bills. My answer to that is first understand the working methodology behind it:
If you re using electricity in range within 200 units a month: Bill=0
If you re using electricity in range of 201 to 400 units a month: 50 percent subsidy
If you re using electricity above 400 units a month: You pay double.
Hence, there is no MoNey going at all from the government side into this free electricity initiative. This is just simple pure mathematics that if you use less you pay less, if you re using more you pay more, and this is justified because one family living under one roof with just one fan and tube shouldn't be forced to pay the same amount as a family living with 4 air conditioner switched on whole day for convenience. If you do not agree with this then I suggest you see the economic disparity in Delhi first and then revaluate your opinion.
Hence, AAP has tried to make changes, has a good intention and hopefully they d work even better this tenure.
