NEW DELHI: Governance in the education sector must move beyond political interests to focus strictly on policy-driven structural reforms, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said on Monday.

He emphasised that the Delhi government is prioritising the long-term health of the academic system over short-term considerations.

Speaking at a scholarship distribution ceremony for state university students at Thyagaraj Stadium, Sood said the Delhi Higher and Technical Education Support Scheme reflected the government’s resolve to support students from marginalised backgrounds.

He noted that financial constraints must not become a barrier to higher education.

The Delhi education minister said the guiding principle of the government under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, is ‘Antyodaya’, which focuses on extending the benefits of governance to the person at the last mile.

The minister said that the welfare schemes should be seen as the constitutional responsibility of the state aimed at empowerment and accountability, rather than as charity.