From tent schools to Olympic-style shooting ranges: CM Atishi highlights journey of Delhi's education revolution

New Delhi [India], January 6 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Atishi inaugurated a state-of-the-art 10-meter shooting range at a Kalkaji government featuring 15 lanes, an electronic target system, and world-class air pistols. school on Sunday.
"The facility highlights the transformation of Delhi's schools from 'tent schools' with leaking roofs to hubs of excellence," read a statement by the CM's office.
According to the statement, the school also contains 25 swimming pools, 7 football grounds, and 3 hockey turfs built in recent years.
The CM expressed confidence that future Olympic champions like Abhinav Bindra and Manu Bhaker will emerge from these schools.
CM Atishi extended her heartfelt congratulations on the inauguration of a world-class, Olympic-level shooting range at Kalkaji No 3 School, according to the statement.
"Over the past few days, I had seen photographs of this shooting range, but I never imagined it would be of such a world-class standard," CM Atishi said.
Further highlighting how transformative nature of this achievement, she recalled conversations with residents of the area who had studied in nearby government schools.
"Just a few days ago, someone told me they used to study at No 2 school, and back then, it was referred to as the 'tent school.' They shared how the walls were broken, rainwater would flood the premises, and the roof leaked. On rainy days, students couldn't attend classes because the classrooms were waterlogged, and electrical switches posed a risk due to dampness," she said.
Reflecting on this stark contrast, the Delhi Chief Minister, "From those tent schools with leaking roofs to inaugurating an Olympic-style shooting range at Kalkaji No. 3 today, this is the story of the transformation in Delhi's education system--an education revolution."
Chief Minister Atishi expressed her happiness over the significant expansion of sports facilities in Delhi over the last decade. She stated, "In the past ten years, the sports facilities in our government schools have undergone tremendous growth."
Today, we have three international-standard artificial turf hockey fields in Delhi Government schools. Our schools also boast Olympic-size swimming pools. Just a few kilometres from here, at Chirag Enclave School, there is an 8-lane swimming pool--a shining example of the facilities now available in Delhi's government schools," the CM added.
Concluding her remarks, CM Atishi expressed hope for the future. "I firmly believe that in the coming years--whether it's four years or eight years from now--children from our areas, like Kalkaji and Govindpuri, who train in these facilities, will go on to win medals at the Olympics."
There is a variety of shooting equipment available for students, the CMO's statement read.
The range is equipped with 8 Morini CM-162E 0.177 caliber air pistols. In addition, 8 high-quality, robust air rifle stands have been set up under the supervision of the engineer-in-charge.
The range also has 2 Hammerli AR20 Pro Right Medium Deep Blue rifles, 2 Feinwerkbau 800 Evolution Top rifles, 2 Walther Model LG400 Anatomic, Green Pepper Right, M-grip rifles, 1 LG400 Expert-E (electronic trigger, PROTOUCH wooden grip, Right, Size M) and 1 LG400 Monotec-M (mechanical trigger, Grip-Right, Size M).
Furthermore, there are 8 cylinders (M229 Master refill air bottles, 300-bar, 10 liters) and 1 Bauer Junior II compressor for cylinder refills. Additionally, 100 packets of RWS R10 Match Rifle air pellets and 100 packets of RWS R10 Match Pistol air pellets are also available.
The CMO's statement further mentioned the prices of equipment and the cost of training too.
"The prices of equipment and accessories used in shooting sports vary. Air rifles and air pistols can range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,00,000, while high-quality professional models can cost above Rs 3,00,000. Small-bore and big-bore firearms, used in major competitions, can cost between Rs 2,00,000 and Rs 10,00,000 or more," read the statement.
Mentioning further about equipment and ammunition, the statement read, "Ammunition prices vary, with air pellets costing between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 per tin (500 pellets), and firearms ammunition ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 200 per round. Additionally, shooting jackets, gloves, shoes, and eyewear range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000, while scopes, tripods, and cleaning kits can cost anywhere between Rs 5,000 and over Rs 1,00,000."
Mentioning coaching, the statement added, "Coaching fees at local shooting ranges can range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 per month, while at professional academies, the fees can exceed Rs 25,000. Range fees can range from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000 per session, and annual membership fees may vary from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. The cost of specialized training camps can range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,000." (ANI)