Only 3 OEM companies benefited, others excluded
Digital content missing from tender, students’ future at risk
Crime Hilore News Bureau
New Delhi: The Delhi government’s ambitious CMShri School Project is mired in allegations of corruption. A tender issued by the Education Department to establish 2,446 smart classrooms in 75 CMShri schools has been exposed for cartelization and insider collusion. Experts and industry insiders have labeled the tender as entirely controlled by the hardware lobby and pre-planned.
According to documents, the tender was designed to favor only three major Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) companies. Other competitive companies, despite meeting all conditions, were excluded by not being issued Manufacturer Authorization Forms (MAF). The tender work was pre-allocated in a 50:30:20 ratio among the three companies, a decision finalized even before the bidding process began. Industry sources allege that the tender was crafted to funnel crores of rupees to select hardware suppliers.
During the pre-bid meeting on August 6, 2025, several companies raised concerns about the process, but the government machinery dismissed all objections and defended the favored companies. Experts point out that the tender is heavily hardware-focused, whereas digital content, software, and analytics could have been included within the same budget. The selected companies have experience only in hardware supply, not in digital education solutions. As a result, the goal of enhancing students’ learning capabilities has been sacrificed to serve the interests of the hardware lobby.
The tender conditions are also biased. Bidders need only 35 points, while 65 points are allocated to OEM-based criteria, a provision unprecedented anywhere in India. Bidders are required to have a turnover of ₹40 crore and experience with 2,000 schools, while OEMs must have a turnover of ₹500 crore and experience with 10,000 schools. This setup is designed to exclude small and medium-sized companies.
Experts argue that this tender violates the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and is an example of the misuse of public funds. Excluded companies, concerned citizens, and experts are demanding that the Delhi government cancel the tender and adopt a transparent process, prioritizing digital content and students’ holistic development.
Questions were posed to an IAS officer in the Education Department and the CM’s education office, but no response was received by the time of reporting. Attempts to contact them via WhatsApp and landline were also unsuccessful.
The CMShri School Project is a dream to improve the future of millions of students. However, allegations of corruption and cartelization have put it at risk. Experts warn that if the government does not act immediately, this project, instead of becoming a symbol of educational reform, will become synonymous with corruption.
