CIE Experimental Basic School

Established in 1951 under the visionary leadership of Headmaster Ram Sherasth Sinha, the CIE Experimental Basic School is a pioneering institution affiliated with the University of Delhi. Originally started as a demonstration school for classes 1 to 5, it was expanded up to class 8 in 1979. The school was founded as part of a larger vision of the Central Institute of Education (CIE)—now the Department of Education, University of Delhi—to serve as a living laboratory for innovative educational practices. Rooted in the Gandhian philosophy of Basic Education (Nai Talim), the school emphasizes holistic development through activity-based learning, self-reliance, and the integration of head, heart, and hand. It upholds core values such as simplicity, dignity of labour, and experiential learning, in alignment with Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals for education in a free India. CIE, established in 1947 under the guidance of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Professor Humayun Kabir, envisioned this school as a model for teacher training and educational research. Today, CIE Experimental Basic School continues to play a key role in shaping inclusive and value-based education, closely collaborating with student-teachers and researchers from the Department of Education.