The Directorate of School Education has for the first time collaborated with various state tourism boards to conduct these tours for the schoolchildren.

Apart from the city tours to local historical places and science centres, which an Education Department official said was “compulsory” for students, state tourism agencies will take Delhi government school students on tours across India.

As part of the project, apart from the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTCL) that will be organising tours in Delhi, the Directorate has roped in four other state agencies — Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, Madhya Pradesh State Development Corporation Ltd, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation and Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.

“It has been proposed that 40 students from Class XI from each school will be selected and will be taken to 47 best tourist destinations across India,” a senior official of the Education department said.

Students taken on the tours will be asked to prepare a project report; the marks awarded will be included in their internal assessment. “School principals have been asked to submit names of students and the dates of travel to the related agencies,” the official said.