Beneath the constant roar of traffic at Amar Mahal junction, where children once weaved between cars selling wares, Mumbai has quietly launched its first ‘Signal School’, pulling 40 street children into classrooms.

Formally inaugurated this week by the city’s mayor, the Chembur school marks Mumbai’s entry into a model already tested in Thane and Nerul, where NGOs have worked to bridge the gap between survival and schooling for children growing up at traffic signals.