Govt pushes AI education under NEP 2020

In the Lok Sabha, MP Jagdambika Pal raised a question regarding the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the education system under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with particular focus on aspirational districts in Uttar Pradesh.

In response, Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar, said the NEP 2020 envisions the introduction of contemporary subjects such as artificial intelligence (ai), design thinking, holistic health, organic living, environmental education, and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) at appropriate stages to help students develop essential skills at all levels.

He said the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) currently offers AI as a 15-hour skill module from Class VI and as an optional subject from Classes IX to XII.

He noted the DIKSHA platform, developed by the NCERT, has incorporated AI-based keyword search within educational videos to help users quickly locate relevant concepts. The platform also features a read-aloud tool to support visually impaired students.

Majumdar highlighted the national-level initiative SOAR (Skilling for AI Readiness), launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The programme includes three progressive 15-hour modules for students — 'AI to be Aware', 'AI to Acquire' and 'AI to Aspire' — and a dedicated 45-hour module for teachers titled 'AI for Educators.

This programme introduces key concepts such as AI fundamentals, generative AI, the role of AI in everyday life, programming basics, ethics, cybersecurity and potential career paths in the field.

The minister also said the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has introduced AI-related subjects in IT programmes. Special AI courses have also been designed for non-computer science streams such as Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical Engineering, to enable students to apply AI in their respective domains.

He noted AICTE had developed a model curriculum for AI and Data Science in 2021 and is also running Faculty Development Programmes in AI and other emerging technologies.

He highlighted the new 'IndiaAI Mission', launched to build an inclusive AI ecosystem aligned with national development goals. The Mission aims to position India as a global leader in artificial intelligence and is structured around seven key pillars: IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC), IndiaAI Dataset Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative (IADI), IndiaAI Future Skills, IndiaAI Startup Financing and Safe & Trusted AI.