AI’s rewriting of the rules of education

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper-2- Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education, Human Resources. AI’s rewriting of the rules of education.

Introduction

India is preparing to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) from class three in the 2026–27 academic year, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The plan aims to build a strong K–12 framework—that is, the entire schooling system from kindergarten to class 12—where AI is woven into every stage of learning. This move seeks to equip students with future-ready digital skills, promote personalised and inclusive education, and prepare them for a technology-driven economy.

Significance of Introducing AI in Education in India

1. Personalisation: AI studies how each student learns and adapts lessons to their pace and needs. It gives extra practice where a student struggles and offers advanced tasks when they are ready.
2. Inclusion: AI tools support many Indian languages and assist learners with disabilities. Customised content helps create fair access to learning across regions and abilities. Also highlight the important aspects in the summary.
3. Teacher augmentation: AI automates attendance, grading, and other routine work. Teachers can then focus on discussion, creativity, and critical thinking with students.
4. Smarter lesson design & real-time feedback: AI helps teachers design lesson plans and classroom resources. It also provides quick feedback so teaching can adjust to what students understand in the moment.
5. Early AI literacy: Introducing AI from class three builds basic comfort with modern tools. Students learn problem-solving and responsible use of AI from an early age.
6. Workforce readiness: AI may replace some roles, but it is expected to create more jobs by 2030. Early exposure prepares students to adapt and gain skills for new opportunities.
7. Momentum in higher education: Many higher education institutes already use generative AI for teaching support. Chatbots, interactive quizzes, and personalised materials make learning more engaging.
8. System-level scaling: Large-scale teacher training and pilot projects show a path to wider adoption. With careful rollout, AI can help reduce learning gaps across India’s diverse classrooms.

Challenges of Introducing AI in Education in India

1. Reduced human interaction: Over-reliance on AI can diminish the vital role of human empathy, mentorship, and social interaction between teachers and students.
2. Weakened critical thinking: Students may become overly dependent on AI tools, which could hinder the development of their own critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
3. Teacher training: India must upskill over one crore educators. Converting teachers into confident AI guides is a mammoth task, and readiness varies.
4. Integration challenges: Integrating AI seamlessly with existing educational systems and curriculum is a significant technical and pedagogical hurdle.
5. Managing disruption: AI’s classroom gains arrive with workforce disruption. Schools must prepare learners for jobs that do not yet exist.
6. Data privacy: AI systems in education collect large amounts of student data, creating risks related to how this data is stored, accessed, and used, as well as potential security breaches.
7. Algorithmic bias: AI algorithms can perpetuate existing societal biases found in their training data, potentially leading to unfair treatment or outcomes for different student groups.
8. Digital divide: The cost and lack of infrastructure in rural areas can create an unequal playing field, where students in well-resourced schools benefit while others are left behind.

Initiative Taken to Introducing AI in Education in India

The Indian government has launched several key initiatives to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the national education system, guided by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

1. Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR) Program: This national program, launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), targets students from Class 6 to 12 and educators. It provides structured modules (three 15-hour modules for students, one 45-hour module for educators) focused on foundational AI concepts, ethical use, and basic machine learning.
2. AI in School Curriculum (CBSE): The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced AI as an elective subject in Class 9 starting from the 2019–2020 academic session, later extending it to Class 11. The curriculum is designed to foster AI literacy and practical application skills, and from the 2026–27 academic session, AI education will be introduced for all students from Class 3 onwards.
3. AI Centres of Excellence (CoE): The Union Budget 2025–26 allocated funds to establish a Centre of Excellence in AI for education. This center will serve as a national hub for research, development of context-sensitive AI tools, and integration of AI into teaching and learning processes in higher education institutions (HEIs).
4. IndiaAI Mission: Approved in March 2024 with a significant budgetary outlay, this mission aims to build a robust AI ecosystem. Key pillars include:

• India AI Future Skills: Focuses on developing AI-skilled professionals by offering fellowships, establishing Data and AI Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and reskilling IT manpower.
• AI Application Development Initiative: Promotes the creation of AI solutions for India-specific challenges, including assistive learning technologies in education.

5. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Launched by NITI Aayog, the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) initiative nurtures creativity and innovation in robotics and AI among school students through hands-on experiential learning.
6. Collaborations: The government is working with tech giants like Intel, IBM, Microsoft, and Google to train teachers and develop AI-integrated course materials. MoUs have also been signed with premier institutions like IITs and NITs to offer AI-related courses and training programs.

Conclusion

Introducing AI early offers personalised learning, greater inclusion, and stronger teacher support while building future-ready skills. Success will depend on large-scale teacher training, equitable infrastructure, clear data safeguards, and phased pilots. With careful policy design and ethical oversight, AI can expand access and quality without leaving disadvantaged learners behind.

Question for practice:

Examine the significance and the main challenges of introducing AI across India’s education system.

Source: The Hindu