In order to align India’s premier technical institutions with the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Council of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has decided to constitute a dedicated Task Force to adapt curriculum and pedagogy on a real-time basis. The decision was taken during the 56th Council meeting, chaired by Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan at IIT Delhi.
The Council deliberated on a wide range of strategic priorities shaping the future of IITs, including enhancing the quality of Ph.D. education to improve research outcomes, boost global rankings, and attract top-tier talent. A strong emphasis was placed on the commercialisation of research and the need to position IITs as global hubs of innovation and advanced R&D.
Acknowledging the disruptive impact of AI across industries, the Council resolved to create a Task Force to recommend actionable measures for real-time curriculum upgrades. The initiative will cover both higher and school education, ensuring that India’s learning ecosystem evolves rapidly to meet future demands.
The role of IITs in translational research aligned with national priorities and societal needs was underscored. The need of a strong connect between Industry, Academia and Policy makers was underlined. Various suggestions and practices were mentioned. It was decided to come up with a policy within a period of 1 month, suggesting various practical methods, so that translational research and product development can happen in Indian Campuses to make Bharat Atmanirbhar.
The long-term strategic roadmap, IITs@2047, was discussed to guide the institutions toward global leadership in research, innovation, and technology development by India’s centenary year of independence. Additionally, measures for pushing recruitment as per CEI Act within IITs were examined. The Council also recognized the need to elevate the IIT R&D Fair into a globally renowned platform to encourage innovation, strengthen industry and international collaborations, and attract investment. Discussions also included support for international students participating in internship programs at IITs and addressing challenges faced by foreign faculty members.
It was further shared that IITs are actively promoting regional and Indian languages through courses, translated materials, mentoring, and support centers like Shivani, as well as tools like Bhashini, to foster inclusivity. The Council resolved to take every step to facilitate learners from different bhasha backgrounds so that they are able to learn effectively.
Further, the socio-economic and global impact of IITs was acknowledged, particularly through their alumni, who have evolved into global leaders, innovators, and wealth creators. The Council emphasised the importance of leveraging alumni networks for mentorship, industry linkages, and student development.
The importance of Mental Wellbeing was stressed, and various models adopted by different IITs were shared. It was also suggested to promote healthy living habits inside the campuses, as well as to have an annual health checkup.
With 23 IITs, international campuses, and a thriving startup ecosystem, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to India’s vision of ‘Atmanirbharta se Samriddha Bharat’, driving progress through Research, Innovation, Skills, and Entrepreneurship (R.I.S.E.). The Council unanimously resolved to take forward PM’s vision of ‘Atmanirbharta se Samridha Bharat’ across its all stakeholders.
Dharmendra Pradhan emphasised positioning IIT education as a catalyst for an Atmanirbhar and Samriddha Bharat. He stressed the PM’s directive that the country is not aiming for incremental change but for quantum jump and encouraged the IITs to take lead in this direction.
The meeting also witnessed the participation of dignitaries including Members of Parliament Dr. Rabindra Narayan Behera and Shri Tanuj Punia, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of ISRO; Dr. Sridhar Vembu, CEO of Zoho Corporation; Shri Senapathy ‘Kris’ Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of the Council of IISc Bangalore; Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman-Executive Committee, NAAC and Chairman NETF; Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, former UGC Chairman; Shri Chamu Krishna Shastry, Founder of Samskrita Bharati; Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog; Shri Deepak Bagla, CEO (Atal Innovation Mission); Dr. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Shri Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications; Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Department of Biotechnology; Shri S. Somanath, former Secretary, ISRO& Secretary , Department of Space; Dr. Sekhar C. Munde, foremer Secretary, DSIR & Director General, CSIR; Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman AICTE; Shri T.V. Narendran, Chairman IIT Kharagpur; Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman IIT Madras; Shri Adil Siraj Zainulbhai, Chairman IIT Ropar; Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman IIT Jodhpur; Dr. B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman IIT Hyderabad; Shri Sanjiv Puri, Chairman IIT Gandhinagar; Adv. Harish Salve, Chairman IIT Delhi; Prof. Prem Vrat, Chairman IIT(ISM) Dhanbad; Dr. Rajendra Prasad Singh, Chairman IIT Bhubaneswar; Shri Ramesh Venkateswaran, Chairman IIT Palakkad; Shri Sharad Kumar Saraf, Chairman IIT Jammu; Dr. Suresh Haware, Chairman IIT Bhilai as well Directors of the IITs and senior officials of the Ministry of Education.
