AI-CoE for Education has developed machine learning models for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Machine Translation (MT), and Text-to-Speech (TTS) which support Indian languages. AI-CoE for Agriculture has developed models for crop, pest and disease identification. Similarly, AI CoE for Sustainable Cities has developed models for air pollution attribution and urban flood prediction. This was stated by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Aug 5.
The Government of India has established three Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of the vision to “Make AI in India and Make AI work for India” in the areas of Agriculture, Sustainable Cities and Healthcare following the announcement in the Union Budget 2023-24. These AI-CoEs are being led by IIT Ropar, IIT Kanpur, and IISc Bangalore respectively. The total budget outlay for the three AI-CoEs is 990 crores.
To further this Vision, in the Union Budget 2025-26, a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Education was announced with a total outlay of Rs. 500 Cr which has been established at IIT Madras. The four AI-CoEs have published research and developed AI-models in partnership with a network of academic institutions, industry and government organizations in order to address the challenges in domains of education, healthcare, agriculture and sustainable cities.
He further stated that the progress of the AI-CoEs is monitored through the layered governance and financial monitoring mechanisms, including review by the Apex Committee, comprising of industry leaders and senior administrators. An independent Project Monitoring and Review Committee (PMRC) is constituted by AI-CoEs for tracking the progress of individual projects. Additionally, the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU) has organised periodic reviews by external domain experts. The reviews have assessed progress in technology development against the approved deliverables, and financial utilization.
AI and Digital Education in Govt Schools
Recognizing AI as a dynamic and strategic technology for the 21st century, the Government of India has initiated action for integration of Computational Thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the school education ecosystem through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
Accordingly, NCERT in collaboration with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced a dedicated Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence Curriculum for Classes III to VIII from the academic year 2026-27. Curriculum for grade 9-12 in Artificial Intelligence and allied subjects has been finalized. This curriculum focuses on fostering logical reasoning, pattern recognition, algorithm design, and data literacy, while also emphasizing the importance of responsible and ethical AI. By integrating problem-solving, creativity, and innovation, the framework deliberately positions Computational Thinking as the foundational competency upon which AI learning is built, ensuring a meaningful and age-appropriate progression across grades.
To support the learning process, Teacher Handbooks and Facilitator Guides have also been developed and are available on the website CBSE at (https://cbseacademic.nic.in/skilleducation.html). As far as CBSE is concerned, the infrastructure required for teaching AI in schools has been clearly mentioned in the curriculum and schools are required to ensure availability of adequate infrastructure for students studying AI as a subject. Besides, all affiliated schools of the Board have to maintain digital infrastructure as per the affiliation Bye-Laws of the Board.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched a national level initiative SOAR (Skilling for AI Readiness), which aims to embed AI awareness and foundational skills among school students (Classes 6–12) and to build AI literacy among educators. SOAR comprises three progressive 15-hour modules for students—AI to be Aware, AI to Acquire, and AI to Aspire—and one independent 45-hour module for teachers titled AI for Educators. The program introduces concepts such as AI basics, generative AI, AI in daily life, programming fundamentals, ethics, cybersecurity and future career opportunities.
Further, education is a subject under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, and the majority of schools are under the jurisdiction of the State/Union Territory Governments. Accordingly, the establishment of AI and Robotics Laboratories in schools under their jurisdiction is the responsibility of the respective State/Union Territory Governments.
This information was given by Minister of State for Education, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Aug 5.
