Syllabus: GS-II: Education

Why in the News

In 2025, OpenAI, the U.S.-based developer of ChatGPT, announced the opening of its first office in India, marking a new chapter in India’s AI landscape. The Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology stated that India is “uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of AI-led transformation.”

More About the News

• This move aligns with the Government’s ambitious India AI Mission, which aims to build a trusted, inclusive, and ethical AI ecosystem. 
• Alongside OpenAI, NVIDIA has partnered with Reliance Industries (2023) to build AI computing infrastructure, and global tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta have increased investments in India’s AI innovation and education sectors.
• However, the increasing integration of AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Copilot into classrooms has ignited both optimism and ethical debate. 
• While AI is enhancing learning efficiency and pedagogic creativity, it also raises concerns about academic integrity, digital inequality, and dehumanized education.

Current Status of AI in Education

Global Context: According to a 2024 UNESCO report on AI in education, over 60% of developed nations have integrated AI tools into school and university-level teaching.

• In Finland, AI is used to personalise learning through adaptive systems like ViLLE.
• In the U.S., AI platforms like Khanmigo (by Khan Academy) assist teachers in real-time classroom management.
• China’s “Smart Education of China” initiative uses AI-driven monitoring, language translation, and data analytics for policy planning.

The global AI in education market was valued at USD 4.5 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 30 billion by 2030 (Allied Market Research, 2024).

Indian Context: India’s AI education ecosystem is expanding rapidly, though unevenly:

• As per the Central Square Foundation (2024), 70% of Indian school teachers are “tech-savvy” and use digital or AI-assisted tools.
• However, the National Sample Survey (NSS 2024) highlighted a digital divide—only 37% of rural households have Internet access, compared to 79% in urban areas.
• The AI in Education Market in India is expected to grow at over 40% CAGR by 2027 (NASSCOM, 2024).
• EdTech platforms like Unacademy, and Vedantu have introduced AI tutors and adaptive learning algorithms for personalized progress tracking.
• The CBSE and NCERT have started integrating AI modules into secondary education curricula.

India stands at an intersection — abundant demographic potential and digital ambition, yet constrained by infrastructure gaps and ethical readiness.

How AI is Transforming Teaching and Learning Practices in Indian Classrooms?

1. Personalised and Adaptive Learning

AI-based systems analyse each student’s learning pace and style.

• IIT Bombay’s BodhiTree uses AI to deliver customised feedback in online learning.
  

2. Administrative Efficiency

AI automates routine administrative tasks like grading, attendance, scheduling etc.

• Tools like Teachmint AI and ClassDojo are increasingly used in private schools for this purpose.
  

3. Assistive Learning for Inclusivity

AI facilitates inclusive education by assisting differently-abled learners.

• Microsoft’s Seeing AI helps visually impaired students read text aloud.
• Google’s Project Euphonia improves speech recognition for people with speech impairments.

4. Enhancing Language and STEM Education

AI translation and simulation tools bridge linguistic gaps in India’s multilingual classrooms.

• AI-enabled STEM labs like Atal Tinkering Labs (NITI Aayog) use robotics and coding kits for experiential learning.

5. Teacher Empowerment

AI assists teachers in designing pedagogy, curricular content, lesson plans, quizzes, and visual aids quickly.

NEP 2020 and Artificial Intelligence

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 explicitly recognises AI as a critical tool for future-ready education.

Key Provisions:

• Integration of AI into Curriculum: NEP 2020 mandates teaching AI and data literacy from middle school level.
• AI-based Platforms: The policy advocates the use of Diksha, SWAYAM, and National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) for AI-enabled digital learning.
• Equitable Access: NEP’s vision of “Education for All” underscores technology as a leveller, provided access is inclusive.
• Skilling and Employability: AI is central to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and Skill India Digital Platform for re-skilling teachers and students.
  

Challenges in Using AI in Education

1. Ethical and Philosophical Dilemmas

AI threatens the humanistic essence of pedagogy — empathy, critical thinking, and teacher–student dialogue. 

• As educationists like Rabindranath Tagore and Bell Hooks emphasised, true learning is a human relationship, not algorithmic transmission.
• The CBSE (2024) had to issue advisories banning ChatGPT use in board exams due to misuse for cheating.
  

2. Digital Divide

• Only 37% of rural households have Internet access (NSS 2024).
• AI’s benefits disproportionately favour urban and English-speaking students, widening educational inequality.
  

3. Data Privacy and Security

AI systems rely on massive datasets, raising concerns about student profiling and data misuse.
India still lacks a specific AI ethics law, though the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023) offers a broad framework.

4. Superficial Technological Adoption

Teachers often conflate technological use with pedagogic innovation. A classroom using PowerPoint or videos is often deemed “AI-enabled,” masking deeper gaps in transformative learning.

5. Skill Gaps among Teachers

While 70% of teachers claim to be tech-savvy (CSF 2024), few have undergone formal AI training.
In-service training on ethics, pedagogy, and critical AI use remains inadequate.

6. Algorithmic Bias

AI systems trained on biased data may reproduce gender, linguistic, and caste-based inequalities, especially when local languages or socio-cultural contexts are underrepresented.

7. Superficial and Instrumental Use of AI

• According to a survey by the Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA), a high percentage of teachers employ AI tools in the classroom, more for the fulfilment of technical requirements than for dialogic engagement with students.
• As a result, AI integration often remains cosmetic — focusing on tools, not transformation.

Steps Taken to Integrate AI in Education 

1. India AI Mission (2024)

The India AI Mission, a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and NITI Aayog, rests on three key pillars:

• India AI Compute Capacity: Building world-class computing infrastructure.
• India AI Future Skills: Developing digital and AI literacy through teacher training.
• AI Application Development Initiative: Promoting AI solutions for socio-economic transformation.

2. AI Centres of Excellence (CoE)

• Establishment of AI CoEs in education, health, and governance under the India AI initiative.
• These centres aim to develop context-sensitive AI tools for schools and universities.
  

3. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)

• Launched by NITI Aayog, AIM’s Atal Tinkering Labs nurtures AI and robotics-based creativity among school students.

4. AI Curriculum by CBSE

• CBSE introduced AI as an elective subject in Class IX (2019). It includes modules on AI ethics, data literacy, and social responsibility.

5. Collaboration with Global Companies

• NVIDIA–Reliance Partnership (2023): Building AI infrastructure in India.
• Microsoft India Education Programs: AI skilling and teacher training.
• Google’s “AI for India 2.0” (2023): Focus on coding, digital literacy, and responsible AI.

6. Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA)

• DIKSHA, a national platform launched by the Ministry of Education, leverages AI-based analytics to provide adaptive learning and personalized content for students and teachers.
• AI tools analyse learner behaviour, engagement levels, and assessment performance to recommend customised learning paths.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, DIKSHA served over 15 crore learners and 60 lakh teachers, integrating multilingual digital content aligned with the NCERT curriculum.
• The platform’s AI-driven dashboards help education administrators track usage, course completion rates, and regional learning trends, enhancing data-driven decision-making.

7. Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+)

• UDISE+ is an upgraded, AI-enabled school data management system that collects real-time information from over 14.9 lakh schools across India.
• It uses predictive analytics to detect enrollment fluctuations, teacher vacancies, and infrastructure deficits, enabling timely interventions.
• AI-based insights help policymakers identify districts lagging in key indicators like Gender Parity Index (GPI) or Dropout Rates, improving accountability and resource allocation.
• For example, in 2023–24, UDISE+ data guided the expansion of over 1.2 lakh ICT-enabled classrooms under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme.

8. National Achievement Survey (NAS)

• Conducted by NCERT, the National Achievement Survey (NAS) assesses learning outcomes of students at classes 3, 5, 8, and 10.
• AI algorithms are used to analyse learning data across states and social groups to identify learning gaps and regional disparities.
• The NAS 2021 analysis, aided by AI-powered data visualization, helped policymakers pinpoint deficiencies in foundational numeracy and reading comprehension in 70% of surveyed districts.
• Such AI-based evaluation frameworks are now integral to the Performance Grading Index (PGI) for states and union territories.

9. NIPUN Bharat Mission (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy)

• Launched in 2021, NIPUN Bharat seeks to achieve Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) for all children by Grade 3 by 2026–27.
• AI tools are being integrated to track student progress, evaluate teacher interventions, and generate performance analytics.
• AI-driven Learning Outcome Tracking Systems (LOTS) are under development in states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka, providing real-time feedback loops for teachers and administrators.
• These tools improve accountability and transparency, ensuring that remedial measures are targeted and effective.

Way Forward

• Bridging the Digital Divide
  • Expand BharatNet and PM–eVIDYA to ensure Internet access in rural schools.
  • Subsidise devices for underprivileged students.
• Teacher Training and Ethical Pedagogy
  • Mandatory AI literacy and ethics modules in teacher education programs (NCTE & SCERTs).
  • Promote human–AI collaboration rather than substitution.
• Contextual AI Development
  • Encourage multilingual and culturally sensitive AI models, especially in regional languages.
• Data Governance Framework
  • Strengthen privacy protocols under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
  • Enforce accountability for data misuse by EdTech firms.
• Public–Private Collaboration
  • Foster partnerships between EdTech startups, academia, and government for scalable and inclusive solutions.
• AI for Equity, Not Elitism
  • Prioritise AI tools that enhance access, creativity, and inclusivity, not merely efficiency.
    

Conclusion

AI holds transformative potential to democratise education, making it more inclusive, personalised, and efficient. However, its promise will remain hollow if not rooted in ethics, equity, and empathy.

India’s challenge lies not merely in adopting AI but in ensuring it aligns with the humanistic and constitutional values of its education system. The India AI Mission must, therefore, be both a technological and moral project—one that empowers every learner and teacher to think critically, create freely, and learn meaningfully.

Mains Practice Question

1. Artificial Intelligence promises to revolutionize education, yet it poses ethical and structural challenges. Critically examine the impact of AI on India’s education system, highlighting the policy measures required to ensure its equitable and ethical integration.
   (Answer in 250 words)

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