AI courses from Class 6 in school, in UG programme; panel prepares framework

NEW DELHI: With the rapid emergence of publicly available generative AI (GenAI) tools, the centre has put forth a comprehensive plan to integrate artificial intelligence courses as early as Class 6 in school education.

A committee in its report titled “National Programme on Artificial Intelligence (NPAI) Skilling framework” has outlined a broad structure of courses on AI and data sciences and other measures to leverage AI technology for upskilling. The report, issued in June 2023, is a part of the ministry of electronics and information technology’s “National Program on Artificial Intelligence”.

The panel suggested introduction to AI should start from the early school levels and taught how it is used as well as its current application. The report suggests a basic curriculum for different levels of school students aligned with the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) as well as the National Credit Framework (NCrF).

Along with the courses on the use of AI, the panel also stressed on the need to dedicate at least 10% of each course to ethics in AI. “Every course, small or big, must have a module on ethical AI for a minimum of 10% of its duration. Ethical considerations, transparency, fairness, and privacy must be integrated into AI training programs to ensure that AI systems are developed and deployed responsibly,” the report said.

The report provides a list of existing courses and stresses the need for flexibility of creating courses, as the tools of AI are still evolving and changing at a very fast pace. The report also highlights a need for smaller modules in the form of micro-credentials and NOSs together with need of agility into the process of creating the newer courses.

The panel has asked regulatory bodies like the National Council for Vocational Education and Training, All India Council for Technical Education, and University Grants Commission to frame guidelines and set standards for AI education. The University Grants Commission posted the report on its website on Monday.

The efforts are aimed to fill a skill gap highlighted by a recent NASSCOM report which suggested that there is 51% deficit in demand and supply of skills in AI and other disruptive technology. By 2024, the estimated demand for Artificial Intelligence, data science professionals in India is expected to be over 10 lakh, the report said.

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AI in school education

As per the committee report, the curriculum in schools should be age-appropriate and cover fundamental concepts of AI, including machine learning, data handling, programming, and ethical considerations.

From Classes 6 to 8, the panel suggests modules on understanding what is AI and subsequently, from Class 9 to 10, students can be taught AI with a mini project. In higher classes, the panel has suggested teaching maths and statistics for AI, AI-based library tools and the need for handling data security and privacy. At each level, the panel has stipulated hours and ethics modules.

Not limited to students, the report also recommends faculty development programmes focussing on enhancing teachers’ understanding of AI concepts, teaching methodologies, and the use of technology in AI education. In turn, the teachers, the report said, should also provide guidance to update the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) to incorporate AI into existing subjects or as a standalone module.

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AI for non-IT graduates

For students who graduated in non-IT disciplines, the panel suggests a curriculum that can cover AI fundamentals, AI-related policies, ethical considerations, and critical thinking skills necessary for informed decision.

In addition to basics in AI, the panel has suggested topics like dataset and types of data, internet of things (IoT), Robotics and automation, problem solving and decision making, searching and sorting algorithmic techniques, different types of malware threats among others.

To make Industrial Training Institute (ITI) courses aspirational, the panel has recommended a broad structure for a one-year ITI course of AI. They will come at NSQF levels 2.5 to 4. Using ChatGpt for education, ChatGpt or Bard for website design, basics of prompt engineering etc are some of the suggested topics.

For IT students, advanced and in-depth technical knowledge of AI algorithms, machine learning, deep learning, and data analytics have been suggested. Other than the courses on AI, IT graduates may be given options of choosing courses as described in the available list of courses for AICTE or from any of the NSQF aligned courses as part of National Qualification Register (NQR) which maintains a list of all the NSQF aligned courses in area of skilling.

Apart from school and undergraduate level, the panel has also suggested upskilling modules for working professionals in different fields like service sector and manufacturing sector.