We have to connect school children with AI education from this year: Dharmendra Pradhan

NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday emphasised the need to connect school children with artificial intelligence education and urged educationists to prepare age-appropriate and AI-embedded textbooks. Pradhan was addressing a gathering at the launch of 'Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camps' besides 13 primers in Indian languages developed by Central Institute of Indian Languages and special modules developed by NCERT.

"AI is rapidly making its place in the world; from this year itself, we have to try to connect Indian school children with AI education. I urge our educationists to prepare age-appropriate, AI-embedded textbooks — we need an exponential jump, not an incremental reform. For this, it is essential to connect technology like AI/ML with Indian languages so that it becomes a force multiplier," he said.

Stressing that studying in mother tongue strengthens the basic understanding of children, Pradhan called for out-of-box ideas to promote Indian languages. "Today, when market forces are also leveraging Indian languages, we have to think out-of-box, beyond traditional methods, to promote our languages. The successes of Chandrayaan, Akash and Brahmos are proof of the strength of our education system.

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Integrating Indian languages and technology

We have to give more emphasis on research. "In this direction, PMRF (PM Research Fellowship) is being brought in a new form by linking it with India's national priorities. For its success, it is necessary to connect every section of the society with this pipeline. Under the National Education Policy, we have to reach the new generation by connecting the depth of Indian languages with technology. I believe that this initiative will soon reach every district and school of the country," he said.

Pradhan also lauded Jiya Kumari from Bihar, who grew up in Tamil Nadu and recently scored 93 marks in Tamil language in the class 10 examination. "...she has opened the eyes of those who try to divide the country on the basis of language. At a time when India is moving towards all-round development with its heritage, this event becomes even more relevant.

To make India a developed nation and the world's number one economy, we will have to make rapid efforts towards imparting education in mother tongue at least till class 8," he said. The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the Centre have been at loggerheads over implementation of the three-language formula in new education policy.