Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence (CT & AI) curriculum for Classes III to VIII under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on April 1, marking the first day of the 2026–27 academic session. The launch took place at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of senior government officials and education stakeholders.The curriculum, developed in collaboration with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), formally brings structured AI education into the CBSE school system at scale. Pradhan described it as “a transformative step towards future-ready learning,” adding that the initiative “formally introduces structured AI education into the school ecosystem at scale.”
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan poses with Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Sanjay Kumar IAS, Dr Vineet Joshi IAS, Rahul Singh IAS, Dr Dinesh Prasad Saklani, and Ms Prachi Pandey while presenting the CBSE CT & AI syllabus at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
A curriculum built for the classroomThe CT & AI curriculum comes equipped with structured learning modules, comprehensive teacher handbooks, and robust student assessment frameworks. Pradhan noted that the initiative “ensures early and systematic exposure to emerging technologies laying a strong foundation for the learners of tomorrow.” These resources are designed to give both students and teachers a clear, practical pathway into AI and computational thinking — right from Class III.Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary co-launched the curriculum alongside Pradhan. Also present at the event were Sanjay Kumar IAS, Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy; Dr Vineet Joshi IAS, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education; Rahul Singh IAS, Chairperson of CBSE; Dr Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director of NCERT; and Ms Prachi Pandey, Joint Secretary (Institutions & Training), Department of School Education & Literacy.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan poses with the CBSE CT & AI curriculum development team and dignitaries including Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Sanjay Kumar IAS, Dr Vineet Joshi IAS, Rahul Singh IAS, Dr Dinesh Prasad Saklani, and Ms Prachi Pandey at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, celebrating the launch of the Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence syllabus for Classes III to VIII.
AI for Education and AI in EducationPradhan outlined two guiding strategies behind the initiative — “AI for Education” and “AI in Education” — framing them as a push towards what he called “augmented learning.” In his words, the curriculum marks “a decisive shift towards augmented learning — nurturing critical thinking, design orientation and a culture of innovation among young minds.”Citing the Stanford AI Knowledge Index, he noted that India currently ranks as the third-largest country in the world in terms of AI-capable population. “If we review the Stanford AI Knowledge Index today, India is the third-largest country in the world where people with AI capacity reside. This has been possible because India’s academia and educational family have taken AI as their agenda. Today, we have worked to bring it into a formal structure,” he said.
Students, teachers, and education stakeholders listen attentively as Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addresses the audience during the launch of the CBSE CT & AI curriculum at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
CBSE and NCERT draw praisePradhan also spoke about India’s growing global standing in technology-driven computing, saying the curriculum “will empower students to meaningfully engage with and shape the digital future.” He congratulated both CBSE and NCERT for “institutionalising this forward-looking framework and advancing a more adaptive, technology-integrated education ecosystem.” The curriculum’s rollout from the very first day of the academic year signals the government’s intent to treat AI literacy as a core part of school education, rather than an optional addition.
