Unique | CBSE AI, Youth Skills, Shaping Digital Future: Intel Official Explains Govt-Backed Steps

Intel India has partnered with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) under the Ministry of Education to integrate new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT). and concepts such as computational thinking, algorithmic thinking and tinkering into the curriculum of formal education.

The “AIoT Integration in School Curriculum” program launched with selected schools in September 2022 gives both teachers and students the opportunity to learn and apply new technologies. This initiative is important considering how the pandemic has accelerated the need for digital adoption and to ensure that the next generation is ready for a technology-driven world, Intel, AIM and CBSE have joined hands.

Shweta Khurana, Senior Director – APJ, Government Partnerships & Initiatives, Global Government Affairs, Intel spoke exclusively to Return Byte about the initiatives and how they will shape India’s future.

Clever India

Khurana said teachers will create lesson plans integrated with AIoT (AI and IoT) to improve learning outcomes, and when students are ready, they can build original AIoT solutions to solve local and global challenges.

The first phase will focus on training AIoT subjects and computer teachers by encouraging them to create lesson plans based on their new learnings and then share the knowledge in the classroom. and use their learning to create socially impactful projects.

According to Khurana, “The startup focuses on building technical skills by teaching different areas of AI, data cleansing, prototyping, circuit building, programming and more. It equally focuses on learning all about building social impact and solution building skills like statistical analysis, critical thinking, effective communication, problem solving etc.

“We want to help develop a digital mindset that allows teachers and students to learn new technologies and develop the ability to apply them responsibly,” he added.

The National Education Policy 2020 recognizes the potential of artificial intelligence and suggests that it can be used to improve teaching and learning processes, personalize and make education more inclusive, and help decision-making in education administration.

NEP also recommends that students and teachers develop AI-related skills and establish centers of excellence for AI education and research. It aims to promote the use of technology in education to improve the quality and meaning of learning outcomes.

Khurana told Return Byte, “We see NEP 2020 as a guiding principle that recognizes the importance of AI in today’s world and proposes its integration into the education system to ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the future.”

The challenges

However, he explained that while there is a policy framework (NEP 2020) and a desire to build public-private partnerships at scale, some of the key challenges are the lack of the necessary digital infrastructure and the need for significant investment to create it. and the need to raise awareness of the benefits of AI to encourage its adoption.

“Responding to the above-mentioned challenges requires a multifaceted approach involving all partners, such as government, industry, academia and civil society. If these challenges are met, India is on its way to becoming one of the global AI leaders with a truly future-ready workforce, Khurana said.

When asked about young people’s misuse of such technology, he said: “We explain to students the basics of AI – the domains, applications, possibilities and impact on our lives; they gain an understanding of the ethical concerns surrounding AI and learn more about the transparency, fairness, accountability and privacy concerns of AI. Plus examples about responsible artificial intelligence is shared with young people so that they understand the impact of artificial intelligence and its ethical aspects.

Bridging the digital divide

The global company has been working on several initiatives in India to create an AI-ready generation in collaboration with various government organizations and state and local governments.

These government-backed programs are designed to close the digital skills gap and empower young people to meet the growing demands of the industry, preparing them for the future.

For example, Khurana said that since 2019, Intel has partnered with CBSE and built capacity for over 20,000 teachers and worked with over 350,000 students through boot camps and mentoring camps. In addition, Intel has also launched an AI student community in 2021 and a community for teachers in 2022.

Similarly, in 2020, it partnered with the IT Ministry’s National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and launched a new initiative called ‘Responsible AI for Youth’ to upskill skilled youth from government schools across India. According to Khurana, this program has reached more than 50,000 students.

He also spoke about the ‘AI for All’ (2021) program launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in collaboration with CBSE.

According to Khurana, which is available in 11 Indian languages, this program aimed to raise AI awareness among one million citizens in one year and has now enabled 3 million people across India in less than two years.

In addition, he said that in 2022, Intel launched a program with the Department of Science and Technology to provide artificial intelligence skills to the laureates of the Inspire-awards MANAK system, which has trained more than 10,000 students so far.

In addition to all this, the Unnati program is expected to help engineering students in India with industry-relevant knowledge-based skills.

Khurana also said, “100 Intel Unnati Data-Centric Labs for emerging technologies were established at Intel universities and engineering institutes. The initiative provides long-term capabilities to universities in technology and laboratory infrastructure, enabling greater focus on research and innovation.

“This year we have already announced the Intel AI for Future Workforce program, which has been accredited by the National Council of Vocational Education & Training as National Skills Qualification Framework Level 4. It has 510 hours of learning to help equip the workforce of the future with the AI ​​skills they need for employability “, he added.

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