Coding the Future—Free AI Training and Labs to Spark a Digital Generation

Image Source: India Education Diary

Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary in an effort to make India AI-literate from the beginning revealed the Centre's ambitious vision plan to enable students from Class 6 onwards for the AI future. The plan includes free courses on AI, teacher training modules, and a massive increase in tinkering labs—all to make students fit for the AI future.

1. 'AI for Everyone, AI for All'—Free Courses for Students

The theme course, which debuts July 15, will target students Class 6 to Class 12 with a basic understanding in AI.
Developed in partnership with leading tech firms and screened by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT), the course will include AI ethics and understanding of AI-generated content.

2. Empowering Educators with AI Pedagogy

Special training modules for teachers are being implemented in order to enable educators to effectively teach AI principles within classrooms.

The government is collaborating with NCERT to include AI and future skills in school textbooks.

3. Tinkering Labs to Increase from 10,000 to 50,000 Schools

The Centre aims to increase Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) to 50,000 schools, promoting hands-on innovation in AI, IoT, and robotics.
These labs will be the cutting-edge playgrounds for students to experiment with actual applications of technology in life.

4. Equity Through Digital Access

Initiatives like Skill India Digital Hub and FutureSkills Prime (NASSCOM and MeitY initiatives) will offer complimentary AI courses to Indian learners.
Chaudhary emphasized that this is all about inclusion, so that the students in small-town India and rural India are not left behind.

5. Pilot Phase Starts with Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs)

The deployment would initially be extended to JNVs, which take economically weaker section students.

"When AI learning is made available to JNV students, the multiplier effect would be immense," Chaudhary added.

Sources: Moneycontrol, Press Information Bureau, Skill Reporter, Atal Innovation Mission