The increased demand for Artificial Intelligence and data science in India has encouraged the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to include AI courses in the education system. It is expected to incorporate AI courses in the school curriculum. These AI courses will begin at the school level, which will be starting from class 6. A committee has developed and drafted a comprehensive curriculum under the ‘National Programme on Artificial Intelligence Skilling Framework’. This will enable students across the country to be equipped for AI education. As per reports, it is also expected that the demand for Artificial Intelligence or Data Science professionals in India will cross 1 million in 2024.   

As per the committee report released in June 2023, there is a considerable need to introduce AI education at various levels of the educational system in India. These AI courses will align with the National Credit Framework and the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework to guarantee a common approach to AI education across the country.   

The team suggested that a minimum of 10% of course time should be spent on areas like ethical issues, emphasising the importance of ethical considerations in AI education. This kind of strategy stresses openness, equity and privacy to enhance the responsible development and application of AI systems. The paper focuses on the significance of flexible course development to keep updated with the frequently transforming field of AI. It suggests creating more solid modules like micro-credentials to keep updated with technological advancements. Regulatory organisations like the University Grants Commission, the All-India Council for Technical Education and the National Council for Vocational Education and Training handle the processes, such as creating policies and standards for AI education.   

According to the recent NASSCOM survey, there prevails a 51% gap between the supply and demand for AI and disruptive technology skills that has triggered the creation of AI courses in undergraduate programmes and various educational institutions. The curriculum developed is age-appropriate, meticulously designed, and includes programming, machine learning, data management, ethics and basics of AI. The report also recommends various faculty development techniques in order to enhance the teacher’s understanding of AI principles.   

AI skilling  

A wide range of AI skilling classes are available, and more are being created nowadays. Organisations such as Future Skills Prime, NPTEL, the Centre of Advanced Studies and NIELIT offer AI courses as per the government’s skill development network. Besides offering courses at the school level, they are also available through AICTE-accredited colleges.   

The AI assessments are categorised into four:  

  1. Knowledge-based assessment: These assessments involve components like multiple-choice questions and automatically scored interactive environments. Subject matter experts will develop such assessments per the sound assessment design guidelines. Administrator training is also necessary for proctors in order to facilitate these examinations. According to the needs, such tests can be administered in formative or summative formats.   
  2. Application-based assessment: the students who are undergraduates or college students will administer these tests, and college faculty members will evaluate the final results in conjunction with business partners who will implement common standards and evaluation rules. The people who assess them will be trained by industry professionals or in compliance with institutional guidelines.   
  3. Certified by industry: The industry or Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will be the ones who decide the standards and criteria for evaluation.   
  4. Projects, hackathons and internships: The assessments will include specific initiatives aligned with the project objectives and led by the industry. This will make the training inevitable to meet these objectives.   

Sources of Article

  • https://www.financialexpress.com/jobs-career/education/ai-and-data-science-rising-in-demand-india-to-have-ai-education-in-school-curriculum-starting-from-class-6nbspbkg/3294660/
  • Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash

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