New Delhi: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay, and grow.
That India is taking AI seriously was never in doubt. Now, the policy to catch them young and make them learn has been unveiled.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced a structured curriculum on Computational Thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for classes III to VIII.
Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the curriculum at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on Wednesday. Aimed at building AI-readiness among students from an early age, the curriculum recommends 50 hours annually for classes III to V and 100 hours for classes VI to VIII to ensure a gradual and age-appropriate progression for a phased integration of CT and AI concepts into school education.
The curriculum will be implemented in 32,900 CBSE-affiliated schools from the 2026-27 academic session.
Pradhan described it as a “transformative step” toward future-ready learning, backed by structured modules, teacher handbooks, and assessment frameworks. “With India’s leadership in technology-driven computing gaining global recognition, the curriculum would empower students to meaningfully engage with and shape the digital future,” the Education minister said.
The curriculum has been developed by a 10-member expert committee, led by Dr Karthik Raman of IIT-Madras. The panel included experts from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru and Dhirubhai Ambani University, Gandhinagar, among others.
“The committee held nine meetings over three months and consulted NCERT officials, technology experts, principals, and computer teachers of CBSE-affiliated schools,” informed CBSE chairman Rahul Singh.
According to School Education secretary Sanjay Kumar, the initiative places India among countries like China, South Korea, Finland, Estonia and Singapore that have introduced AI education in schools.
How it will work
For classes III to V, CT will be embedded within environmental studies, through The World Around Us (TWAU) textbook, and mathematics. Students will be taught foundational skills like logical thinking, pattern recognition, and sequencing through puzzles, games, and exercises. Every class will be supported by a resource book aligned chapter-wise with textbooks, enabling teachers to integrate CT seamlessly into classroom teaching. Assessments will be linked to core subjects to ensure alignment with pedagogy.
For Classes VI to VIII, the curriculum will include advanced CT skills, introductory AI concepts and interdisciplinary projects. Forty of the 100 hours annually will be allocated to advanced CT, 20 hours to AI fundamentals, and the remaining 40 hours to project-based learning. Students will apply CT to complex problems, gain exposure to AI tools, and understand real-world applications of AI. The curriculum also introduces critical themes such as digital footprints, bias, privacy, and fairness to foster responsible digital citizenship, HT reported.
Interdisciplinary projects will integrate mathematics, science, social studies and English. Students will be encouraged to design creative, data-driven solutions to real-world problems. Assessment for these classes will focus on project presentations, assignments, reflective journals, and tasks, supported by clear evaluation rubrics to ensure consistency.
