Punjab 1st Indian state adopting compulsory AI for Classes 1-12
Punjab just became the first Indian state to make artificial intelligence (AI) a compulsory subject from Class one all the way up to Class 12.
The new Sarbat.AI program, announced by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, is all about giving students the tools they need to succeed in a tech-focused world: think innovation, responsible AI use, and even entrepreneurship.
Sarbat. AI 2-phase rollout covers 31.5L
Sarbat. AI will launch in two phases.
First up, AI will be added to computer science classes for Classes eight through 12 in government and affiliated private schools, reaching about 31.5 lakh students across more than 25,000 schools in total across all phases.
Next, younger kids in Classes one through seven will get age-appropriate AI lessons too.
Adopts UNESCO ethics, trains 2L+ teachers
Punjab's approach takes cues from countries like Singapore and Finland, while sticking closely to UNESCO's guidelines for ethical tech use.
Big names like Google and Intel are on board as partners, and eventually more than two lakh teachers will be trained so everyone gets a head start with AI skills.