Eduverse | Recontextualising NEP in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Over the past five years, rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI)—both globally and nationally—have dramatically reshaped human learning and the world of work. The scale of this transformation demands that the context for implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) be updated to reflect the emergence of AI. Such recontextualisation is not a rejection of NEP’s vision but rather its evolutionary operationalisation, ensuring that its goals are realised through technology-driven approaches that prepare students to thrive in a world of artificially augmented intelligence. The recently announced national programmes, highlighted at the Global AI Impact Summit in Delhi, provide decisive evidence of this strategic shift.

The Visionary Foundation for Technology

NEP 2020 anticipated the centrality of technology in education. It recommended that contemporary subjects such as AI be introduced where appropriate, and that digital tools be leveraged to enhance teaching, learning, and assessment. Crucially, NEP envisaged the use of AI and data analytics to create competency-based, personalised learning environments—bridging geographic inequities and addressing diverse learner needs.

This foundational vision now serves as the ideal launchpad for deeper AI integration. Platforms like DIKSHA, already reaching over 200 million students, are being equipped with AI-enabled features that personalise learning pathways and identify individual gaps, thereby transforming scale into precision.

India’s Strategic Plan

NEP 2020 provides the conceptual framework for education, and its implementation is being advanced through a national strategy that combines flagship programmes, substantial budget allocations, and the development of indigenous technology. This multi-pronged approach is not merely administrative—it is the scaffolding for an actionable plan that positions India at the forefront of AI-enabled education.

By aligning NEP’s visionary goals with the country’s AI strategy, India is laying the groundwork for an education system that is adaptive, inclusive, and future-ready.

Financial Investment and Institutional Structure

In the past two Union Budgets, the Government of India has allocated several hundred crores to establish a National Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for education. This central hub, created by the Ministry of Education, will serve as the foundation for a network of decentralised, state-level CoEs.

The National CoE is envisioned as a collaborative platform, working with leading universities and industries to design specialised curricula, train faculty, and develop AI learning labs across higher education. Its role is not only infrastructural but catalytic—ensuring that AI integration in teaching and learning is both systematic and scalable.

Complementing this, the broader IndiaAI Mission fosters innovation through public–private partnerships. Flagship initiatives such as AI4Bharat at IIT Madras, which develops open-source AI models for Indian languages, exemplify how national funding is being channelled into projects that combine technological advancement with cultural inclusivity.

Reforming Curriculum & Developing Skills

Curriculum reform is central to India’s AI readiness. The Skilling for AI Readiness programme, launched in July 2025 by the Ministry of Vocational and Skill Development, targets students in grades 6–12 along with their educators. Its modules emphasise both the fundamentals of machine learning and the ethical use of AI, cultivating a generation with baseline AI literacy.

At the higher education level, AI is reshaping professional fields:

n Medicine: AI-assisted diagnostics, precision medicine, and simulation-based training are equipping future doctors to be both technologically adept and patient-focused.

n Engineering: Degree programmes are embedding interdisciplinary approaches, data science, and intelligent systems design to prepare graduates for innovation-driven industries.

n Agriculture: AI applications in climate modelling, precision farming, and supply chain optimisation are enhancing sustainability and productivity.

Together, these transformations are producing a new cadre of industry-ready students—tech-savvy, research-oriented, and committed to addressing societal needs.

Acquisition of Infrastructure and Indigenous Tools

To democratise access, the government is supporting Composite Skill Labs at the school level, equipped with tools for AI, 3D printing, and other emerging technologies. Parallel efforts such as Bhashini and indigenous large language models (LLMs) like BharatGen and Sarvam-1 are breaking down linguistic barriers, enabling students to access AI-powered educational materials in their mother tongue.

This emphasis on indigenous tools ensures that India’s AI ecosystem is not only globally competitive but also locally relevant, empowering learners across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts.

(The writer is Advisor & Professor of Eminence at Reliance Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai.)