<p>New Delhi: In a significant push to align technical education with industry needs, an industry-led <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/artificial-intelligence">AI</a> curriculum task force has recommended moving away from traditional lecture-based teaching towards learning rooted in real-world industry use cases, starting from the first semester of engineering programmes.</p><p>The task force has proposed increasing practical exposure for engineering students from the current 25-30 per cent to 40-75 per cent, depending on the degree and specialisation. </p><p>The recommendations aim to better prepare students for AI development by bridging critical gaps in pedagogy, infrastructure, and hands-on training, particularly in emerging areas such as Generative AI, Machine Learning Operations (MLOps), and foundational model development.</p>.AI can complement education, not replace it.<p>The suggestions were discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday. </p><p>Participants included NASSCOM President Rajesh Nambiar, who also serves as Cognizant Foundation director, Wipro Chief Operating Officer Sanjeev Jain, and representatives from Wipro and TCS.</p><p>A baseline study of the existing B.Tech Computer Science and allied curricula in Indian institutions, conducted in partnership with industry experts and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/nasscom">NASSCOM</a>, found that while AI coverage has expanded, significant shortcomings remain in practical application and infrastructure.</p><p>Key recommendations including anchor teaching in real industry use cases from the first semester, distribute industry exposure throughout the programme via capstone projects, end-to-end AI solution engineering, and greater use of low-code and no-code tools, introduce multiple entry-exit options, allowing students to exit with a certificate after one year, a diploma after two years, and an advanced diploma after three years, prioritise faculty development through structured train-the-trainer programmes, standardised assessments and modernisation of labs with current industry tools and engage seasoned industry professionals as adjunct faculty, drawing on models used by top business schools.</p><p>The task force emphasised that curriculum reform must go hand-in-hand with faculty readiness and infrastructure upgrades.</p><p> It also called for focused interventions in non-STEM disciplines.</p><p>The meeting ended with consensus on four immediate next steps: estimating national-level requirements for compute, infrastructure, faculty, and learner volumes; engaging the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for formal adoption of the revamped curriculum; developing a faculty training roadmap with industry involvement; and creating parallel tracks for non-STEM fields.</p>
<p>New Delhi: In a significant push to align technical education with industry needs, an industry-led <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/artificial-intelligence">AI</a> curriculum task force has recommended moving away from traditional lecture-based teaching towards learning rooted in real-world industry use cases, starting from the first semester of engineering programmes.</p><p>The task force has proposed increasing practical exposure for engineering students from the current 25-30 per cent to 40-75 per cent, depending on the degree and specialisation. </p><p>The recommendations aim to better prepare students for AI development by bridging critical gaps in pedagogy, infrastructure, and hands-on training, particularly in emerging areas such as Generative AI, Machine Learning Operations (MLOps), and foundational model development.</p>.AI can complement education, not replace it.<p>The suggestions were discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday. </p><p>Participants included NASSCOM President Rajesh Nambiar, who also serves as Cognizant Foundation director, Wipro Chief Operating Officer Sanjeev Jain, and representatives from Wipro and TCS.</p><p>A baseline study of the existing B.Tech Computer Science and allied curricula in Indian institutions, conducted in partnership with industry experts and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/nasscom">NASSCOM</a>, found that while AI coverage has expanded, significant shortcomings remain in practical application and infrastructure.</p><p>Key recommendations including anchor teaching in real industry use cases from the first semester, distribute industry exposure throughout the programme via capstone projects, end-to-end AI solution engineering, and greater use of low-code and no-code tools, introduce multiple entry-exit options, allowing students to exit with a certificate after one year, a diploma after two years, and an advanced diploma after three years, prioritise faculty development through structured train-the-trainer programmes, standardised assessments and modernisation of labs with current industry tools and engage seasoned industry professionals as adjunct faculty, drawing on models used by top business schools.</p><p>The task force emphasised that curriculum reform must go hand-in-hand with faculty readiness and infrastructure upgrades.</p><p> It also called for focused interventions in non-STEM disciplines.</p><p>The meeting ended with consensus on four immediate next steps: estimating national-level requirements for compute, infrastructure, faculty, and learner volumes; engaging the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for formal adoption of the revamped curriculum; developing a faculty training roadmap with industry involvement; and creating parallel tracks for non-STEM fields.</p>