Students to learn AI, computational thinking from Class 3 starting 2026–27; CBSE, NCERT to frame curriculum

The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, has introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computational Thinking (CT) in schools from Class 3 onwards, starting the academic session 2026–27. The initiative is part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and will be implemented under the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF SE) 2023.

According to the ministry, the AI and CT curriculum will be developed and integrated with existing subjects from the foundational stage. It will include curriculum design, time allocation, and the creation of handbooks and digital materials by December 2025.

To support the integration of AI & CT in classrooms, the Ministry will conduct teacher training through the National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) and other grade-specific programmes.

NISHTHA’s digital and offline courses will include components on lesson design, use of AI-based learning resources, and ethical use of technology. According to official press releases, collaboration between NCERT and CBSE through a Coordination Committee under NCF SE will ensure integration, structuring, and quality assurance.

“Artificial Intelligence and Computational Thinking (AI & CT) will reinforce the concept of learning, thinking, and teaching, and will gradually expand towards the idea of “AI for Public Good.” This initiative marks a nascent yet significant step towards the ethical use of AI to solve complex challenges, as the technology will be organically embedded from the foundational stage, beginning in Grade 3,” the official press release said.

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IIT Madras expert to lead CBSE committee

The Department is working with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), and state and union territory education departments to design the framework through a consultative process. A stakeholder consultation was held on October 29, 2025, bringing together these bodies along with external experts.

The CBSE has set up an expert committee chaired by Karthik Raman of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to develop the AI and CT framework.

Addressing the consultation, Secretary (School Education) Sanjay Kumar said that education in AI should be treated as a basic universal skill linked to The World Around Us (TWAU). He said the framework should remain broad-based, inclusive, and responsive to evolving educational and technological needs.