India is on its way to becoming the global leader in preparing school students for artificial intelligence, said Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Education and Skill Development, while celebrating 10 years of the Skill India Mission. As per his statement, the country is building the foundation for an AI-ready generation through focused efforts in digital literacy, coding, data science, and future tech. These remarks were made during a national event that marked a decade of this ambitious skill development programme launched back in 2015.
I wanted to cover this development because India’s journey in skilling its youth for future jobs is more important now than ever. The entire world is rapidly shifting towards AI, automation, and machine learning. If our students, especially from government and rural schools, are empowered early on, they won’t just find jobs — they’ll create them. It’s a bold vision, and as someone who follows educational policy and tech changes, I find it important to highlight such initiatives. The progress of Skill India directly affects millions of young Indians who are looking to upskill and stay relevant in the job market.
India’s Skill Push: A Decade of Progress
Launched in 2015, the Skill India Mission aimed to train youth in industry-relevant skills and improve their employability. Over the last 10 years, the scheme has trained over 1.5 crore individuals under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). From technical training to soft skills, the government has partnered with industries, institutions, and even startups to build a workforce that can meet both current and future demands.
In his speech, Jayant Chaudhary highlighted how India has successfully integrated AI and digital tech into school-level learning under this initiative. Key updates include:
- National Education Policy (NEP 2020) promoting coding and digital skills from Grade 6
- AI and emerging tech bootcamps in over 5,000 schools across India
- Integration of AI curriculum by CBSE and state boards
- Public-private partnerships for skilling teachers in digital tools
- Special focus on rural schools and marginalised students
Why “AI-Ready” Schools Matter
In simple words, an AI-ready school prepares students to understand and use artificial intelligence in real-world applications. It’s not just about teaching coding — it’s about training students to use data, solve problems with logic, and understand how AI can be used in fields like agriculture, healthcare, and finance.
India has one of the youngest populations in the world, with over 250 million school-going students. If this population is skilled properly, India will not just meet its own tech demands, but will also supply AI talent to the global market.
However, for this vision to truly work, the training has to be uniform. While metro schools have already started AI clubs and robotics labs, rural schools still lack internet and digital infrastructure. The government’s push through Skill India to bridge this gap is what makes this announcement by Jayant Chaudhary so crucial.
Real-World Applications Already Visible
Under various pilot projects, students in several government schools have created AI-based models for:
- Crop health detection using drones
- Voice-based medical assistance for elderly villagers
- Local language chatbots for digital learning
- Pollution tracking systems in urban slums
These are not just academic exercises — they’re proof that even young students, when given the tools and training, can innovate at a real-world level.
Challenges That Still Exist
While the roadmap is strong, India still faces key hurdles in making all schools AI-ready:
- Internet access is still patchy in many districts
- Lack of trained AI or computer science teachers
- High teacher-student ratio affects focused learning
- Resistance to change in traditional curriculum formats
Unless these are tackled head-on with proper funding and monitoring, only a limited set of students will truly benefit.
