NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has constituted an expert committee chaired by IIT-Madras professor Karthik Raman to develop a curriculum for artificial intelligence and computational thinking (AI & CT) for Class 3 students. The education ministry recently decided that this subject would be introduced from the foundation level for students from the academic year 2026-2027.
The panel was formed after a consultation was held on Wednesday with expert bodies including the CBSE, NCERT, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Sangathan and external experts, said a statement from the ministry. Development of resource materials, handbooks, and digital resources are expected to be in place by December 2025.
Speaking at the meet, Sanjay Kumar, secretary (school education & literacy), emphasised that education in AI should be treated as a basic universal skill linked to the ‘world around us’ (TWAU). “The curriculum must be broad-based, inclusive, and aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF SE) 2023. Every child’s distinct potential is our priority. Our job as policymakers is to define the minimum threshold and re-evaluate it based on the changing needs,” he said.
Collaboration between NCERT and CBSE through a coordination panel will ensure seamless integration, structuring, and quality assurance, the secretary said. “It is good to have cross-national and cross-international boards analysis and have an international perspective, but it needs to be specific to our needs,” he added.
Kumar highlighted that teacher training and learning-teaching materials, including the National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) teacher training modules and video-based learning resources, will form the backbone of curriculum implementation. NISHTHA is a capacity building programme for teachers.
Prachi Pandey, joint secretary ((institutions & training), emphasised the importance of adhering to the established timelines for curriculum development and rollout.
The ministry said the department of school education & literacy has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing AI & CT as essential components of future-ready education. Along with states/UTs, the department was supporting institutions in designing an inclusive curriculum under the broad ambit of NCF SE 2023 through a consultative process.
From ’26-’27 academic yr
Course on AI will be introduced from the foundation level for students from the academic year 2026-2027
Development of resource material, handbooks and digital resources by December 2025
Teacher training through NISHTHA and other institutions designed to be grade-specific and time-bound
Sanjay Kumar, secretary (school education & literacy), emphasised that education in AI should be treated as a basic universal skill
