Three IITs will unite to host a centre of excellence in artificial intelligence for education, expected to innovate teaching and learning practices.

In her budget speech for 2025-26, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a proposal to set up the centre of excellence with an outlay of ₹500 crore.

The ministry of education is said to have decided that the IITs in Kanpur, Ropar and Jammu will host the centre as a not-for-profit company under Section 8 of the Companies Act.

The centre will involve experts in research areas like tools to assess students’ skill levels and provide customised instructions to help them learn concepts at their own pace, bolster classroom management by tracking students’ behaviours and engagement, and initiate an automated grading and assessment tool.

With the advent of new technologies, AI is being used to address inequalities in access to knowledge and research. Two government officials said the principal scientific adviser was monitoring the progress in setting up the centre.

In 2023, the government announced plans to set up centres of excellence in artificial intelligence for agriculture, health and sustainable
cities.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on March 28, minister of state for information technology Jitin Prasada said
that consortia led by AIIMS Delhi-IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur and IIT Ropar had been selected for setting up centres of excellence in AI in the areas of health, sustainable cities and agriculture,
respectively.

The research and technology development outputs from these consortia are envisaged to integrate government schemes across these sectors, ensuring that innovations translate into actionable solutions for public benefit.