The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has launched a 20-hour course on computational thinking (CT) and artificial intelligence (AI) for students in grades 9 to 12. The activity-based learning resource was developed by experts from IIT Madras, IIT Jodhpur and NCERT to help students grasp the concept of AI, its pros and cons, and the responsible use of the technology.
The NCERT has developed the activity-based module in consultation with IIT Madras and IIT Jodhpur.
The module seeks to help students understand how AI works, assess its limitations, and become careful, confident, creative, and responsible users and evaluators of AI systems, rather than relying on its outputs without verification.
It consists of five units which introduce to students the concepts of AI in real examples and hands-on activities.
Unit 1 takes a look at how AI is applied in everyday life, such as predictive keyboard functions on smartphones and how AI helps deliver music recommendations. The second details the process of teaching computers to learn by example. Students will be able to train image classifiers and test their capabilities to develop the understanding of the effect of training data on AI performance.
The third unit, titled When AI Gets It Wrong, examines misinformation, deepfakes and AI hallucinations. In addition, it brings a five-step approach to checking information before taking it on board or sharing it.
The 4th unit is about personal data, consent, fairness and digital safety. It explains the Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, of India, and invites the students to analyse the privacy policies of the apps they use.
The NCERT also warns students not to enter into AI tools with sensitive details like Aadhaar and PAN numbers, passwords, one-time passwords (OTPs), or personal documents.
In the fifth unit, students will learn to craft and edit prompts, assess AI output, and edit inaccuracies. The module aims to foster the use of AI as a tool for aid, not replacement, of independent thought.
"Designed for students with no prior knowledge of AI, the module promotes critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. It introduces CT as a systematic approach to solving problems and helps learners understand how AI works, its applications, possibilities and limitations.
"The module uses activity-based learning to explain AI concepts, applications, limitations, data privacy, and responsible technology use. It adopts an experiential, activity-based learning approach through discussions, practical exercises, experimentation and reflection," the NCERT said.
Activities can be conducted with or without digital devices, ensuring meaningful participation across diverse school contexts, it said.
Special emphasis has been placed on the ethical and safe use of AI, including data privacy, misinformation, fairness, digital safety, and critical verification of AI-generated information.
"The module encourages students to become informed, confident, and responsible technology users, while reinforcing that human judgement, creativity, and ethical responsibility remain central to learning," it said.
The programme comes in the wake of CBSE rolling out a structured computational thinking and AI curriculum for Classes 3 to 8 on April 2. The earlier curriculum recommends 50 hours of instruction annually for Classes 3 to 5 and 100 hours for Classes 6 to 8, supporting a gradual introduction to AI concepts across school education.