What was announced
The formal signing ceremony took place at the State Mission Office of Samagra Shiksha in Guwahati. State Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu attended the event, where the Mission Director of Samagra Shiksha and representatives from the six partner organisations formalised the collaborations. The six organisations partnering with the Assam government are Google AI, IIT Madras-Bodhan AI, LEHS – Wadhwani AI, Educate Girls, EkStep – AXL, and Canva Education. Each partnership will contribute to specific areas of school education, ranging from teacher training and digital creativity to foundational literacy and the re-enrolment of out-of-school adolescents. Minister Pegu highlighted that these collaborations represent a significant step towards a future-ready education system in Assam.Why it matters
The initiative is poised to transform the educational landscape of Assam by equipping a substantial number of educators with AI proficiency and digital skills. The target of training one lakh teachers by May 31, 2027, underscores the scale and ambition of this project. Teachers will gain access to AI-powered tools, including Notebook and Gemini, which will assist in lesson planning, content creation, and administrative tasks. The training materials will be made available in multiple languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Hindi, and English, ensuring broader accessibility and effectiveness across the diverse linguistic landscape of the state. Beyond teacher empowerment, the initiative aims to enhance foundational literacy through AI-enabled assessments, promote personalised learning experiences for students, and foster digital creativity. A crucial aspect also involves bringing out-of-school adolescents, particularly girls, back into the educational fold through open-schooling channels.Background
Assam’s proactive step aligns with the broader national vision for education outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which strongly emphasises the integration of AI curriculum at all educational levels and the development of digital literacy, coding, and computational thinking skills among students. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has already introduced AI as an elective subject, and the national government plans to implement an AI curriculum across all schools from Grade 3, starting with the 2026-27 academic year. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has consistently advocated for digital transformation and technology adoption within Assam’s governance and education sectors. Earlier, the Chief Minister had unveiled an AI roadmap aimed at transforming classrooms, enhancing learning outcomes, and mitigating dropout risks within the state’s education system. Previous state initiatives include strengthening digital infrastructure, expanding smart classroom facilities, and promoting innovation-driven education models. The Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) recently introduced Artificial Intelligence as an elective subject for Higher Secondary students. The state has also seen the introduction of the Shiksha Setu App, an AI-powered platform designed to streamline administrative tasks and enhance communication within the education system. Despite these advancements, Assam faces significant challenges in digital education, particularly in rural and remote areas. These include a persistent digital divide, limited internet connectivity, inadequate infrastructure, lack of compatible devices, and a gap in digital literacy among both teachers and students. This new initiative seeks to directly address these disparities by building capacity at the grassroots level.Key details
The collaboration with each of the six organisations is structured to address specific educational needs:- Google AI will focus on empowering teachers with AI-powered educational tools, digital skills, and professional development. This partnership will provide teachers with secure digital identities and access to AI tools such as Notebook and Gemini, facilitating technology-enabled teaching practices. Google will also work with the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) to deliver the program.
- IIT Madras-Bodhan AI is tasked with building AI proficiency among teachers. This collaboration aims to train approximately one lakh teachers, specifically those handling classes six to 12, by May 31, 2027. The programme will commence with 40 master trainers who will then train others through a cascade model. Teachers will learn to utilise AI for lesson planning, content creation, simplification, and assessment design, with evaluation conducted through the DIKSHA portal. They will also gain access to Bodhan AI’s multilingual Teacher Assistant Bot.
- LEHS – Wadhwani AI will strengthen foundational literacy by developing an AI-enabled oral reading fluency assessment system for students in Grades three to eight. This technology is expected to help identify learning gaps and facilitate targeted interventions.
- Educate Girls will concentrate on identifying, enrolling, and retaining out-of-school adolescents, particularly girls aged 15 to 18. This will be achieved through open-schooling channels like the Assam State Open School and the National Institute of Open Schooling, with additional support for mock tests and vocational opportunities.
- EkStep – AXL is set to promote personalised and AI-assisted learning in foundational literacy and numeracy for students in Grades three to eight. This partnership aims to build individual learning profiles to offer tailored support.
- Canva Education will foster digital literacy, creativity, design thinking, and innovation among teachers and students. This collaboration will initially be rolled out as a pilot project in 70 schools, supporting teachers in preparing lesson plans and classroom materials while promoting responsible AI use.
Reactions
Assam Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu expressed optimism about the collaborations.He further added that the initiative represents “A significant step towards future-ready education in Assam!” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has previously underscored the urgency of embracing technological advancements.“These collaborations mark an important step towards creating a technology-enabled, inclusive and learner-centric education ecosystem, while empowering our teachers and expanding learning opportunities for every child,” Dr. Pegu said.
“AI is fast reshaping every avenue and we cannot miss the bus on this rapid transformation,” Chief Minister Sarma said in a past statement, emphasising the state’s commitment to integrating AI into the education system.
What’s next
The immediate next steps involve the commencement of training programmes, particularly the cascade model for teachers under the IIT Madras-Bodhan AI partnership, beginning with 40 master trainers. The pilot project with Canva Education in 70 schools will also begin implementation. The broader integration of AI into the curriculum will continue in alignment with national policies, with India planning to introduce AI and computational thinking from Class three across all schools starting the 2026-27 academic year.Sources & References
Source: The Assam Tribune – AI push in Assam govt schools, 1 lakh teachers to get training by May 2027