As India advances toward technology-enabled governance, school education has become a key frontier for responsible AI adoption. Aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020, Madhya Pradesh has moved beyond policy intent to structured implementation of AI across government schools. In this interview, Dr. Sanjay Goyal, IAS, Secretary, Department of School Education, Government of Madhya Pradesh, explains to Muskan Jaiswal of Elets News Network how the State is integrating AI through curriculum reform, teacher capacity building, and AI-enabled governance systems to build future-ready learners.

Many states are speaking about AI in education, but Madhya Pradesh has moved to implementation. How has the State ensured effective rollout and alignment of AI integration with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020?

Under the visionary leadership of the Honorable Chief Minister, Dr. Mohan Yadav who lays strong emphasis on quality education and purposeful technological integration, Madhya Pradesh has approached the integration of Artificial Intelligence in school education with a clear strategic objective: to ensure that students studying in Government Schools are not left behind in an increasingly technology-driven world. As AI continues to influence higher education pathways, industry practices, and employment opportunities, our students must develop early familiarity, foundational competencies, and confidence in emerging technologies.

In alignment with the vision of NEP 2020, particularly its emphasis on digital literacy, experiential learning, 21st-century skills, and future-readiness, the State has introduced AI education from middle grades through a structured and phased implementation strategy.

As a pilot initiative, the Madhya Pradesh Open School Education Board, chaired by Honorable Education Minister, Shri Uday Pratap Singh, has introduced AI education for students from Grades 8 to 12 through industry-aligned curricula

This initiative is being implemented in 53 selected Government “Education for All” schools, in collaboration with Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence curriculum and Adobe’s Digital Creativity and AI Skills Programme, impacting 6,462 students. The focus is on building foundational digital, computational, and problem- solving skills systematically.

To strengthen early exposure, AI concepts have also been integrated at the middle-school level in 274 Sandipani Schools implemented by Peepul organization, impacting more than 50,000 students through the Jigyasa workbook. Trained teachers facilitate age- appropriate understanding of AI concepts and applications through dedicated Computer Science classrooms, thereby creating conceptual readiness before advanced engagement in higher grades.

Beyond curriculum integration, the State has also leveraged AI to improve governance and assessment processes. The ‘Swayam Sidhi’ chatbot, developed by the Rajya Shiksha Kendra (RSK) in collaboration with ConveGenius, enables personalized remedial learning and real- time monitoring of learning outcomes, supporting data-driven academic interventions at the system level.

Additionally, the State has piloted AI-based evaluation through the Gradyn platform. The platform enables automated grading of handwritten answer scripts, significantly reducing evaluator workload, identifying student- specific learning gaps, and providing structured feedback to guardians, thereby strengthening accountability and transparency in assessment.

Through this multi-dimensional approach—curriculum integration, teacher capacity building, AI-enabled assessment, and data-driven monitoring- the State has ensured that AI implementation is not merely symbolic, but systemic and aligned with the broader transformative goals of NEP 2020.

How do you view private partnerships in supplementing the State’s efforts to ensure that AI integration remains accessible, equitable, and academically rigorous across government schools?

Recognizing the importance of strategic collaboration, the State has positioned private partnerships as enablers that supplement, strengthen its vision, and support in diversifying its reach. Partnerships with Microsoft, Adobe, Amazon Future Engineer (through Peepul), ConveGenius, and Gradyn have helped in leveraging industry expertise in curriculum innovation, technological infrastructure, and scalable digital solutions.

Across all partnerships, the State retains academic oversight, defines pedagogical objectives, ensures teacher capacity building, and monitors implementation outcomes. By strategically leveraging private expertise within a strong public governance framework, Madhya Pradesh is working to make AI education more accessible, equitable, and future-ready, while upholding the standards and values of public education.

What kinds of competencies— beyond coding proficiency —do you see students developing through structured exposure to Artificial Intelligence in schools?

While foundational programming skills such as Python and computational logic remain integral to AI education, our broader objective is to cultivate 21st-century competencies among students. Through structured exposure to Artificial Intelligence, students are developing analytical thinking, problem- solving abilities, creativity, collaboration, and ethical awareness in the use of technology. Early engagement with domains such as data science, machine learning, and digital applications provides clarity about emerging academic and career pathways.

A significant shift has been observed from rote learning to experiential and project-based learning. Students have undertaken applied projects such as Minecraft-based simulations, data analytics using Power BI, conceptual models of self-driving cars, and robotics- integrated AI solutions. Under Adobe’s Digital Creativity and AI Skills Programme, they have also engaged in AI-assisted content creation, strengthening communication skills, digital creativity, and responsible use of AI tools.

In Sandipani Vidyalayas, students have developed real-life solutions, including an “Automated Electricity Management System for Schools” designed by students of Naveen Malav Kanya School, Indore, which was ranked among the top five projects nationally at an innovation event organized by The Innovation Society and IIT Bombay, and received support for prototype development. Other initiatives, such as emergency alert systems, have also gained recognition at national and international platforms.

Overall, AI education in Madhya Pradesh is fostering innovation, design thinking, civic responsibility, and confidence, and prepares students not merely as technology users, but as creators and problem-solvers equipped for an AI-driven future.

Introducing AI at the middle- school level as a curriculum is a notable step. How does early exposure shape students’ confidence and relationship with technology?

In Madhya Pradesh, Artificial Intelligence-based learning has been conceptualized as a structured academic continuum—beginning at the middle-school stage with foundational orientation and gradually progressing towards deeper application and project- based learning at the secondary level.

Traditionally, coding and advanced technologies have been perceived as highly technical subjects suitable only for higher grades; however, our experience demonstrates that introducing AI at the middle-school level helps break this bias. Early exposure reduces hesitation, builds digital confidence, and sparks curiosity at a formative age, enabling students to engage more openly and creatively with technology. As they progress to secondary grades, this foundation evolves into structured skill development and project-based application, where students learn programming, data concepts, and develop real-world solutions. This continuum—from early familiarity to applied innovation—ensures that students develop confidence, creativity, and problem-solving abilities well before they enter higher education or the workforce.

What lessons from Madhya Pradesh’s experience would you like other states to learn while introducing AI in school education?

Madhya Pradesh’s experience demonstrates that successful AI integration in school education must be phased, pedagogy-driven, and equity- focused rather than purely technology- led. The key lesson is to design AI as a continuum. Technology must remain anchored in learning outcomes, with emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving rather than mere technical instruction. Teacher capacity building is essential to ensure meaningful classroom integration, while carefully structured private partnerships—aligned with NEP 2020 can provide expertise and scalability without compromising academic rigor.

Importantly, this transformation has been shaped and strengthened under the aegis of School Education Minister, Shri Uday Pratap Singh, who has positioned AI integration within a larger reform agenda for equitable and future-ready education. By embedding AI within the broader vision of systemic school transformation—covering curriculum reform, teacher professional development, digital infrastructure, and governance modernization—the leadership has ensured that AI in government schools is being leveraged to democratize access to emerging opportunities and to transform learning culture in a systematic, sustainable, and inclusive manner.

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