New Delhi: The Ministry of Education is set to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the school curriculum for all students from Class 3 onwards from the next academic year (2026-27), and a framework is being developed for AI integration across grades, according to officials.

"We need to move fast so that students and teachers are properly aligned with this technology over the next two to three years. The challenge will be to reach out to over one crore teachers across the country and orient them in imparting AI-related education. The CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) is developing the framework for AI integration across grades," School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar said.

"A pilot project is already underway for teachers to use AI tools to prepare lesson plans. Our objective is to prepare both the learner and the teacher for the digital economy," he added.

Over 18,000 CBSE schools offer AI as a skill subject from Class 6 onwards through a 15-hour module, while Classes 9-12 have it as an optional subject.

Kumar made the comments at the release of a NITI Aayog report on AI and jobs, which said around two million traditional jobs could be displaced, but eight million new roles may emerge if the right ecosystem is created.

The report also advocated close collaboration between the proposed India AI Talent Mission and the ongoing India AI Mission, along with partnerships between academia, government, and industry to create an enabling ecosystem of compute infrastructure and data availability to forge the trained talent into innovators and researchers of tomorrow.

While noting that India's future in the AI economy hinges on decisive action, the report said that with coordinated leadership across government, industry, and academia, India can not only safeguard its workforce but also lead in shaping global AI.