Karnataka Proposes AI Training in Government Schools From Class 6

Karnataka has proposed introducing artificial intelligence training in government schools from Class 6, supported by the state's IT department and private partners, extending a vocational AI pilot already running for Class 9. The proposal builds on the AI Akshara Abhiyana and Coding Gurukula initiatives announced in this year's Independence Day address, and the state is moving to establish an AI University framework and recruit 956 outsourced IT teachers. The national CBSE framework sets 50 hours annually for Classes 3-5, 100 hours annually for Classes 6-8, and makes AI a formal elective and skill subject in Classes 9-12.

The proposal brings AI courses into the public school system, directly affecting curriculum provision and teacher staffing for government school students in India and offering a path other states could follow. The CBSE framework defines hours and content boundaries by stage, shifting AI education from scattered pilots toward structured curriculum arrangements. The proposal remains at the policy direction and exploration stage, and the original text provides no implementation timetable, budget, curriculum evaluation results or student enrolment figures, while details of the AI University framework and outsourced teacher recruitment are not yet disclosed. Government school students from Class 6 upward would receive structured AI courses, with content and hours divided by CBSE stage. States could reference Karnataka's AI University framework and outsourced IT teacher recruitment model, though resource and infrastructure gaps remain a precondition for delivery.