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As AI continues to reshape industries worldwide, its impact on India’s higher education sector is poised to be transformative. Abhay Jere, vice chairman of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and chief innovation officer at the Ministry of HRD, shared insights on how AI will become an integral part of learning and skill development across disciplines.
“Right now, disciplines like AI, data science, and computer science are treated as separate verticals. However, this approach will soon be outdated. AI is becoming foundational across…not just engineering but also social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. True innovation lies in cross-disciplinary integration,” Jere added.
Recognising this shift, AICTE is embedding AI and related technologies into all technical education streams. According to Jere, every student, regardless of their field of study, will be expected to gain fundamental AI knowledge, understanding of data science, IoT, and data engineering, and skills in data analytics and data security.
“With AI and data at the core of modern systems, cybersecurity is no longer optional; it’s a necessity. As AI-driven automation expands, robotics will also become deeply integrated into education,” he added.
What’s in the Future of Higher Education
The education sector is rapidly shifting towards an outcome-based model. “Universities are moving away from rote learning and focusing on what students should be able to achieve by the end of their coursework. This transformation is already in motion, though it will take time to reach the grassroots level,” Jere explained.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced AI as an optional subject for Class 9 students in the 2019-2020 academic session. However, despite the ambitious initiative, its implementation remains uneven.
Speaking on this, Jere noted, “CBSE and universities operate in distinct domains, but we work closely with CBSE to help students and teachers navigate AI tools effectively. Students are already using AI-powered tools like ChatGPT to write essays. The real challenge is: How do we integrate these tools while still encouraging critical thinking?”
To address this, CBSE is training teachers to craft thought-provoking assignments. He mentioned that, for instance, instead of asking students to write about World War II, they could be asked to analyse a specific battle and propose strategic changes that could have altered the outcome. This approach would force them to think critically, rather than simply regurgitating AI-generated information.
On the other hand, instead of simply asking students to describe the Sahara Desert, they can be asked how the Sahara receiving consistent rainfall would impact its geography, climate, and biodiversity. Such questions push students towards analytical thinking, a subject AI still struggles with.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
In 2019, AICTE launched the National Innovation and Startup Policy (NISP) for faculty and students. “Before this, there was no dedicated policy supporting innovation in higher education. Since then, over 25,000 institutions, including more than 5,000 AICTE-affiliated technical institutions, have adopted the policy, leading to a surge in startup incubation,” Jere said.
A recent IIT Delhi study highlighted the impact of these initiatives. He stated that the valuation of startups incubated in higher education institutions has reached ₹1.5 lakh crore. Even if only 10% succeed, that’s around ₹50,000 crore in value creation.
Building on this success, AICTE has now introduced the School Innovation and Startup Policy. This has been adopted by CBSE to support school students and teachers in launching their own startups. Clear guidelines are now in place for young innovators.
AI-Powered Learning Platforms
As AI becomes an educational mainstay, it revolutionises Learning Management Systems (LMS). “Initially, LMS platforms were static, but AI has enabled highly personalised learning experiences. Today, AI-powered LMS platforms tailor content to individual learners, and examinations are adaptive. Adjusting based on a student’s ability to solve different types of questions,” Jere noted.
However, AICTE’s role isn’t to monitor individual startups. They focus on building capacity, ensuring students understand AI’s potential and how to use it for real-world problem-solving.
“Our goal is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to harness AI effectively,” he said.
Smart India Hackathon: A Game Changer
Jere is the brain and driving force behind MHRD’s Smart India Hackathon initiative, which has been a major force in driving innovation. “Before this initiative, most colleges placed little emphasis on problem-solving and entrepreneurship. The hackathon has compelled institutions to embrace a culture of innovation,” Jere said.
Participation has skyrocketed, increasing from 7,000 teams initially to over 54,000 teams now. This makes it the world’s largest hackathon and open innovation model.
The next step is scaling up the ideas generated at the hackathon. “We have structured a complete innovation pipeline, ensuring seamless transitions from idea generation to market adoption,” he explained.
Future of Educational Institutions
Jere believes the business model of education will evolve dramatically. “Twenty-five years ago, banking was a tedious, time-consuming process. Today, banking fits in our pockets. A similar shift is happening in education. In the future, we’ll still need education, but not necessarily institutions in their current form,” he stated.
According to him, with advancements in AI, AR, VR, and holographic technology, classrooms will transform into experience centres. The traditional setup—students sitting at desks while a teacher delivers lectures using a blackboard—will soon become obsolete.
Education will soon become immersive. Imagine students stepping inside their lessons instead of just reading about them. Instead of drawing the human circulatory system, they might ‘travel’ through their own blood vessels, interacting with red blood cells (RBCs) and white blood cells (WBCs) in real time. In chemistry, a student could ‘become’ a calcium ion, experiencing its role in cellular processes.
Jere compared this to theme parks like Disneyland. “In the next 20–25 years, schools might integrate similar immersive experiences, making learning an adventure rather than a passive activity. The future of education isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about experiencing it firsthand.”
With AI at its core, India’s education sector is on the brink of an unprecedented transformation, one that will redefine learning, innovation, and the role of educational institutions in the years to come.
