In a path-breaking initiative to accustom young minds to the digital era, Delhi schools will implement an all-encompassing Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy curriculum for classes VI to X from May 8, 2025. The programme is addressed at children between the ages of 11 and 14 and aims to familiarize them not just with AI functions but also to turn them into responsible users of this ambitious technology.

The curriculum has been designed as a collaborative initiative of the Central Square Foundation (CSF) and the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. It testifies to increasing awareness of the impact that AI is poised to have on industries, economies, and societies around the world. With this program, Delhi is among the first regions in the nation to bring AI literacy into a systematic, age-relevant, and inclusive form within the school curriculum.

The central goal of this program is to de-mystify AI among students and equip them with the awareness of how it works, where it’s applied in real life, and how they can interact with it safely and responsibly. It reflects a strong departure from the conventional rote-based approach to a more application-based and skill-based methodology, equipping students with critical thinking and ethical reasoning capabilities useful for the digital age.

A key feature of the curriculum is its accessibility and inclusivity. Given the multi-lingual nature of India, the curriculum will be offered in five local languages—Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, and English—in the first phase. This multi-language launch guarantees that students from all regions and backgrounds can learn the principles of AI without any language constraints. More languages will be introduced in subsequent phases, increasing its reach further.

In order to improve accessibility, the entire curriculum and related teacher training modules will be put online within the next six months. This electronic format will enable both teachers and students to use learning materials anywhere and at any time, eliminating geographical and infrastructural barriers. Teachers will also be provided with support materials and training to familiarize them with this new subject so that they can teach it effectively, irrespective of their earlier experience with technology.

One of the most prominent aspects of the curriculum is that it has a flexible and responsive design. The schools will be free to apply the content in its current state or modify it as per their individual needs and contexts. This implies that institutions can tailor the curriculum based on the learning abilities of students, institutional objectives, or local concerns, making it both functional and meaningful. The CSF has highlighted that such flexibility renders the programme holistic and scalable, suitable for a range of learning environments and student abilities.

Ethics is a central part of the curriculum, emphasizing the accountability of working with AI. Students will be exposed to critical issues like algorithmic bias, data privacy, decision-making accountability, and the larger society implications of deploying AI. This way, the curriculum not only focuses on building technical expertise but also ethical sensitization among students, growing them into responsible digital citizens.

The program also recognizes the differential levels of digital literacy of students and teachers. In response, the curriculum has been created with inherent flexibility to address readiness differences. Whether the learner is experiencing AI for the first time or possesses existing familiarity, the curriculum is designed in a manner that supports multiple entry points, making it possible to achieve learning outcomes without overloading the student.

The rollout of this curriculum is being viewed as a move to bring the education system in India in line with 21st-century needs. Introducing students at an early age to AI principles and uses, the programme hopes to raise a generation that is not only technologically adept but also informed and ethical in their thinking. Pundits hope this early introduction to AI will motivate many students to make a career in new-age tech sectors and help the nation grow digitally.

With this program, Delhi is establishing a template for other states to replicate. With technology increasingly permeating all corners of life—ranging from communication and transport to health and administration—it has become crucial that the education system follows suit. The curriculum of AI literacy is a reflection of this developing vision, bringing knowledge, responsibility, and inclusivity together under one roof.