NCERT’s AI course for Classes 9–12 combines problem-solving with digital literacy

NCERT has developed a 20-hour introductory module in computational thinking and artificial intelligence for students in Classes 9–12, as CBSE moves to make the material compulsory for Class 9. CBSE has earmarked the module for school-based assessment, while Class 10 remains under the board’s existing scheme.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training designed the material for learners without prior AI knowledge, according to NDTV. It presents computational thinking as a structured way to approach problems and introduces students to how AI works, where it is used, and its potential and limitations.

The material is intended as an introduction rather than an advanced subject course. The module’s practical topics include everyday AI applications, how machines learn from examples, identifying deepfakes and ethical use of personal data, telanganatoday.com reported. NCERT developed it in consultation with IIT Madras and IIT Jodhpur.

The council said activities can be carried out with or without digital devices, allowing the lessons to be used in different school settings. CBSE’s revised scheme makes computational-thinking and AI modules compulsory for Class 9; Class 10 remains under its existing arrangement.

In an April-9 circular, CBSE said NCERT would provide modules for Classes 9–12 for internal assessment during the 2026-27 academic session. The material is earmarked for school-based assessment, a structure that places the module within school assessment rather than describing it as a separate board examination.

The course also sits alongside a more advanced track: separate AI textbooks are being prepared for students who pursue the subject at a higher level. The introductory module, by contrast, is framed for students starting without prior AI knowledge and covers both uses and limitations of the technology.

NDTV quoted Praneet Mungali, an educationist and trustee of the Sanskriti Group of Schools in Pune, who described introducing AI education from Class 9 as a significant step in preparing students for a technology-driven world. He said students should learn to assess AI-generated information critically and consider the ethical implications of using the technology.

That emphasis complements the module’s reported coverage of deepfake detection and personal-data ethics. The immediate implementation detail is the distinction between the compulsory Class 9 module and the existing Class 10 scheme, alongside CBSE’s plan for internal assessment in the 2026-27 academic session.

The reports describe the module’s content and assessment role, but do not establish a classroom timetable or the precise form of individual school assessments.