The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced a structured curriculum on Computational Thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for classes 3 to 8, with the aim of building students’ AI readiness from an early age.
Launched by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday, the curriculum recommends 50 hours per annum for classes 3 to 5 and 100 hours for classes 6 to 8, ensuring gradual and age-appropriate progression for phased integration of CT and AI concepts in school education.
For grades 3 to 5, CT will be integrated within existing subjects such as Environmental Studies – through The World Around Us (TWAU) – and Mathematics. Students will learn basic skills such as logical thinking, pattern recognition and sequencing through puzzles, games and exercises. Each chapter will be supported by a resource book aligned with the textbooks, enabling teachers to seamlessly integrate CT into their classroom teaching. Assessments will be linked to core topics to ensure alignment with pedagogy.
For grades 6-8, the curriculum expands to include advanced CT skills, introductory AI concepts, and interdisciplinary projects. Of the total 100 hours per year, 40 hours are allocated to advanced CT, 20 hours to AI basics, and the remaining 40 hours to project-based learning. Students will apply CT to complex problems, learn about AI tools, and understand real-world applications of AI. The curriculum also introduces important topics such as digital fingerprinting, bias, privacy and fairness to promote responsible digital citizenship.
Interdisciplinary projects will integrate subjects such as mathematics, science, social studies, and English, encouraging students to design creative, data-driven solutions to real-world problems. Assessment for these categories will focus on project presentations, assignments, reflective journals, and assignments, supported by clear rubrics to ensure consistency.
Developed by a 10-member expert committee led by Dr Karthik Raman of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, the panel included experts from institutions like Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, Dhirubhai Ambani University, Gandhinagar, among others.
“The committee held nine meetings over three months and consulted NCERT officials, technology experts, school principals and computer teachers in CBSE-affiliated schools,” CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh said.
The curriculum will be implemented in over 32,900 CBSE schools from 2026-27 academic session. Pradhan described it as a “transformational step” towards future-ready learning, supported by structured modules, teachers’ handbooks and assessment frameworks. “As India’s leadership in technology-based computing gains global recognition, the curriculum will enable students to meaningfully participate in and shape the digital future,” he said.
School Education Minister Sanjay Kumar said the initiative places India among countries like China, South Korea, Finland, Estonia and Singapore that have introduced AI education in schools, adding that “efforts will be made to translate the curriculum into regional languages for wider adoption in all states and union territories across the country.”
