New Delhi: The number of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)-affiliated schools offering artificial intelligence (AI) as a subject to students in Classes 9 and 11 has seen a sharp rise, with Class 9 registrations surging by 1,833% — from 235 schools in 2019–20 to 4,543 in 2024–25 — and Class 11 by 1,080%, from 80 in 2020–21 to 944 in 2024–25, according to data shared by the union ministry of education in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Responding to questions raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Sujeet Kumar, union minister of state (MoS) in the ministry of education Jayant Chaudhary said that the board had signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Intel (Integrated Electronics) and IBM (International Business Machines) to promote an emerging technology-based curriculum in schools. “The curriculum and the content for the AI course was prepared by the board with support of experts from Intel, IBM and other higher educational institutions,” Chaudhary said.
The national board introduced AI as an optional elective skill subject in Class 9 from the academic session 2019–2020 and in Class 11 from 2020–21. The data shows that the number of students opting for the subject has seen a continuous rise. While Class 9 students opting for AI jumped by 2,900%, from 15,645 in 2019–20 to 4,69,454 in 2024–25, Class 11 student enrolment increased by 1,556%, from 2,048 in 2020–21 to 33,933 in 2024–25.
School principals and technology experts said that the inclusion of AI in the school curriculum has become essential, and demand is growing due to its relevance in the present times and a changing mindset towards AI.
{{/usCountry}}School principals and technology experts said that the inclusion of AI in the school curriculum has become essential, and demand is growing due to its relevance in the present times and a changing mindset towards AI.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: SCERT (Haryana) to train 20k govt teachers in AI tools
“With AI set to change how students will learn and teachers will teach in the future, we have trained our teachers in smart tutoring platforms to ensure our students are future-ready for digital classrooms. We believe that each student is different and hence our teachers are being trained to create customised study plans for weaker students and thus bring them at par with the others — by taking AI’s help in tracking their performance,” Swati Yadav, principal of Bliss International Public School in Meerut, said.
Principal of Modern Public School in Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, Alka Kapur, said, “Their (students’) interests are less about gadgets and more about exploring how technology works, affects life, and can be used responsibly to effect positive change. This reflects a change in mindset guided by curiosity with purpose.”
Also Read: AI in school education: Towards a preparedness framework
Raising concerns about students becoming dependent on AI, principal of Shiv Nadar School in Gurugram, Sameer Arora, said, “By using analogies, stories, and discussion, not just software, we help students understand not just how AI works, but what it means. Aligned with National Education Policy (NEP)’s vision for future-ready learning, our goal must be to teach students about AI, not lead them into dependence on it. However, before integrating AI in the school curriculum, schools must ask: Is it enriching student thinking? Does it free teachers for deeper engagement? Is it building capability or replacing it?”
Co-founder of curriculum design organisation Nature Nurture Akshal Agrawal said, “Over the past year or two, there has been a visible rise in students opting for AI electives. This is not just because of the buzz, it is because the subject feels real and relevant. Many students are genuinely curious to learn how the tech they use every day actually works. At the same time, there is growing awareness among parents and educators about the need to equip children with skills that go beyond academics.”
Also Read: Empowering youth to thrive in an AI-powered world
The growing demand for AI elective subjects also reflects a change in mindset among educators and parents, said Anurag Gupta, CEO and co-founder of AI coding and robotics lab setup company STEMROBO Technologies Pvt. Ltd. “They see the value in preparing children not just to use technology but to innovate with it. This momentum will only grow as schools continue to invest in 21st-century learning environments,” Gupta added.
Minister Chaudhary said that from 2020 to 2024, CBSE has organised seven events, including two national skill expos, three ideathons, and two Future Tech Olympiads. “A total of 35,000 students, including children who were part of the AI curriculum, have participated in CBSE events,” he said.