New Delhi (Education Desk): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced an important step to promote Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the education sector under the Union Budget 2025 and informed that the government will set up a Centre of Excellence in AI with an outlay of Rupees 500 crore. This center will encourage education and research in the field of AI, thereby equipping students with new technologies. Sitharaman said, “I had announced three centers of excellence in AI for agriculture, health and sustainable cities in 2023. Now, a new center of excellence in AI for education will be set up with a total outlay of Rs 500 crore.” The initiative aims to equip the Indian education system with modern skills and knowledge related to AI, so that the coming generation can become globally competitive.
Skill development for Industry
With that, the Finance Minister mentioned supporting domestic manufacturing capacity to take advantage of the opportunities of Industry 4.0. To achieve this objective, the government will identify various sectors and focus on developing expertise in areas requiring high skills. Sitharaman also unveiled plans for five National Centres of Excellence to impart industry-relevant skills to youth. These centres will be set up with global partnerships, which will work in support of Make for India and Make for the World manufacturing.
Threat or Solution
This announcement came up, when the influence of AI is increasing globally. According to the Economic Survey 2024-25, which is engaged in low-skill and low value-added services, India’s workforce may be affected by AI. But it is hard to decide whether this decision or AI is a threat or this is the solution. The survey suggests creating “mentor institutes” that can identify threats and opportunities posed by the impact of AI.That’s why the conclusion says that, this move by the central government is not only an attempt to promote education in the field of AI but also an important initiative towards training Indian workers in high and middle-level skills.
