FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces Centre of Excellence on AI for education sector

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman before presenting the Union Budget 2025 on February 1

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 said the government will set up a Centre of Excellence on AI for the education sector, which will be established with an outlay of Rs 500 crore.

The announcement comes amid the government renewed push for AI to develop an indigenous artificial intelligence model.

This comes after the government in the 2023 budget announced three centres of excellence in three sectors. "I had announced three centres of excellence  in agriculture, health and sustainable cities in 2023. Now a Centre of Excellence in AI for education will be set up," Sitharaman said in her budget speech.

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In 2024, the Centre launched the three CoEs. A consortium of IIT Delhi and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, is heading the Centre of Excellence, which will focus on healthcare.

IIT Ropar will head the one for agriculture, and IIT Kanpur will steer the CoE for sustainable cities. IIT Delhi, the second consortium partner responsible for the healthcare excellence centre, will be focusing on upscaling and upskilling.