President of India launched “SkillTheNation Challenge” under SOAR – Skilling for AI Readiness Programme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre.
The initiative aims to build AI awareness, skills, ethics, and confidence among citizens and transform AI skilling from a government initiative into a people-led movement. A special interactive AI learning session was also conducted at Rashtrapati Bhavan in collaboration with Google.
About SkillTheNation Challenge
- A nominated participation challenge encouraging citizens to:
- learn AI concepts
- promote AI awareness
- inspire educators, policymakers, youth and professionals
- Works through a cascading nomination model to expand participation nationwide
- Focuses on:
- ethical AI adoption
- inclusion and accessibility
- trust-based AI learning ecosystem
- Objective: enable Indians to not only adapt to AI-driven change but actively shape the future
IGNOU Regional Centre Launched at Rairangpur, Odisha
The President also virtually inaugurated the IGNOU Regional Centre at Rairangpur (Odisha).
Significance
- Expands higher education and learner support access
- Benefits:
- rural and tribal students
- women learners
- working professionals
- Functions:
- admissions & counselling
- learner services & examinations
- skill-oriented programmes and training
- Strengthens higher education outreach in northern Odisha
SOAR: Skilling for AI Readiness Programme
- Ministry: Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
- Launched: July 2025 (coinciding with 10 years of Skill India Mission)
- Nature: Free AI-learning initiative — “AI for All”
- Enrollments: 1.59 lakh+ in six months
- Objective: integrate AI education into schools & training ecosystems
Vision
- Position India as a global AI-ready workforce leader
- Prepare youth for:
- AI-driven jobs
- innovation & entrepreneurship
- Aligns with:
- PMKVY 4.0
- Skill India Mission
- emerging technology skilling initiatives
Key Features of SOAR Programme
- Target Group:
- Students Class 6–12
- Teachers & educators across India
- Course Structure:
- Three 15-hour modules for students
- One 45-hour module for educators
- Focus Areas:
- foundational AI & ML concepts
- data literacy
- ethical AI use & safety
- Digital Learning Enablement: Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH)
Funding & Institutional Support
- Budget 2025-26 Allocation:₹500 crore
- Establishment of Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education
- Purpose of the Centre:
- AI-based learning tools
- multilingual AI resources (Indian languages)
- innovation-led classroom practices
- strengthening AI curriculum across technical institutes
- Complements AI courses offered by:
- IITs & AICTE-approved institutions
Apprenticeship Skilling Outcomes
- As of June 2025
- 1,480 apprentices trained
- Roles include AI Data Engineer, ML Engineer
- Under NAPS-2 (FY 2022–23 to FY 2025–26)
Strategic Relevance of SOAR
- Supports Skill India Mission
- Advances Viksit Bharat 2047 vision
- Promotes AI-driven employability & innovation
- Bridges urban-rural digital divide
- Produces:
- AI-aware students
- AI-trained educators
- Encourages:
- entrepreneurship in AI sectors
- equitable access to digital opportunities
AI in India’s Education & Skilling Ecosystem
- NEP 2020 encourages AI as a contemporary subject in schools
- CBSE introduced AI:
- Class IX (2019-20)
- Class XI (2020-21)
- AI adoption supported through:
- PMKVY 4.0
- NAPS
- ITIs & NSTIs
- Skill India Digital Hub
AI is transforming education through:
- personalised learning tools
- data-driven teaching methods
- improved innovation & digital readiness
Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
- Established: 2014
- Flagship Initiatives: Skill India Mission, PMKVY, NAPS, SOAR
Skill India Mission
- Launched: 2015
- Focus: large-scale skill training & employability enhancement
IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University)
- Established: 1985
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Largest global open-learning university
Rashtrapati Bhavan
- Official residence of the President of India
- Located in New Delhi
Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Core Concepts
- Includes:
- machine learning
- data analytics
- automation & intelligent systems
- Applications in:
- education, healthcare, governance, industry, startups