Almost every school leader we sit down with has heard some version of the same headline: "AI is coming for the classroom." Far fewer have actually read what India's National Education Policy 2020 says about technology and AI in education.
NEP 2020 doesn't treat AI as a subject, it treats it as infrastructure
The policy's framing is broader than "teach kids to code." It positions technology, including emerging fields like artificial intelligence, as something that should be woven into how education itself is delivered, monitored, and made more equitable.
Where AI shows up explicitly
- Vocational and future-skills exposure, starting early.
- Teacher capacity, not just student curriculum.
- Equity of access.
The policy doesn't ask schools to install AI. It asks them to build the judgment to use it well, in teachers first, then students.
What this means in practice
Start with a short, clear AI-use policy for staff and students. Train teachers before students. Treat AI literacy as cross-curricular, not a single computer-science module.