In a bold stride toward reimagining education for the digital era, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has inaugurated the Digital Literacy, Computational Thinking, Coding & AI (DLCCAI) Science Teacher Training Program. Positioned as the first initiative of its kind in India, the program aims to equip government school teachers with future-ready skills, aligning with the transformative vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Scale and Reach: Training 750 Teachers, Impacting 7.5 Million Students
DLCCAI Teacher Training Program will directly train 750 science teachers from PM SHRI Schools, Upper Primary Schools, and Composite Schools across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. These educators, in turn, will impart digital literacy and AI-driven pedagogy to nearly 75 lakh students in grades 6–8, making this one of the largest teacher training rollouts in the country.
IIT Kanpur teacher training is structured as a hybrid model—five days of intensive in-person sessions at the IIT Kanpur campus, followed by online modules to ensure continuous engagement and knowledge reinforcement.
Institutional Collaboration and Leadership
IIT Kanpur teacher training program is a collaborative effort between IIT Kanpur and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Uttar Pradesh.
- Prof. J. Ramkumar, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Design, IIT Kanpur, and Coordinator of the initiative, emphasized its milestone role in bridging classroom teaching with cutting-edge technologies.
- Dr. Pawan Sachan, Joint Director, SCERT, underscored how integrating digital skills into pedagogy fosters creativity, problem-solving, and innovation at scale.
- Prof. Satyaki Roy, Head of the Department of Design at IIT Kanpur, highlighted the ongoing challenge of digital access in rural households, stressing the importance of teaching not only technological skills but also responsible digital citizenship.
Strategic Context: Aligning with NEP 2020 and Workforce Readiness
The initiative reflects India’s larger ambition under NEP 2020—to modernize classrooms and prepare students for a 21st-century workforce dominated by digital technologies and AI. With digital literacy, coding, and AI already embedded in Uttar Pradesh’s school textbooks, this training marks a transition from policy to practice.
Teachers will act as knowledge multipliers, disseminating skills that build a foundation for AI fluency, computational thinking, and problem-solving, critical for the next generation of innovators and professionals.
Long-Term Implications
From a macroeconomic lens, programs like DLCCAI are stepping stones toward creating a digitally skilled youth population, which could position Uttar Pradesh—and India at large—as a hub for AI-driven industries in the coming decades.
For policymakers, this reflects a structural investment in human capital, potentially accelerating India’s digital economy growth trajectory, which is projected to reach USD 1 trillion by 2030.
About IIT Kanpur
Established in 1959, IIT Kanpur is recognized as an Institute of National Importance and remains a leader in science, engineering, and design education. With a 1,050-acre campus, 19 departments, 26 centers, and over 9,500 students, the institute continues to push the boundaries of research, innovation, and societal impact.
The DLCCAI Teacher Training Program is not just an educational milestone—it’s a strategic investment in India’s future workforce. By empowering teachers today, IIT Kanpur and SCERT UP are laying the groundwork for millions of students to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.