Karnataka could soon start teaching Artificial Intelligence to government school students from Class 6. On Monday, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar instructed officials to explore how this can be done with backing from the Information Technology department and private partners.
He gave the direction while taking stock of his government's 100-day programmes, recruitments and priority schemes at a review meeting.
AI lessons for younger students
AI training has already started for Class 9 students in government schools, officials have been asked to work toward extending it to students from Class 6, Shivakumar said.
Google has expressed interest in conducting AI training in schools, according to the CMO statement. As part of the effort, officials were asked to look into what the company has done in Telangana.
Shivakumar also told officials to locate land for setting up an AI university in Karnataka. The statement added that the process of hiring 956 teachers on an outsourcing basis is under way.
Farm visits for city students
During the School Education Department review, the CM asked officials to arrange for Class 9 and 11 students from 941 urban schools to visit the fields of progressive farmers.
Students should be given places to spend the night in villages, such as hostels and community halls, he said. He added that private schools must also carry out the programme, which is to be finished by December.
ALSO READ | Rs 60,000 Crore Drought Loss? Karnataka Seeks Relief As Central Teams Assess Damage
Karnataka Public Schools
Shivakumar asked officials to get ready for the foundation stone ceremonies of 1,000 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) by November 14.
Deputy commissioners have been given the power to clear tenders and detailed project reports for KPS, making the process simpler, he said.
"The government also plans to develop 100 KPS schools through corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, with companies having already shown interest in developing 60 schools."
Tech-driven support for farmers
Reviewing the Agriculture Department, the Chief Minister said farmers had received 25 lakh SMS messages under the CM Raitha Chaitanya Agritech Mission. He asked officials to add easy-to-follow video messages about the scheme.
Work on adding a chatbot is in progress. The government is also preparing to call for tenders for digital crop surveys and crop estimation using drones and satellites.
The CM Negilu Yogi scheme, which promotes farm mechanisation, now has its own app, JFarm. Close to 2.5 lakh people have signed up on it as service providers, and officials were told to roll out the service on November 1.
By March 2027, the government aims to train 2,000 farmers to export agricultural and horticultural produce, including guidance on certification and other requirements.
ALSO READ | Karnataka Gets Rs 3,600 Crore Semiconductor Investment From US-Based Applied Materials
Officials were asked to encourage group farming and advise farmers on scientific storage and processing. Floriculture should also be promoted, and a minimum of five acres of land should be found for marketing, the CM said.
Protein parks and solar subsidy
At the Animal Husbandry Department review, Shivakumar directed officials to set up four protein parks under the Protein Mission, in Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Haveri and Koppal.
The government also intends to raise egg production, the CM said. He added that a proposal offering a 50 per cent subsidy for solar power installations, aimed at easing electricity problems, will be discussed for a decision at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
With PTI inputs
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.