Uttar Pradesh govt starts pilot project to teach AI in madrasas

The Uttar Pradesh government under a pilot project is introducing teaching modules in artificial intelligence in madrasas to train students in the upcoming technology as well as align these institutions with mainstream educational developments, according to Minister Danish Azad Ansari.

However, an organisation of madrasa teachers said that if the government is serious about taking this project forward, then it will have to make the necessary arrangements such as providing human resource in the schools.

Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Minority Welfare Ansari told PTI on Sunday: "The government has taken a unique initiative to give information about very promising future technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to children studying in madrasas." "Under this, a special campaign was started on October 4," he said.

The government has created a website www.teamupai.org and on this information about artificial intelligence, its impact on various aspects of human life in the future, and employment opportunities are available, Ansari said.

Children studying in madrasas are being taught AI through well-organised modules, the minister said.

Through the website, modules related to AI are taught every day by connecting with an expert, he said and added that the link is sent to about 16,000 madrasas of the state. The classes are live telecast at these schools through the link, the minister said.

There are 16,513 recognised madrasas in Uttar Pradesh, out of which 560 are given government grants. To a question on whether separate teachers will be appointed to teach AI in madrasas, Ansari said that a training programme was recently organised for teachers in madrasas.

The teachers were explained in detail about the various aspects of AI. In the future, with the help of the website and these teachers, this programme will be taken further in madrasas, the minister said.

He said that right now this programme has been started as a pilot project. It will be given a better shape in the future, Ansari added.

Asked whether AI education is being given only in recognised madrasas of the state, Ansari said that it is an online platform and any madrasa can access this and impart training in AI to its students.

He said that the BJP government in the state is making sincere efforts to bring Muslims into the mainstream by connecting them with education.

Providing training in AI to students in madrasas is also an important step taken in this direction, the minister said.

Ansari said that AI is a field in which "crores of employment opportunities will be created in the coming years".

If madrasa students have knowledge about this cutting-edge technology, a huge vista of better employment will open before them, he said.

The Teachers' Association Madaris Arabiya Uttar Pradesh said that if the state government wants to implement this scheme effectively, then it will have to improve the basic infrastructure required for this in madrasas.

General Secretary of the organisation, Diwan Saheb Zaman Khan, said that it is good that the state government wants to impart training in modern technology like AI, but if this work has to be taken forward seriously then it should make necessary arrangements in madrasas.

Apart from this, constant communication will have to be maintained with representatives of madrasas, he suggested.

He said that there are many such madrasas in the state where the government has provided computers but there are no operators to run them and experts will be required to teach AI.