Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Announces AI Centres of Excellence in New Delhi
Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, has announced the creation of three AI Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in New Delhi. These centres will focus on Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities, with leadership from top institutions and collaboration with industry and startups.
The initiative, with a budget of Rs 990 crore, will span five years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28. It aims to enhance India’s global standing in AI research and innovation, under the vision “Make AI in India and Make AI work for India.” AIIMS and IIT Delhi will lead the healthcare CoE, IIT Ropar will focus on agriculture, and IIT Kanpur will drive the sustainable cities initiative.
Dharmendra Pradhan expressed optimism that these AI-CoEs will become global centres of public good, strengthening India’s position in the AI landscape. He praised the efforts of the apex committee, led by Sridhar Vembu, and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision of making India a global AI hub.
K Sanjay Murthy highlighted the nationwide impact of these CoEs, emphasizing interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Sridhar Vembu discussed the holistic benefits for villages, cities, and the people of India, focusing on nurturing talent and creating opportunities.
Saumya Gupta presented the development of the AI CoEs, and a short film on “Make AI in India and Make AI work for India” was shown. The initiative aims to foster an effective AI ecosystem and develop high-quality human resources in these fields.
Doubts Revealed
Union Minister -: A Union Minister is a person who is part of the central government in India and is responsible for specific areas like education, health, or finance. They help make important decisions for the country.
Dharmendra Pradhan -: Dharmendra Pradhan is an Indian politician who is currently serving as a Union Minister. He is involved in making decisions and announcements related to education and other important sectors.
AI Centres of Excellence -: AI Centres of Excellence are special places where experts work on developing and improving Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. These centres focus on solving problems and creating new innovations in specific areas like healthcare and agriculture.
New Delhi -: New Delhi is the capital city of India. It is where the central government offices are located, and many important announcements and decisions are made here.
AIIMS -: AIIMS stands for All India Institute of Medical Sciences. It is a group of public medical colleges in India known for providing high-quality medical education and research.
IIT Delhi -: IIT Delhi is one of the Indian Institutes of Technology, which are prestigious engineering and technology schools in India. They are known for their advanced research and education in science and technology.
IIT Ropar -: IIT Ropar is another Indian Institute of Technology located in Ropar, Punjab. It is known for its research and education in engineering and technology.
IIT Kanpur -: IIT Kanpur is one of the top engineering institutes in India, located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It is famous for its research and innovation in various fields of science and technology.
Interdisciplinary research -: Interdisciplinary research means combining knowledge and methods from different subjects or fields to solve complex problems. It helps in creating new ideas and solutions by working together.
AI ecosystem -: The AI ecosystem refers to the network of people, organizations, and technologies involved in developing and using Artificial Intelligence. It includes researchers, companies, and educational institutions working together to advance AI.
