Maharashtra to launch AI policy for education, jobs, & cybersecurity

Maharashtra will introduce its Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy in April, making it the first state in India to have a structured policy for AI governance. The policy will be focusing on education, employment, and cybersecurity, following the lines of India's National Education Policy (NEP) and the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for AI-led growth, according to State IT Minister Ashish Shelar.

AI is revolutionizing education globally through personalized learning, AI-based testing, and new teaching techniques. Finland and Singapore have been able to incorporate AI into their educational systems, with a focus on STEM education and vocational training.

In the United States, AI-based edtech platforms are improving student learning. Maharashtra has already implemented AI-based tools in certain schools, but it has been suggested under Legislative Council Rule 97 by BJP legislator Shrikant Bharatiya, along with Anil Parab, Amit Gorakhe, Amol Mitkari,  and Shashikant Shinde, that it is dangerous and risks replacing teachers. Attending to those fears, Shelar promised the AI policy would have ethical standards so that AI is used as an assistance tool for teachers and not as a substitute.

The growing application of AI in every sector is also transforming the employment market. Although AI is opening up new avenues of work such as data science, machine learning, cybersecurity, and automation, many are apprehensive that it will contribute to job loss. Minister Shelar made it clear that Maharashtra's AI policy is to generate jobs, not cut jobs. The government will implement skill development programs to enable professionals to cope with AI-driven transformation, so that AI complements human capabilities and does not substitute them.

With AI-generated content flooding digital platforms, the lack of certification and accountability remains a pressing issue. Shelar warned against blind reliance on AI-generated data, stating:

“No information generated by AI is certified by the state or Union government, making it risky to trust such data unverified.”