CBSE makes AI compulsory from class 3

India’s Central Board of Secondary Education will introduce “Computational Thinking and Understanding Artificial Intelligence” for Classes 3 to 8 from the 2026-27 school session. (cbse.gov.in) CBSE announced the rollout in a training notification dated April 9, 2026, saying the curriculum is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. (cbse.gov.in) A second CBSE circular dated April 13 said the framework is meant for students in Classes 3rd to 8th and aims to create “AI-literate learners by 2030.” It said the model combines computational thinking, artificial intelligence, ethics and unplugged learning. (cbse.gov.in) Computational thinking is the habit of breaking a problem into steps, spotting patterns and writing simple rules to solve it. In the new CBSE materials, that comes before heavier AI concepts and is taught through age-appropriate activities. (cbseacademic.nic.in) For Class 3, the student handbook starts with patterns, sequences, data, instructions and everyday examples of smart machines rather than coding-heavy lessons. The handbook is marked first edition, March 2026. (cbseacademic.nic.in) CBSE’s broader curriculum document for Classes 3 to 8 says the program is designed as a progression: younger students learn logic and structured problem-solving first, while older students move toward data, AI systems and responsible use. (cbseacademic.nic.in 1) (cbseacademic.nic.in 2) The April 13 circular also changes the older AI track in higher classes. It says AI courses being run till the 2025-26 session are being discontinued for Class 9 from 2026-27 onward, while Class 10 students in 2026-27 will continue under the previous scheme. (cbse.gov.in) For Classes 9 to 12, the circular says the National Council of Educational Research and Training will provide CT and AI modules for 2026-27 to be used for internal assessment. That means the immediate full rollout is concentrated in Classes 3 to 8, not across all grades at once. (cbse.gov.in) The policy backdrop is older than this month’s circulars. The Ministry of Education said in 2025 that AI and computational thinking would be introduced from Class 3 onward across school systems including CBSE, NCERT, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti. (education.gov.in) CBSE had already offered Artificial Intelligence as an optional subject in Class 9 from the 2019-20 session. The 2026-27 shift moves AI-related learning from an elective in secondary school to a structured curriculum beginning in primary grades. (cbse.gov.in 1) (cbse.gov.in 2) The next step is implementation inside affiliated schools: CBSE has published student and teacher handbooks and training guidelines, and schools will now have to fit the new material into the 2026-27 academic calendar. (cbseacademic.nic.in) (cbse.gov.in)