National e-Governance Division, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, has launched the innovation challenge that all young people have been waiting for, the “YUVAi- Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI” program . The programs aimed to address the growing skills gap and digitally prepare the next generation.
YUVAi aims to foster a better understanding of AI, equip students in grades 8-12 across the country with AI skills, and enable them to become human-centered AI designers and users. Additionally, the program provides an applied learning experience for students to understand and identify how AI technology can solve critical problems and lead to the nation’s inclusive development.
The program will take place in three phases. In the initial phase, teachers will be selected to identify students from their respective schools and share their contact details with the organizing team. Then, online orientation sessions will be held for enrolled students around basic AI concepts by experts to facilitate understanding of the ideation process. Finally, students will be encouraged to submit ideas (individually or in teams of 2) through a 120-second video explaining a proposed AI-based solution for one of eight main themes – agriculture, health, education, environment and clean energy, transport, rural development, smart cities and law and justice.
Shortlisted students will undergo in-depth online AI training during the second phase. A 3-day face-to-face training camp will be held to provide adequate mentorship and guidance by YUVAi coaches. After the mentoring camps, the students will use this newly acquired knowledge to develop AI-based innovations/projects on one of the eight main themes and submit the final applications. Finally, the most innovative AI-based solutions will be announced and invited to a national showcase and congratulations ceremony.
In its latest version (Responsible AI for Youth), the program offered some students the opportunity to travel to Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to interact and present their solutions to the Honorable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, during the Digital India Week 2022. As part of the program, 20 students from across the country also had the opportunity to travel to Delhi to interact and present their work to Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, European Union Minister for Electronics and Technology. IT, Railways and Communications and Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Honorable Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skills Development and Entrepreneurship.
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