NCERT Introduces AI and Computational Thinking Module for Classes 9 to 12

AI Lessons That Can Begin Without a Computer

India's National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed an introductory module on computational thinking and artificial intelligence for Classes 9 to 12, with activities that schools can conduct even without computers or internet access. Introduced in an NCERT post on October 23, 2026, the module combines basic technology knowledge with lessons on checking information, protecting personal data and solving problems.

The official NCERT website lists "NCERT Press Release regarding An Introductory Module on AI & CT (Secondary Stage Grades 9 to 12)" and links to "An Introductory Module on AI & CT (Secondary Stage Grades 9 to 12)" in PDF and flipbook formats.

Prepared under the Ministry of Education, the module is intended for beginners across all four grades. Students need no prior knowledge of AI or any particular subject to begin. Its design allows teachers to use discussions, exercises on paper and group work alongside digital activities, depending on the facilities their schools have.

NCERT places human judgement, creativity and ethical responsibility at the centre of the learning. Students will explore how AI works and where it is useful, while learning to recognise mistakes, incomplete answers and misleading information.

The initiative connects two kinds of learning: understanding a technology that can produce answers, and developing the reasoning needed to decide whether those answers are useful and accurate. Computational thinking supplies a method for approaching problems; AI literacy helps students assess the tools they might use to solve them.

Who the Module Is Designed For

Students in Classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 are the intended audience. NCERT describes the material as an introduction, making it accessible to learners who have never studied AI and to schools with different levels of equipment.

The learning goals extend beyond knowing technical terms. Students are expected to practise asking questions, considering different solutions, developing ideas and explaining their decisions. These skills connect the technology content to their existing schoolwork and everyday problems.

The module includes a suggested teaching plan spanning 20 classroom hours. NCERT textbooks and modules are mandatory from Class 9 onwards in CBSE-affiliated schools, but the available information does not specify a separate compulsory-status direction or implementation date for this module. Students are expected to maintain a "Curious Notebook", a running portfolio recording observations, reasoning and reflections after activities across the five units; the available information does not specify formal assessment arrangements. Those details will matter to families and teachers planning how the module fits into school schedules.

What Computational Thinking Means

Computational thinking means approaching a problem in an organised way. A student identifies what needs to be solved, breaks the problem into smaller parts, gathers relevant information and considers possible ways to reach a solution. The word "computational" may sound as though a computer is required, but the reasoning can happen on paper or through discussion.

NCERT, the national education body that developed the module, explained its purpose in these terms:

"It introduces Computational Thinking (CT) as a systematic approach to solving problems and helps learners understand how AI works, its applications, possibilities, and limitations," NCERT said.

A useful way to understand the approach is to think about a difficult school assignment. A student can separate the task into questions, decide what information each question needs and work through the parts in a sensible order. This illustrates the reasoning the module seeks to develop, rather than a specific exercise announced by NCERT.

The method also gives students a way to examine their own work. If a solution fails, they can revisit the information they used or the steps they followed, instead of starting again without understanding what went wrong.

Understanding AI Through Its Uses and Limits

Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems that perform tasks such as recognising patterns, processing language or generating content. Familiar uses include finding information, working with language and creating images. The module introduces how AI functions, its applications and the limits students need to understand when using it.

For a beginner, the key connection is between a tool's task and the quality of its result. A system may produce a readable answer or a convincing image, while still getting details wrong. Students therefore need both an understanding of what the technology can do and a habit of examining what it produces.

NCERT's approach brings these questions into the same learning process. Students will explore practical uses while considering where caution is necessary. Learning about AI includes recognising when a response needs checking, when information is missing and when a person must make the final decision.

The intended outcome is foundational understanding: enough knowledge to ask better questions about AI and use it thoughtfully, alongside continued practice in independent reasoning.

How Activities Replace Passive Learning

Discussions, practical exercises, experimentation and reflection form the module's teaching approach. Students will be asked to participate, try ideas and consider what they learned from the results, rather than rely entirely on reading definitions.

Group work can give learners a chance to compare approaches to the same problem. Discussion allows them to explain why they chose a particular answer. Reflection means looking back at their own work and considering what succeeded, what failed and what they might change.

NCERT also directly addressed participation in schools with different resources:

"Activities can be conducted with or without digital devices, ensuring meaningful participation across diverse school contexts," it said.

Teachers in schools with limited computers or internet access can use conversation, exercises on paper and collaborative tasks. Schools with digital tools can use them within the same broad approach. The design gives schools flexibility over the means of teaching while keeping reasoning, participation and responsible use as common goals.

The suggested teaching plan offers three modes: a device for each student or pair, teacher-led demonstrations on a shared screen, and "unplugged" exercises using paper and discussion.

Checking Answers Is Part of Learning AI

Facts, dates and figures generated by AI are among the details students will be encouraged to compare with reliable sources. An answer that arrives quickly can still be wrong, incomplete or misleading. Verification means checking whether its claims match dependable information.

For a date, that could involve consulting the relevant official record. For a statistic, it means finding the body that published the number and checking what the figure measures. These are practical ways to understand the module's focus on critical verification.

NCERT includes misinformation alongside digital safety and responsible use. The connection is direct: students who learn to examine answers are better equipped to spot an incorrect claim before repeating it in an assignment or sharing it with others.

Human judgement remains necessary throughout that process. Students must decide which information answers their question, whether the evidence is reliable and whether anything essential has been left out. AI can assist with a task, while the learner remains responsible for the conclusions they present.

Privacy, Fairness and Digital Safety

Personal data protection is another central part of the module. Data privacy concerns how information about a person is collected, used and shared. For students, understanding privacy includes thinking carefully about what personal details they provide when using a digital service.

Digital safety concerns the risks people encounter while using technology. NCERT places it alongside privacy, misinformation and fairness, treating responsible behaviour as part of understanding AI itself.

Fairness means considering whether a system treats people and groups justly. AI systems work with data, and problems in that data can affect their results. Introducing fairness gives learners a reason to examine who might benefit from an answer or decision and who might be treated unfairly.

The module brings these issues into the same introductory course as AI applications and computational thinking. Students are being asked to consider the consequences of using a tool, as well as whether it completes a task. Protecting information and questioning a result become part of the learning process.

How the Initiative Connects to NEP 2020

NCERT says the module aligns with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The connection centres on developing essential skills and making education responsive to changing needs, with critical thinking, creativity and problem solving among the module's stated goals.

The policy context and the module's introduction fall on this timeline:

• 2020: The National Education Policy set out the educational vision with which NCERT says the module aligns.
• October 23, 2026: NCERT introduced the computational thinking and AI module for Classes 9 to 12 in a public post.

For students, the practical focus is on learning to understand and question technology while building transferable reasoning skills. For teachers, the design provides room to work with the equipment available in their classrooms.

The module offers an initial foundation in AI, problem solving and responsible technology use. Its educational aim is to help students become informed and confident users who retain their own judgement, creativity and responsibility for their work.

Key Points

• NCERT has developed an introductory computational thinking and AI module for Classes 9 to 12.
• NCERT's website lists the press release and links to the module in PDF and flipbook formats.
• Students need no prior knowledge of AI or a particular subject to participate.
• Activities include discussion, practical exercises, experimentation and reflection, with or without digital devices.
• The suggested teaching plan spans 20 classroom hours, with device-based, shared-screen and unplugged modes.
• NCERT textbooks and modules are mandatory from Class 9 onwards in CBSE-affiliated schools; the available information does not specify a separate compulsory-status direction or implementation date for this module.
• Students are expected to maintain a "Curious Notebook" portfolio; the available information does not specify formal assessment arrangements.
• The content covers AI applications and limits, data privacy, fairness, misinformation and digital safety.
• Students will learn to check AI generated facts, dates and figures against reliable information.
• NCERT links the initiative to NEP 2020 and keeps human judgement, creativity and ethical responsibility central to learning.