Chennai: IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation is aiming to train 10 lakh school and college students in the next three years in artificial intelligence from foundational concepts to advanced tools that would prepare learners for new roles through online.At its Centre for Human Centric AI, IIT-M Pravartak is developing AI systems that augment human expertise rather than replace it. The initiatives of the centre include sovereign AI language models for national audit institutions, AI-driven procurement intelligence for government systems, workflow intelligence for judicial institutions, AI-assisted neonatal congenital heart diseases screening for rural healthcare, defence procurement intelligence, prison mental-health support, heritage restoration, and immersive technologies for preserving India’s civilisational legacy.“Currently, about 1.5lakh students ranging from college students to rural school teachers, aspiring engineers are studying AI related certificate courses. We want to take it to other professions such as healthcare, legal and govt officials to democratise AI,” said Balamurali Shankar, chief knowledge officer, IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation.“Though we focus on college students, there is a predominant interest from rural students and rural school teachers also. After the first level online skilling, the toppers will be trained at IIT campus,” he added.On Friday, IIT M Pravartak foundation celebrated its fifth anniversary through Pravartak Impact Day by showcasing how research has translated into measurable societal impact across the diverse sectors.M J Shankar Raman, CEO of IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, said, “Technology has meaning only when it creates impact. Over the last five years, our endeavour has been to bring together academia, industry, government and startups to build capabilities that serve the Nation. Whether it is strengthening national security, preparing thousands of learners for the digital economy, applying AI to improve public institutions or nurturing deep-tech innovation, our focus has always been on creating solutions that matter to society.”Pravartak also built technology solutions including development of secure communication systems for the Indian armed forces, designed to provide trusted and resilient communication capabilities for mission-critical environments.
