India Launches Free AI Courses and Tutoring Amidst Student Protests

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a significant initiative to offer free online tutoring and artificial intelligence courses to millions of young people. This move comes after weeks of widespread protests against perceived flaws in the country's education system, a movement dubbed the 'Cockroach Movement.' The government aims to ease financial pressures on impoverished families and equip students with in-demand skills.

Modi stated that approximately ten million young individuals will have the opportunity to participate in AI utilization courses. Additionally, his administration will provide free preparatory classes for several competitive examinations. He highlighted India's robust digital public infrastructure and the availability of highly capable educators as key assets for this program.

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We have the digital public infrastructure, and we have very capable teachers.

The protests, which represented one of the most significant domestic challenges for Modi's government since the start of his third term, were ignited by a scandal involving leaked medical entrance exam papers. Demonstrators demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who eventually stepped down. The movement's name is a satirical reference to remarks allegedly made by India's Chief Justice, Surya Kant, who reportedly compared young government critics to cockroaches and parasites.

In response to the exam irregularities, the government is also pushing for stricter penalties for the illicit sharing of examination materials. India faces intense competition for university placements, with higher education seen as a crucial pathway to stable employment. However, criminal groups often gain illegal access to exam papers to sell to candidates, while numerous preparatory courses remain unaffordable for many aspiring students.

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The youth are playing