How the SOR Program is Building a Trusted AI Nation
In a historic ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Draupadi Karmu didn’t just launch another official initiative — she ignited a nationwide movement. #ScienceChallenge Represents India’s ambitious commitment to ensure that artificial intelligence literacy becomes as basic as reading and writing in the 21st century.
What makes this initiative remarkable isn’t just its scale — it’s the vision behind it. Rather than treating AI as a technical skill reserved for engineers and data scientists, grow up (National AI Awareness Program of India) program democratizes AI education, making it accessible School students, teachers, working professionals, and even members of parliament.
Action to Action
President Amu’s message was clear: Preparing for AI is not a luxury or an afterthought – it is a national imperative. He called on citizens, educators, policymakers and youth to actively participate in India’s AI learning movement, calling it an important step towards building a technologically empowered and inclusive society.
President Karmo personally awarded AI course certificates to learners ranging from Members of Parliament to students of Prime Minister Shri Schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, and Jawaharlal Nehru Vidyalayas. This visual representation—politik makers and school children standing together as fellow learners—powerfully conveys that AI literacy transcends age, position, and background.
Solar Revolution: 1.59 lakh learning and counting
Launched in July 2025 as part of the 10-year celebration of the Skill India mission, SOR has already created impressive momentum. In just six months, over 1.59 lakh learners Thousands of people have enrolled in AI courses, successfully completing the certification.
But numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. What’s really transformative is SOAR’s approach to AI education. The program focuses on three main pillars:
- Awareness precedes specialization – Building fundamental understanding rather than technical complexity for learners
- Basic ethics – Emphasizing technical know-how as well as the use of responsible AI
- Universal access – Ensuring rural and underserved communities have equal access to AI education
Leadership by Example: When Ministers Become Students
In a fresh show of leadership, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Jayant Choudhary didn’t just add — he completed a self-learning module to ‘get to know’ AI. Following his example, he nominated other prominent leaders to take up the challenge:
- Government of Andhra Pradesh, its Minister, Shri Nara Lokesh
- Shri Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO, Prasar Bharti
- Shri Nitin Narang, President, All India Chess Federation
most notably, 15 Members of Parliament SORAI has completed the module, showing that India’s highest democratic body is talking about AI preparation.
💡 Insights: This model of peer-led nomination is transforming from a government program to a true social movement, where learning becomes aspirational and leadership becomes synonymous with constant education.
Why Teachers Are Real Game Changers
Although student participation makes headlines, SOR’s emphasis on educator preparation may be its most strategic element. The program recognizes a fundamental truth: sustainable AI literacy doesn’t come from standalone courses — it comes when teachers integrate AI awareness into everyday learning.
SOR supports teacher training in government and private schools:
- Understand basic AI concepts without needing a technical background
- Adopt responsible and ethical AI practices in educational contexts
- Integrate meaningful AI awareness into classroom learning across disciplines
Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, this approach ensures that AI does not remain a separate “subject” but becomes woven into India’s educational fabric.
Bridging the Digital Divide: Rural India in Focus
Access is meaningless without equity. The SOR courses are delivered by the Skills India Digital Hub (SIDH), specially designed to ensure wide reach across regions and institutions, including rural and underserved communities.
During the Rashtrapati Bhavan event, President Karmo also formally inaugurated the AGOU Regional Center at Rirangpur in northern Odisha, strengthening access to skill-based education in regions that have historically faced educational disadvantages. This dual focus – digital AI education and physical infrastructure – defines a holistic approach to national skill development.
From awareness to trust: India’s unique perspective
What distinguishes India’s AI readiness strategy from many global models is its emphasis on construction AI Confidence Before AI mastery. Minister Jayant Choudhary articulated this vision: India’s future workforce must not only be digitally savvy, but AI-reliant.
This philosophy recognizes a critical reality – as AI transforms jobs, governance and everyday life, the biggest obstacle is not technological complexity but psychological apprehension. By demystifying AI through accessible micro-certificates and emphasizing ethical understanding, SOR helps reduce anxiety about AI’s impact on work and society.
Strategic Shift: Instead of creating a small pool of highly skilled AI experts, India is building a broad base of AI-Aware citizens who understand the potential, limitations and ethical implications of this technology. This population-wide literacy forms the basis of India’s innovation economy.
Building resilience through education
#Scalination As a challenge, AI literacy is positioned as a shared national responsibility.
A special “AI for Beginners” interactive session at Rashtrapati Bhawan, led by a world-renowned AI expert in collaboration with Google, demonstrated the program’s commitment to delivering world-class content. By combining international expertise with local access, SORS creates a learning experience that is globally relevant and contextually appropriate for India.