IIT-Madras and SWAYAM Plus Roll Out Free AI Training for Rural School Teachers

In a move that underscores the increasing push to democratise technology in classrooms, the IIT-Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation has partnered with the Ministry of Education’s SWAYAM Plus platform to launch a free artificial intelligence training programme for rural school teachers across India. The certification course titled “AI for Educators  for K12 Teachers”  is aimed at educators handling Classes I to XII and is designed to equip them with practical tools and methods to integrate AI into everyday teaching, assessment and student engagement.

Scheduled to start on 5 February 2026, the 40-hour online programme covers key areas such as generative AI tools, prompt engineering, AI-based lesson planning, gamification, immersive technologies like AR/VR, inclusive pedagogies and AI-supported assessments. It seeks not just to familiarise teachers with technology but to build confidence in adopting AI responsibly and effectively to improve learning outcomes in underserved classrooms.

Registration is open until 31 January 2026, and the certification fee will be waived for the first 500 rural school teachers who successfully complete the training and its virtual proctored assessment. Balamurali Shankar, Chief Knowledge Officer at IIT-Madras Pravartak, says the initiative aims to make educators “future-ready” and bridge the digital divide that persists in many rural settings.