The NCERT AI module for Classes 9 to 12 runs 20 hours across five units. NCERT released it on October 23, 2026, built with IIT Madras and IIT Jodhpur. Schools will use it for internal assessment in 2026-27.
CBSE set the plan in Circular Acad-18/2026. That circular is dated April 9, 2026. Dr Praggya M. Singh, Professor and Director (Academics) at CBSE, signed it.
The same circular ends something for Class 9. All other AI courses run until 2025-26 stop from 2026-27. Class 10 keeps the old scheme.
CampusFeed read both CBSE documents and counted the hours. A Class 6 student gets 100 hours of CT and AI a year. Classes 9 to 12 get 20 hours in total.
NCERT is the National Council of Educational Research and Training. It writes school textbooks in India. CBSE is the Central Board of Secondary Education.
CT means computational thinking. AI means artificial intelligence. Both sit inside one module.
What is in the NCERT AI module for Classes 9 to 12?
The NCERT AI module for Classes 9 to 12 has five units. Unit 1 is AI is Already in Your Life. Unit 2 is How Machines Learn from Examples.
Unit 3 is When AI Gets It Wrong. Deepfakes and false AI answers sit here. Students run a Hallucination Hunt.
Unit 4 is Your Data, Your Rights, Your Responsibility. Unit 5 is Working with Modern AI Tools.
Faculty from IIT Madras and IIT Jodhpur built the module. It assumes no prior AI knowledge.
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In Unit 2 a student trains a classifier. The classifier gets pictures of blue pens, red pens and erasers. Then the student tests where it fails.
Does the module carry marks?
The module goes to internal assessment. Circular Acad-18/2026 says the modules are to be transacted for internal assessment. No board paper is attached to it.
That circular gives no mark weightage. CampusFeed searched the CBSE 2026 circular list and found no figure. Schools do not have that number yet.
What changes for Class 9 in 2026-27?
Class 9’s other AI courses stop. The April 9 circular discontinues them from 2026-27. Class 10 students carry on with the 2025-26 scheme.
The old AI elective was popular. In 2024-25, 7,90,999 Class 9 and 10 students took it, across 4,538 schools.
Jayant Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Education, gave that count in the Lok Sabha on December 9, 2024.
Classes 11 and 12 were much smaller. Only 50,343 students from 944 schools took AI that year.
How many CT and AI hours does each CBSE stage get?
CBSE’s curriculum framework for Classes 3 to 8 sets the hours. Younger children get the bigger share.
| Stage | CT and AI time | How it is taught |
|---|---|---|
| Classes 3 to 5 | 50 hours a year | Inside Maths and The World Around Us |
| Classes 6 to 8 | 100 hours a year | 40 hours CT, 20 hours AI, 40 hours projects |
| Classes 9 to 12 | 20 hours in total | Five-unit module, internal assessment |
| Class 9 until 2025-26 | A full elective course | Discontinued from 2026-27 |
Read the middle row again. A Class 6 student gets 20 hours of AI every year. A Class 11 student gets 20 hours once.
School mein computer lab nahi hai, phir bhi ye module chalega kya?
Yes. The module was built to run without devices. Teachers can use paper activities and class discussion.
One shared screen also works. A teacher can show the task on it while the class watches.
What does the NCERT module tell students not to share?
Unit 4 warns students off four kinds of data. Aadhaar and PAN numbers come first.
Passwords and one-time passwords are next. Personal documents are on the list too.
Unit 4 explains India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. The Act sets rules on consent and data deletion.
Each student keeps a Curious Notebook. It holds an AI diary, classifier tests and a prompt library.
Why “compulsory for Class 9” does not match the circular
The Times of India reported on October 26 that CT and AI modules are compulsory for Class 9. Circular Acad-18/2026 never uses that word.
Two things are stated about Class 9 in that circular. Other AI courses are discontinued. NCERT modules arrive for internal assessment.
Ending an elective is not the same as making a subject compulsory. CampusFeed searched the CBSE 2026 circular list and found no circular calling the module compulsory.
Dinesh Prasad Saklani, NCERT Director, wrote the foreword to the module. His foreword does not set any school rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AI compulsory for Class 9 in CBSE from 2026-27?
CBSE Circular Acad-18/2026 does not use the word compulsory. It discontinues all other Class 9 AI courses from 2026-27 and says NCERT modules will be transacted for internal assessment. Schools should confirm the detail with their CBSE regional office.
How long is the NCERT AI module for Classes 9 to 12?
The NCERT AI module for Classes 9 to 12 runs 20 hours across five units. The module came out on October 23, 2026. Faculty from IIT Madras and IIT Jodhpur helped build it, and it assumes no prior AI knowledge.
Will the NCERT AI module appear in the board exam?
No. Circular Acad-18/2026 places the module in internal assessment, not in a board paper. The circular gives no mark weightage for it, so schools do not yet know how many marks the module will carry.
Can a school teach the NCERT AI module without computers?
Yes. The module runs with or without digital devices. A teacher can use paper tasks, class discussion, or one shared screen. This matters for schools with a weak internet link or no computer lab.
What happens to Class 10 AI students in 2026-27?
Class 10 students continue with the scheme they followed in 2025-26. CBSE Circular Acad-18/2026 changes the rule for Class 9 only. Students who began an AI course in Class 9 during 2025-26 are not affected by the discontinuation.
Last verified: October 26, 2026
Disclaimer: Dates, fees, cutoffs and eligibility can change without notice. Check with CBSE before you act.
