UP Governor Anandiben Patel urges universities to prepare AI roadmaps for education, research

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has called on universities in the state to develop time-bound plans for integrating artificial intelligence into education, research, healthcare, agriculture and administration.

Speaking at the conclusion of the two-day AI Manthan 2.0 event at Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU) in Kanpur, Patel said AI should not remain confined to a standalone academic subject. She urged institutions to incorporate the technology across disciplines and university operations.

Patel asked universities to prepare clear AI roadmaps covering education, research, healthcare, agriculture, administration and student skill development. She also emphasized the need to prepare students and faculty members for the growing use of AI.

"Do not fear AI; understand it," Patel said while addressing students.

She encouraged students to use AI to strengthen creativity and curiosity while retaining human empathy. Rather than limiting their aspirations to securing jobs, she urged them to develop skills that could enable them to create employment opportunities.

The governor also called for the development of indigenous AI systems based on Indian data and supported by secure digital infrastructure.

AI Manthan 2.0 focuses on practical applications

Patel said universities should promote "learning by doing" and give students opportunities to apply AI to real-world challenges. She cited areas such as agriculture, water conservation, traffic management, malnutrition, language preservation and assistive technology.

She also highlighted AI applications in mathematics, science, weather forecasting, disease detection, environmental monitoring, robotics and language processing.

According to Patel, AI could play a role in preserving India's manuscripts, languages, archaeological heritage and folk traditions.

She also pointed to potential applications in healthcare and agriculture, including medical research, disease identification, crop management and weather forecasting.

Teachers urged to become AI-ready

The governor said faculty members must also develop an understanding of AI and incorporate it into their work. She said the relationship between teachers and AI should be based on collaboration rather than competition.

Patel also stressed the need for responsible AI adoption, with attention to data privacy, cybersecurity, fairness, transparency and human judgment.

Dr Sudhir M Bobde, OSD to the governor, announced two groups tasked with taking forward the outcomes of AI Manthan 2.0.

The AI Policy Advisory Group will be chaired by Prof PP Chakrabarti, director of IIT Kharagpur, and will bring together experts from technology, agriculture, healthcare, higher education and other fields.

The second body, the AI Implementation Group of Vice Chancellors, will focus on putting AI initiatives into practice across universities and sectors.

Patel also outlined progress since AI Manthan 1.0, which was held at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) in Lucknow.

She said more than 7 lakh undergraduate students enrolled in state universities have completed foundational AI courses, while over 3 lakh students have undergone cybersecurity training in Hindi. Technical assistance has also been used to evaluate more than 3 lakh answer scripts.

Patel said universities should move beyond simply observing technological developments and take an active role in applying AI to education, research and other areas.