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AI in classrooms
AI is no longer knocking at Assam’s classroom door; it is poised to stride straight in. The state's decision to train nearly one lakh government-school teachers in artificial intelligence by May 2027 is a major achievement that warrants both praise and caution.
The collaboration with Google AI, IIT Madras-Bodhan AI and Canva Education can equip teachers with futuristic pedagogic tools, personalised learning strategies and smarter assessment methods. Secure digital identities and access to tools such as Notebook and Gemini may also help teachers streamline lesson planning and administrative work. More importantly, multilingual resources and AI-assisted lesson plans could help bridge linguistic and educational inequities and make learning more inclusive and vibrant.
However, we must not mistake technological exuberance for educational transformation. AI is an adjunct, not an oracle. Teachers should retain the final say over AI-generated content, lest algorithmic inaccuracies, cultural insensitivities or hidden biases seep into classrooms. Robust training must therefore cover digital ethics, data privacy, fact-checking, cyber safety and responsible AI use, rather than merely teaching teachers which buttons to press.
The cascade model, beginning with 40 master trainers, must be meticulously monitored so that training does not become a perfunctory box-ticking exercise. Rural and resource-starved schools need reliable connectivity and functional devices; otherwise, the digital divide could widen rather than narrow.
Assam should seize the bull by the horns but keep its feet firmly on the ground. If human wisdom steers machine intelligence, this initiative can turn classrooms into crucibles of creativity. Let AI amplify teachers—not eclipse them.
Dipen Gogoi,
Teok, Jorhat
Peace along the border
For the first time, Arunachal Pradesh hosted India and China corps commander talks amid heightened tensions over China's alleged frontier encroachments and the blocking of Indian troops' access to key patrolling points in Taksing, Upper Subansiri. It marks both a symbolic and substantive advance in efforts towards sustainable peace along the border. The meeting occurred days after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing to discuss the border dispute. Their meeting yielded hopeful statements from both sides and an eight-point consensus aimed at furthering the momentum towards a stable border. In fact, the meeting, in effect, represents a concession from China that its officials need Indian permission to come to Arunachal Pradesh. The talks come ahead of the BRICS summit in India, which Chinese President XI Jinping is expected to attend. So far India and China have held 23 rounds of corps commander meetings to resolve issues related to the military standoff following the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash. From India's perspective, the agreement also builds in a diplomatic safeguard. There is no doubt that the future of the India-China relationship and its growth depend on a stable and peaceful border. A stable border needs regular communication and confidence-building between the military professionals tasked with manning the frontier on both sides. So, if commanders on the two sides are in regular contact, China has no excuse. So, the need of the hour is more conversations, not less, with the Chinese, which can help keep the border safe and end deadly hand-to-hand fighting.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati
Some Tennis!
In recent years, we have observed a significant increase in the levels of all sports, suggesting that there are no limits to their potential. Records are regularly made to be broken in athletics events. The levels of football, hockey, etc., cannot be compared with the past.
The very same can be said about Tennis, as we saw recently in the US Open quarterfinal match played between Bill Shelton of the US and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, which lasted more than 4 and a half hours in Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York. That match was nothing sort of a gladiatorial fight, as both the athletes displayed tremendous athleticism and power hitting.
Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati.