Education Technology | Innovations and Insights - Edinbox

The collaboration between one of India's premier research institutions and a leading gene editing technology company marks a major milestone for the Indian gene, editing and biotechnology ecosystem. The new CoE intends to rapidly move breakthrough CRISPR innovations from labs to clinics and society at large. The collaboration combines JNCASR's extensive, heritage research in basic and translational biomedical research with CrisprBit's expertise in advanced gene editing technologies and translational platforms. The program at JNCASR is a pioneering effort, to the best of their knowledge, which aims to bridge the gap that has existed for a long time between fundamental scientific discoveries and their therapeutic applications. "Through the establishment of a specialized center for CRISPR innovation, this partnership aims to accelerate the path from scientific understanding to solutions that can be scaled up and have clinical relevance, " the institute said in a statement.

The CoE-CIT will be established as a campus-based facility at JNCASR and will integrate expertise across genetics, molecular biology, chemical biology, and computational biology. At its core, the organization is committed to driving translational research, diminishing the risk that surrounds early, stage discoveries, and making sure that innovations align with the ethical, regulatory, and clinical standards that are required for the responsible use of gene editing technologies. In addition, the centre, which was primarily funded through the MRFF's Genomic Health Futures Mission grant, is expected to become a collaborative model of the academic sector and industry dialogue across the country. By showing how publicly funded research institutions can successfully collaborate with private technology companies, the project intends to reinforce India's biotechnology innovation pipeline and, thus, become instrumental in achieving other national missions in health, science, and technology. CrisprBits, whose main objective is to develop molecular platforms for health science applications, is highly likely to be instrumental in the centre's technology development at the local level and their smooth transition into products and therapies with commercial viability.

Delhi Partners with IIT Kanpur to Launch AI, Based Grievance Redressal System The Delhi government, in its effort to provide technologically, driven and transparent governance, has collaborated with IIT Kanpur to introduce an AI, powered Intelligent Grievance Monitoring System (IGMS). The initiative is aimed at making the process of tracking citizen complaints more user, friendly in terms of the capital city, their analysis, and resolution, IT Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh informed on Monday. 

Delhites can file their complaints using different platforms such as the Public Grievance Management System (PGMS), LG Listening Post, and the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). These portals are functioning separately; however, the unconnected departments between the portals result in delays, duplication of complaints, and absence of accountability, officials say.

 The new IGMS is an attempt to solve these problems by consolidating all the major grievance portals into one digital dashboard. The system, created by IIT Kanpur, will be equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to understand public grievances and the responses given by the departments in real, time. Also, secure APIs will facilitate smooth data sharing between the platforms, thus, ensuring complete visibility for the officials from start to finish.

 The platform is also equipped with AI, driven department prediction that will automatically route the complaints to the appropriate department along with spam filtering to remove irrelevant or duplicate entries.

IIT Kanpur will handle system integration, cybersecurity audits, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and maintenance to keep the platform up to robust security and performance standards.

Singh termed the project as a move towards citizen centric governance: "We are embracing technology to serve Delhi's citizens better. This AI, driven grievance monitoring system will empower officials with data, driven insights and help deliver faster, more accountable public services."

The Intelligent Grievance Monitoring System, when put into effect, is likely to bring about a drastic cut in the time taken for complaint resolution, facilitate inter, departmental coordination, and enhance public trust in Delhi's governance frame work the potential of a model other states may follow.

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani on Sunday said that India is beginning a defining period where technology, talent, and national purpose need to move together and urged the next generation to rise and lead the age of artificial intelligence.

"India's enduring strength lies in aligning people, institutions, and long-term vision. The same clarity must now guide young Indians as they approach artificial intelligence or AI, not as passive users but as builders and leaders of capability," Adani said while addressing the inauguration of Vidya Pratishthan's Sharad Pawar Centre of Excellence In Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) in Baramati, Maharashtra.

Acknowledging anxieties around AI, he reminded the audience that history gives grounds for reassurance. "Every major technological transition from the industrial revolutions to India's very own 'Digital Amrit' has increased human possibility," said the Chairman of Adani Group.

"AI will take this even further by putting intelligence and productivity directly in the hands of ordinary citizens, opening pathways for youth from every background to participate in growth," he added. Gautam Adani also warned that AI leadership cannot be outsourced. "In a world where intelligence increasingly shapes economic power and national influence, dependence on foreign algorithms carries risk," he said.

"Data, decision-making and capability must remain anchored in national interest. Building indigenous AI models, strong compute capacity and resilient intelligence ecosystems is essential to India's economic security, cultural confidence and strategic freedom," the billionaire industrialist said.

Gautam Adani along with NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar during inauguration of Pawar Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in Baramati. Placing this vision in context, Gautam Adani pointed to the growing role of the Adani Group in the global AI ecosystem.

The diversified conglomerate is investing big in data centers, digital infrastructure, and clean energy that powers compute at scale, drawing in sustained engagement from global technology leaders such as Google and Microsoft, as India emerges as a serious hub for AI-led growth.

The centre of excellence is established under Baramati-based educational trust Vidya Pratishthan, with a contribution of Rs 25 crore contributed by Gautam Adani in 2023.

This is a call for research proposals in advanced research, skill development, and industry-oriented training in emerging technologies under the initiative. People associated with the project said it will focus on applications of AI in agriculture, healthcare, governance, and industry, among others, with strong collaboration between academia and the private sector.

The new feature delivers 30-minute, single-voice audio lectures designed for passive learning, in a calm tone and a hint of UK flair. Over the summer, Google's Notebook LM gained widespread attention for its uncanny ability to turn uploaded files into fully digital podcast-style conversations-complete with realistic voices casually discussing user-provided material. What really made it stand out, though, was the next step: letting users themselves join those conversations. Hearing humanlike voices discuss documents in such a convincing and unscripted way felt, as I described at the time, both impressive and uncanny.

Many users spent weeks playing with the tool and its ever-expanding capabilities. Well, just in time for the holiday season, Google Notebook added another major feature: Lecture mode. Different from the conversational podcast format, this new option creates a structured single-voice audio presentation modelled after a classic classroom lecture.

The users can choose between different lecture lengths: Short, Default, and Long; the latter will go for approximately 30 minutes.

Lecture mode would be the antithesis of interactive rather than immersion, per se. The voice is not to banter or engage in give-and-take; it is rather a measured and modulated tone that some listeners would find pedantic, others might describe as serene. The design suggests a passive rather than active form of engagement.

Coupled with Lecture mode itself, reports say Google is going to add an extra flourish: an option for a British accent with the voice of the lecture. Coverage of the planned expansion points to a post on X from Notebook team members teasing the feature by suggesting that users would be "absolutely chuffed" by the result.

For many listeners, a British-accented narrator carries a certain association with authority and composure. Paired with the lecture format, the dropped "r"s and measured delivery may give the audio a tone that feels particularly academic or commanding, even when the subject matter is drawn directly from a user's own notes. Taken together, the lecture mode and the suggested British-accented delivery signal a subtle but significant evolution of Google Notebook: what started out as an interactive, almost playful experiment with AI voices is getting closer to a digital schoolmaster-patient, methodical, and ready to talk at length, whether at a desk, on a train, or quietly in the background.

In a significant move towards equal career planning of students, the Punjab government launched a unique initiative involving artificial intelligence-based career guidance services within its government-school framework. The initiative was launched over the weekend.

During the pilot stage, 25 AI-enabled guidance labs opened inside government and affiliated Punjab School Education Board schools, according to Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains.

The minister has stated that this new innovation will assist the students in taking educated decisions regarding their future.

The initiative was launched by Bains as he opened laboratory classes in Government Senior Secondary School, Nangal, and Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Sri Anandpur Sahib.

The programme has been made available completely free of cost to the student community in collaboration with ed-tech partner Beyond Mentor, according to a press release.

“This project has to do with giving the youth in our state the right tools at the right time, which is something that we're looking at in terms of this pilot of 25 schools to see how it actually works,” said Bains.

When implemented successfully, it is anticipated that it would give way to an expansion in the province of Punjab, and it would possibly be one among the first provinces to incorporate it in India.

The move is an committed effort on the part of the Punjab government, headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in preparation for the requirement needed for the 21st-century economy, according to Bains.

“Career counseling is going to cease being an indulgence. With the implementation of systematic and AI-driven counseling in our government schools, we are ensuring that every child, from every background, has the opportunity to take an educated decision about what they want to do,” the education minister further added.

While giving an overview of what the AI labs would entail, Bains said that the students would undergo an aptitude and interest analysis using AI on the online platform.

Based on this, the system will provide an individual career report with possible academic and career paths, followed by career sessions with the students carried out by the professional counselors, involving the parents, in order to discuss the report and devise an action plan.

The aim is to move beyond generic recommendations to providing data-driven insights, right from class 6, said the minister, adding it could even happen from class 6 itself.

PSEB Chairman Dr. Amarpal Singh further discussed the requirement for making a transition from examination-based learning to overall development. “Actually, education should unlock one’s potential. These labs will also allow the students to understand their natural strengths, which they can then convert into concrete objectives of their future profession, as opposed to merely going after grades,” Singh explained. As per the official statement, Saurav Kumar, CEO of Beyond Mentor, stated, “Our platform combines technology and human empathy. Where our scalable assessment component happens to be AI, human counseling becomes the really important part of it, which makes every child feel heard and advised.”

One major step in the right direction for school talent in AI, in my opinion, would be INAIO 2026, which stands for Indian National AI Olympiad of 2026.

This was announced by the ACM India chapter, a national chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery, on Thursday (December 18). “The plan is to identify students to be selected to attend the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence in the next year,” an announcement said.

The INAIO 2026 has been launched as the only approved alternative for this purpose in India, as it is one of the premier international forums where the brightest young minds meet to showcase their thoughts on Artificial Intelligence.

The aim of conducting this Olympiad is to check their understanding as well as aptness for applications related to Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning.

The INAIO 2026 exam is going to be an online exam that is scheduled for January 18th. It will be proctored, and it is going to be conducted through the online assessment technology platform provided by HireMee.

The process of registering for the exam is currently ongoing and would be closed by the 31st of December, 2025.

Candidates with birthdates after August 2nd, 2006 will be qualified to apply to the IOAI hiring process.

The result of the performance on the national test will decide the progress at various levels of assessment until the Indian team selection for the international olympiad.

ACM India has also developed a fast track system for students who have already showcased excellence in some other competitive events.

Shortlisted toppers from various olympiads like Indian National Mathematical Olympiad, Indian National Olympiad in Informatics, Physics League Olympiad, and Bebras will be selected to directly move to Stage 2 for INAIO 2026.

This should attract lots of qualified and bright students who possess analytic and mathematical skills.

Unlike in other competitive exams, for which there is a requisite pattern in holding levels, INAIO has a planned pattern for its levels, focusing not only on theoretical knowledge, but also on being able to model in a highly skilled fashion. This will help the participants broaden their knowledge of concepts, as well as encourage applications related to machine learning. This is in line with the emerging needs of education in AI technology.

As quoted in an article by ACM India, “The goal of the Olympiad program is not merely a mechanism of choice, but also an experience of the latest technology and international norms.” E-certificate holders will be distributed to all participants at INAIO 2026 as appreciation for their attendance at the national competition.

The top three students in the entire country will receive prizes, while the best students will achieve international recognition through their association with a world-famous Olympiad. Also, the initial 500 applicants would be able to avail the Career Navigation Assessment of the service of HireMee, which would cost them Rs. 1,599 separately.

ACM India has also observed that performance in Olympiad problems can also help improve the chances of being offered a scholarship and admission in top universities abroad. The INAIO 2026 inauguration has been followed by the initiative to enhance the education system of artificial intelligence in India, specifically in schools. As the impact of AI is rising in the higher education system, research, and industries, initiatives such as the INAIO are being considered as highly significant platforms where the talents are being recognized and developed at a young age. The students, schools, or parents interested in INAIO India can gather the required information regarding INAIO India from the official website of INAIO India.