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AI goes to class as MSDE, Google Cloud pilot smart skills framework
MUMBAI: If skills are the engine of Viksit Bharat, artificial intelligence is being fitted firmly under the bonnet. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has announced a collaboration with Google Cloud and Chaudhary Charan Singh University to build a national framework for modernising India’s vocational and higher education ecosystem using cloud and AI technologies.
Unveiled at Google’s AI for Learning Forum in Delhi, the initiative positions CCSU, Meerut as a national pilot institution that will test how AI can be embedded into everyday teaching, administration and skill development. The announcement was made in the presence of Jayant Chaudhary, alongside senior officials from the Ministries of Skill Development and Education.
At the heart of the pilot is the use of Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise platform to address real-world challenges faced by universities. These include automating administrative workflows, improving staff efficiency, supporting research, and enabling personalised learning through AI tutors and skill-gap analysis. The aim is to make learning more adaptive, efficient and aligned with evolving workforce needs.
The programme is designed to act as an equaliser. By enabling vernacular language support and personalised AI-driven mentorship, it seeks to extend access to high-quality learning tools to students in regional institutions who are often constrained by geography, language or resources. Faculty members will also be supported with AI tools to design curriculum content, simulations and multilingual teaching aids tailored to different learning speeds.
Beyond classrooms, the initiative focuses on operational reform. Intelligent document processing and automated workflows are expected to reduce administrative load, allowing institutions to function more efficiently while improving service delivery to students.
Crucially, the CCSU pilot will feed into a larger ambition. Insights from the project will be used by MSDE to develop a National Best Practice Framework that can guide more than 50,000 colleges and over 1,200 universities in adopting AI responsibly and self-certifying as “AI-enabled universities”.
As a designated Centre of Excellence, CCSU will also host knowledge-sharing sessions to demonstrate how AI can be scaled across India’s diverse education landscape. The goal is clear: ensure that future-ready skills are not confined to elite campuses, but become part of the everyday learning experience for students across the country.
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India strengthens global enforcement to crack down on smuggling
CBIC ramps up tech-driven inspections and international partnerships to stop illicit trade
NEW DELHI: India is ramping up its battle against cross-border smuggling, with 42 Mutual Customs Cooperation Agreements already in place and 21 more in the pipeline with major trading partners, said Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) member – compliance management Mohan Kumar Singh.
Speaking at Ficci Cascade’s 5th Anti-Smuggling Day, Singh described smuggling as a sophisticated, technology-fuelled crime that threatens both the economy and national security.
“CBIC’s customs teams and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence are stepping up efforts. In just the first three quarters of this year, we seized around 500 kilograms of gold, nearly 150 million illicit cigarettes, over 20 tonnes of red sanders, and substantial quantities of cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and cannabis. We also uncovered more than 100 wildlife trafficking cases, along with illegal arms, drones and counterfeit currency,” said CBIC member – compliance management Mohan Kumar Singh.
Singh added that modern smuggling networks are flexible and tech-savvy, mixing old-school concealment with digital anonymity and complex financial schemes. “We are moving from simply intercepting shipments to dismantling the networks behind them. Advanced cargo screening, AI-driven analytics and risk-based inspections help us stop illegal goods before they hit the domestic market,” said CBIC member – compliance management Mohan Kumar Singh.
Highlighting recent Union Budget initiatives, Singh noted that AI-powered image analysis and expanded container scanning will further boost enforcement, while GST simplification and customs reforms make legal trade easier and illicit trade harder.
Emphasising the need for global collaboration, Anil Rajput said, “Ficci Cascade, chairman, Anil Rajput, Strong partnerships, intelligence sharing and coordinated action are key. An International Anti-Smuggling Day recognised by the United Nations could give this fight a worldwide platform, and India is ready to lead.”
P C Jha added, “Ficci Cascade, advisor, P C Jha, Anti-Smuggling Day is more than a symbolic event. Smuggling thrives on organised networks and digital platforms. Effective enforcement must dismantle these networks and the financial flows that sustain them.”
Ficci Cascade research shows the economic impact is huge. A 2024 study estimates India’s illicit market at nearly Rs 8 lakh crore in 2022–23, with millions of legitimate jobs lost to unlawful trade.
The event featured two expert panels. The first focused on protecting the economy and borders through coordinated intelligence and technology, while the second explored international partnerships with representatives from Undoc, US Customs and the Indian enforcement community.
The day also celebrated young talent through the “Stand Against Smuggling” digital art competition, which drew over 10,000 entries nationwide, highlighting growing awareness and civic responsibility among youth.
Launched in 2022, Anti-Smuggling Day has quickly become a major platform for government, industry, international bodies and civil society to unite against illicit trade.
