Lok Sabha Question No. 1498 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Implementation of AI-Based Learning Initiatives
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1498 ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## Implementation of AI-Based Learning Initiatives

1498. Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the details of implementation of AI-based digital learning initiatives, including the TARA (Technology-Aided  Reading  Assessment)  App  and  My  Career  Advisor  App,  during  the Financial Year 2025-26, along with the number of students covered, State/UT-wise;

(b) the total funds allocated and utilised for these initiatives during the Financial year 2025-26, State/UT-wise;

(c)  the  details  of  deployment  of  the  TARA  App  and  My  Career  Advisor  App  during  the Financial year 2025-26, including the number of schools, institutions and students benefited in the country including the State of Odisha; and

(d)  whether  these  initiatives  have  been  extended  to  educational  institutions  in  backward  and rural districts of Odisha, particularly Bolangir Lok Sabha Parliamentary Constituency and if so, the extent of coverage?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d): TARA (Teachers' Assistant for Reading Assessment) is an AI driven tool to develop and deploy reliable and scalable digital solutions for the assessment of Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), a critical component of foundational literacy. TARA app uses audio signal analyses to measure attributes linked to word decoding accuracy, pace and expression in oral reading. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has signed a Memorandum of  Understanding  (MoU)  with  Indian  Institute  of  Technology  (IIT)  Bombay  for  Technology Aided  Reading  Assessment  (TARA)  App,  an  AI-based  digital  learning  initiative.  Further, Kendriya Vidaylaya Sangathan (KVS) has implemented the TARA App during the Financial Year 2025-26. The TARA App is being used to assess foundational reading skills of students in Hindi  and  English  in  classes  3  to  8  in  Kendriya  Vidyalayas,  located  in  various  regions, including backward and rural areas of Odisha and KVs in Bolangir Lok Sabha Parliamentary

Constituency, as part of KVS's uniform academic initiatives. So far, 704210 KV students from classes 3 to 8 have been assessed through TARA app in all 1289 KVs. Out of these, almost 34000 students were tested in Odisha. In the financial year 2025-26, KVS has made a provision of  ₹2447048/-  plus  GST  18%,  for  conducting  and  analysing  the  Oral  Reading  Assessment (ORF) through TARA app.

My  Career  Advisor  App  (MCA)  is  an  AI-enabled  digital  career  guidance  and  counselling platform launched on 29 July 2025, with a view to empower students to make informed career decisions. The application has been developed in collaboration with Pandit Sunder Lal Sharma Central  Institute  of  Vocational  Education  (PSSCIVE),  Bhopal,  NCERT  and  Wadhwani Foundation.  The  initiative  is  aligned  with  the  objectives  of  the  National  Education  Policy (NEP), 2020, which emphasizes holistic, integrated, and future-ready education.

A  National-level  Workshop  on  the  My  Career  Advisor  App  was  organised  by  PSSCIVE, Bhopal  on  30th  October  2025  at  Kaushal  Bhawan,  New  Delhi,  with  participation  from State/UT officials,  SCERT representatives, vocational education functionaries, and other key stakeholders. The workshop focused on awareness creation, functional orientation, and handson  demonstration  of  the  App's  AI-enabled  features  for  student  career  guidance.  To  ensure wider  dissemination  and  effective  implementation  at  the  grassroots  level  including  the educational institutions in backward and rural areas across India, including participants from Odisha, State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) have been requested to organize  State-Level  Capacity  Building  Workshops  on  the  same  theme,  aimed  at  equipping teachers,  counsellors,  and  other  stakeholders  with  the  necessary  understanding  and  skills  to guide students effectively.

AI Bootcamp was organised at Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sambalpur, in which 30 students  and  04  teachers  representing  the  Odisha  State  Board  including  aspirants  from educationally backward and rural regions, were sensitised to the App. The initiative aimed at bridging information gaps and enabling equitable access to AI-based career guidance tools for students from underserved regions.

State-level  training  sessions  have  been  conducted  in  nine  States/UTs  viz.  Goa,  Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. As on date, the MCA platform has more than 1.46 lakh registered users getting benefitted from the App, details of which are at Annexure.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  PART  'A'  TO  'D'  IN  THE  REPLY  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1498 ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026  ASKED  BY SMT. SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO, HON'BLE MP REGARDING 'IMPLEMENTATION OF AI-BASED LEARNING INITIATIVES'

## State/UT-wise details of Enrolments on My Career Advisor (MCA) App

| S. No   | State                                    |   Enrolment |   Passion Tagging |
|---------|------------------------------------------|-------------|-------------------|
| 1       | Punjab                                   |       44750 |             29881 |
| 2       | Chandigarh                               |       16345 |             10738 |
| 3       | Madhya Pradesh                           |        9166 |              6295 |
| 4       | Rajasthan                                |        8477 |              5761 |
| 5       | Himachal Pradesh                         |        8168 |              4258 |
| 6       | Uttar Pradesh                            |        6567 |              4715 |
| 7       | Andaman and Nicobar Islands              |        5395 |              3454 |
| 8       | Gujarat                                  |        5214 |              3239 |
| 9       | Haryana                                  |        5169 |              3676 |
| 10      | Maharashtra                              |        4849 |              3506 |
| 11      | Delhi                                    |        4459 |              3213 |
| 12      | Chhattisgarh                             |        3574 |              2177 |
| 13      | Andhra Pradesh                           |        3506 |              2132 |
| 14      | Tamil Nadu                               |        3017 |              2362 |
| 15      | Odisha                                   |        2423 |              1275 |
| 16      | Telangana                                |        2170 |              1601 |
| 17      | Karnataka                                |        1991 |              1642 |
| 18      | Assam                                    |        1467 |               952 |
| 19      | Bihar                                    |        1425 |              1110 |
| 20      | Jammu and Kashmir                        |        1363 |               883 |
| 21      | Uttarakhand                              |        1735 |              1195 |
| 22      | Tripura                                  |        1002 |               654 |
| 23      | West Bengal                              |         749 |               581 |
| 24      | Kerala                                   |         737 |               561 |
| 25      | Jharkhand                                |         612 |               474 |
| 26      | Puducherry                               |         403 |               290 |
| 27      | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |         371 |               306 |
| 28      | Nagaland                                 |         254 |               190 |
| 29      | Arunachal Pradesh                        |         247 |               203 |
| 30      | Goa                                      |         178 |               134 |
| 31      | Manipur                                  |         126 |                81 |
| 32      | Meghalaya                                |          68 |                44 |
| 33      | Sikkim                                   |          35 |                27 |
| 34      | Mizoram                                  |          24 |                16 |
| 35      | Ladakh                                   |          19 |                13 |
| 36      | Lakshadweep                              |           6 |                 5 |
|         | Total                                    |      146061 |             97644 |