The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, MSDE, has joined hands with Meta to launch two initiatives, namely an AI Assistant for the Skill India Mission and the establishment of 5 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality ( MR).
Through the partnership, an innovative AI-powered chatbot powered by Meta's open-source Llama model will be developed with an aim to enhance the learner experience on the Skill India Digital (SID) Portal.
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Additionally, the ministry seeks to make Meta's open-source AI models accessible to India's AI ecosystem thereby creating a collaborative e-governance framework for the adoption of impactful AI solutions that have the potential for catalyzing large-scale socio-economic transformation in line with India's AI Mission, as informed in a press release.
Furthermore, the 5 CoEs at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) which would be located at Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jodhpur, Chennai, and Kanpur will equip learners and instructors with the latest VR technology to learn and enhance existing skills in a safe, immersive, and engaging environment, the release informed.
The 5 CoEs will also provide realistic simulations, improve engagement, and increase accessibility to skill development training.
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Jayant Chaudhary, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship said that the Ministry aims to empower India's youth with the skills they need to thrive in the present competitive landscape.
“By integrating technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and mixed reality into the Skill India ecosystem, we are democratizing access to cutting-edge technologies enabling personalized learning pathways for the youth of the country. Our partnership with Meta today is a significant step towards achieving this goal,” he said.
Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, at Meta India, stated that the partnerships with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MDSE) are a testament to the commitment to bridging the gap between technology and education.
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He said, “Through the integration of advanced technologies like Open-Source Llama we aim to empower not just the students, but also educators and entrepreneurs, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in today's digital-first world.”
It may be mentioned here that Sarvam AI, the technical partner for the AI assistant project will work on the development and deployment of the chatbot, which will be piloted over six months.
The chatbot will be integrated into the SID Portal and offer 24/7 assistance to users, enabling quick discovery of course information, interactive Q&A for course content, and access to lecture summaries and relevant videos for revision.
Besides, the chatbot will support English, Hindi, and Hinglish and be available over WhatsApp.
Likewise, Skillveri, the technical partner for establishing the CoEs, will provide innovative VR and MR resources, curriculum, and trained professionals to equip learners and instructors with the latest technology.
