Overview
On September 29, 2026, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) of Uttarakhand and the Kotak Education Foundation (KEF) formalised a partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at building Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy and competency among teachers throughout the state. The MoU was approved by Additional Director Padmendra Saklani and witnessed by senior officials including SCERT Director Bandana Garbyal, Deputy Director Vinod Mathura, Assistant‑Director Dr. K. N. Bijalwan, IT Department officer Ramesh Prasad Badoni, and KEF representatives COO Jayasree Ramesh, Milind Pandey and Deepak Pathak.
Scope of Collaboration
The agreement tasks SCERT’s IT Department and KEF with joint development of AI‑focused teacher training content, design of self‑paced online courses, provision of technical support, and dissemination of the courses through existing digital platforms such as DIKSHA, UK e‑Srijan and Mission Karmayogi. The initiative places AI literacy at the centre of professional development, intending to enhance classroom engagement, integrate emerging digital pedagogies, and improve student learning outcomes across Uttarakhand, including its most remote districts.
AI Course Details
KEF will adapt its proven “AI Saathi for Educators” programme—currently live on DIKSHA for Maharashtra—into a state‑scale model for Uttarakhand. The Maharashtra rollout has already reached over 7.5 lakh teachers. The programme is structured as a tiered, three‑level (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced) self‑paced curriculum, blending videos, learning resources, assessments, and progress tracking via SCERT dashboards. It is designed to enable educators to incorporate AI into lesson planning, assessment, and differentiated instruction.
Institutional Background
SCERT Uttarakhand serves as the apex academic body for teacher training, curriculum development and educational research in the state. Kotak Education Foundation, the CSR implementation arm of the Kotak Mahindra Group under the Kotak Karma identity, has nearly two decades of experience delivering education‑focused interventions, including foundational learning, school leadership, teacher capacity building, STEM education, scholarships, and vocational skilling through its flagship KSHAMATA initiative.
Expected Impact
The MoU is positioned as the first step toward a broader collaboration that includes support for the Innovate Uttarakhand Hackathon 3.0, with the goal of fostering stronger teaching practices, student innovation and future‑ready classrooms throughout the state.