Nearly 300 schoolgirls have completed an artificial intelligence training programme organised by IIT Delhi and Lithuanian partners, with sessions on AI foundations, ethical use and the role of women in technology.
The programme was developed by Lithuanian non-governmental organisation Women Go Tech and delivered in India for the first time in 2026 in partnership with the Embassy of Lithuania in India, IIT Delhi’s Office of Academic Outreach and New Initiatives, and the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia.
The concluding event was held at IIT Delhi under the theme Ethical AI: Empowering the Next Generation of Women Innovators. It brought together students who had completed the online training to discuss AI’s applications, limitations and implications for education and society.
Which students participated?
The participants included students from IIT Delhi’s Manasvi STEM mentorship programme and five Delhi school groups associated with the Lithuanian Embassy.
The schools were Fr Agnel School, Mahavir Senior Model School, St Mark’s Group of Schools, Mount Carmel School and Mount Abu Public School.
The online programme introduced students to artificial intelligence and its opportunities and challenges. The concluding event included discussions on the role of AI in education and the need to consider ethical issues in the development and use of the technology.
What did the programme cover?
The event included a panel discussion titled AI and the Future of Education, featuring Prof Mausam, Prof Nick McKeown of IIT Delhi’s Department of Computer Science, and Richa Kumar, associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The discussion examined how AI could influence teaching and learning, alongside the questions that arise when the technology is introduced into educational settings.
ARIES, IIT Delhi’s AI and Machine Learning Club, conducted a session titled AI: Friend, Foe, or Something Else? Abhishek Venkateswaran, national project officer at UNESCO’s Regional Office for South Asia, spoke on Ethics-by-Design.
The sessions focused on responsible AI use and the importance of considering ethical questions while developing and deploying AI systems.
Why is the initiative focused on schoolgirls?
The programme seeks to familiarise young women with AI and encourage their participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Women remain under-represented in several parts of the AI sector, including research, development and leadership. UNESCO has identified gender gaps across the AI ecosystem, from education and research to employment and entrepreneurship, and has called for initiatives that expand women's participation in the field.
The initiative draws on Lithuania’s experience in promoting women’s participation in STEM and aims to introduce Indian schoolgirls to emerging technologies at an early stage.
Who organised the programme?
Women Go Tech developed the training programme, while the Lithuanian Embassy in India, IIT Delhi’s Office of Academic Outreach and New Initiatives, and UNESCO’s Regional Office for South Asia partnered in its delivery.
Lakshya Baid, deputy general secretary for Academic Outreach and New Initiatives at IIT Delhi, and Jarūnė Preikšaitė, chief executive officer of Women Go Tech, addressed the concluding event. Lukas Kisielius, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Lithuania in India, delivered the closing remarks.
The organisers said the initiative also reflected opportunities for cooperation between India and Lithuania in education, responsible digital transformation and AI.
The programme places AI literacy and ethical use at the centre of technology education for schoolgirls. Its longer-term impact will depend on whether students can build on the introductory training through further study and opportunities in STEM and AI-related fields.
