The Odisha government will introduce an ‘AI for All’ course for students enrolled in the Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP) from the 2026-27 academic session, replacing the existing Good Citizenship course in the second semester.
The Higher Education Department has directed registrars and principals of participating higher education institutions to make the necessary academic and administrative arrangements for implementing the change.
Director of Higher Education Kaliprasanna Mohapatra said the course would be the same as the ‘AI for All’ programme already offered as a Skill Enhancement Course (SEC) to students outside AEDP. It is intended to provide foundational knowledge of artificial intelligence and practical skills relevant to the workplace.
The introduction of AI is intended to prepare students for the industry-linked apprenticeship component of the programme, which combines academic study with supervised workplace training.
AEDP expands to 81 institutions across 11 subjects
Odisha introduced AEDP in 31 higher education institutions during the 2025-26 academic session, covering two subjects. For 2026-27, the programme has expanded to 81 institutions and 11 subjects.
The subjects are Commerce, Home Science, Economics, History, English, Zoology, Mathematics, Library Science, Chemistry, Geology and Botany.
Under AEDP, students undertake two years of academic learning followed by a year of apprenticeship training, during which they receive a stipend. The programme is designed to give undergraduates workplace experience alongside their degree and help them apply classroom learning in professional settings.
The state has also set a target of bringing at least 10,000 undergraduate students under apprenticeship, internship and community-engagement initiatives during the current academic year.
AI training already being extended to higher education
The new course follows a wider push by Odisha to introduce AI and digital skills into higher education.
In September 2026, the Higher Education Department signed agreements with CSRBOX, the Nandi Foundation and Odisha Knowledge Corporation Limited to expand skill development, employability training, AI education and entrepreneurship programmes. In collaboration with NASSCOM, the department also launched an online ‘AI Course for All’ initiative aimed at training more than one lakh higher education students and working faculty members.
A separate partnership with IBM and CSRBOX is expected to provide training in AI, digital literacy, enterprise design thinking and project management to more than 1.25 lakh students through online courses, workshops and project-based learning. The initiative places particular emphasis on students from 107 higher education institutions in remote and aspirational districts.
The AEDP course will use the same ‘AI for All’ curriculum already available to non-AEDP students as a skill enhancement course. The department has asked institutions to implement it during the current academic session.
Department seeks to preserve postgraduate study options
The state has also taken steps to ensure that students enrolled in employment-oriented degree programmes retain opportunities for further study.
In August, the Higher Education Department directed universities and autonomous colleges to provide additional subject options through multidisciplinary and skill enhancement courses. The measure was intended to help students meet subject requirements for postgraduate admissions and competitive examinations.
The addition of AI to AEDP therefore sits alongside two priorities for the state; giving students practical experience before graduation and ensuring that an apprenticeship-linked degree does not unnecessarily limit their academic choices.
The impact of the new course will depend on how participating institutions deliver the curriculum and whether students can apply the skills during their apprenticeships. The department has directed institutions to make the necessary arrangements for implementation in 2026-27.
