Authors: Dr. Jagadeesh Naduvinamath
Abstract: The swift incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Indian higher education has come to define one of the major policy issues in the 21st century. NEP 2020 – hailed by many scholars as a path-breaking reform document – outlines a visionary policy framework that emphasizes technological transformation of the higher education sector. However, the governance architectures required to govern the use of AI from the perspectives of ethics, regulation, and institutional capacity-building are still in their nascent stages. This paper seeks to examine how far NEP 2020, along with the related digital policy frameworks such as NDEAR, SWAYAM, and the National AI Strategy, have succeeded in addressing the key challenges posed by AI in higher education. Based on a discourse analysis of policy documents coupled with a review of relevant literature, this study finds the presence of critical weaknesses in India's AI governance architecture, including the lack of an independent regulatory agency, inadequate emphasis on algorithmic transparency, and insufficient policy measures for equitable AI access among castes, genders, and regions. This paper concludes by emphasizing the need for a democratic, socially just and participatory approach to governance of AI in Indian higher education.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20112159
