Kerala launches massive AI literacy drive targeting 6 lakh parents
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), the technical arm of the state General Education Department, has launched a massive artificial intelligence literacy drive targeting the adult population.
Titled 'Sarvam AI Mayam' (AI is Everywhere), the initiative is considered as the largest such artificial intelligence awareness programme to be implemented in the country, official sources said here on Sunday.
Under the initiative, students of the Little KITEs IT clubs will provide AI training to 6 lakh parents through the state's public schools, according to an official statement.
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The programme, which is scheduled to run until June 30, 2026, is being implemented across 2,200 Little KITEs units, with each unit training an average of 300 parents, it said.
The two-hour training module is designed to give equal importance to both the opportunities and the risks associated with AI.
According to K Anvar Sadath, CEO of KITE, the initiative begins with a simplified introduction to Machine Learning—the core technology that allows machines to process data and make decisions like humans.
To illustrate the creative power of AI, parents are shown videos where the classic paintings of Raja Ravi Varma are brought to life through animation.
The sessions focus heavily on the practical use of AI in daily life via smartphones, he explained.
"Parents are trained to use AI-powered tools to identify birds and plants or to translate signboards from other languages, such as Tamil, into Malayalam in real-time."
The training also offers hands-on experience in using AI assistants to write poems, plan travel itineraries, and generate recipes from available household ingredients.
Additionally, the module demonstrates how AI can be used for photo restoration to preserve and enhance old family photographs.
Alongside these practical benefits, the project issues vital warnings about the digital landscape's potential dangers, the official added.
The curriculum includes specific techniques for identifying AI-generated deepfake videos, forged images, and cloned voices, providing parents with the necessary precautions to avoid falling for such scams.
It also aims to build resilience against emotional misinformation and "fake news" on social media while emphasising the importance of internet etiquette.
Parents are also introduced to 'Samagra Plus Learning Room,' an AI-based educational platform developed by KITE to help them support their children's studies.
This initiative serves as a follow-up to the successful cybersecurity training provided to 400,000 parents in 2023-24, as per the statement.
Sadath noted that the training will incorporate the most recent security standards, including the IT Intermediary Amendment Rules 2026, which are set to take effect on February 20, 2026.
The ultimate goal of 'Sarvam AI Mayam' is to ensure that every citizen possesses the skills to distinguish between reality and deception in the AI era, with students leading the charge in educating their own families, the official added.
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Lebanon PM accuses Israel of ‘war crime’ after rescue workers killed in strikes
Beirut: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday accused Israel of committing a “war crime” after five people, including three civil defence personnel, were killed in twin air strikes in southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, the strikes targeted a building in the town of Majdal Zoun, where rescue workers had arrived following an initial attack. A second strike hit the same location, killing those involved in relief operations.
Salam said targeting emergency responders carrying out humanitarian duties amounted to a serious violation of international humanitarian law. He added that the government would raise the matter at international forums and seek action to halt such incidents.
A spokesperson for the Lebanese Civil Defence was quoted by AL Jazeera that the rescuers were trapped under debris after the second strike and later confirmed dead.
The Lebanese army said two of its personnel were also injured in the attack, which reportedly struck a military patrol escorting the rescue team along with civilian equipment.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun also condemned the incident, stating that it was part of a pattern of attacks affecting relief workers and civilians.
Despite a US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, cross-border hostilities have continued, with frequent air strikes reported in southern and eastern parts of the country.
Lebanese authorities said at least eight people were killed in separate incidents on Tuesday, while the overall toll from Israeli strikes since early March has crossed 2,500, with thousands injured.
