JOINING THE AI REVOLUTION

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries across the globe, Jharkhand has begun taking measured yet significant steps toward embracing the technology. While the state is still at a nascent stage in AI adoption, recent initiatives signal an intent to integrate emerging technologies into key sectors.

The state is moving ahead with adopting AI technologies in various sectors, including governance, policing, education and industries, among others, aiming to improve work efficiency and achieve faster and better decision-making, boosting the state’s growth.


How are educational institutes adapting to AI?

Jharkhand’s higher and technical education department is mulling over setting up Centres of Excellence (CoE) in the state to promote technical education with a special focus on AI and emerging technologies.

These centres to be established at BIT Sindri and at Government Engineering College (GEC) in Palamu are aimed at increasing employability and improving placement outcomes by focusing on niche technologies and future skills. “The proposed CoEs will ensure hands-on practical exposure to modern-day equipment and emerging technologies, helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry requirements. CoEs will create structured opportunities for summer internships and long-term training programmes for students of polytechnic colleges across Jharkhand,” Rahul Purwar, principal secretary of the department, said.

Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi (IIMR) launched its Centre for Teaching with Artificial Intelligence at the Bharat Bodhan AI Conclave held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on Feb 12, 2026.

Tanusree Dutta, dean (academics) of IIMR, said that the institute has adopted a significant step, transforming traditional mid-term examinations into an AI- enabled, assignment-based evaluation format. “This innovative shift not only reduced examination-related stress among students but also encouraged meaningful engagement with AI technologies in problem-solving and applied learning contexts. After solving their problems using AI, the students need to share details of the prompts they have given to the AI tools to solve the problems so that teachers can evaluate whether they used them correctly or not,” Dutta added.

Apart from teaching the students, IIMR has also helped village heads of around 150 villages in Jharkhand and taught them to make detailed project reports, applications to the govt for various requirements in the villages, using AI tools in native languages.

In Ranchi’s Xavier’s School, students from class 6 to 12 are taught to use various AI tools to understand complex topics in their curriculum through AI-generated models, visuals and even songs.

Use of AI in government departments

The Ranchi Smart City Corporation Limited (RSCCL) has installed an Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS) integrated with nearly 700 AI-enabled cameras at 40 key locations across the city. These sensor-based cameras continuously monitor vehicular movement and traffic density on different stretches of the road. Based on real-time data, the system automatically regulates traffic signals to ensure smoother flow.

“If a particular lane has a higher number of vehicles waiting at a red light, the AI system detects the congestion and turns the signal green to ease the traffic. Simultaneously, it holds traffic on lanes with comparatively fewer vehicles, thereby balancing movement and reducing unnecessary delays,” an RSCCL official said.

Apart from traffic management, the AI-enabled cameras also identify traffic rule violations and automatically transmit details of offenders to the police for further action.

The system additionally assists law enforcement by tracking and identifying vehicles involved in criminal activities, providing real-time location inputs that help the police trace, intercept and investigate such cases more effectively.

The Jharkhand Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (JIIDCO) is soon going to launch the MSME Connect Portal, a one-stop support platform for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the state.

The portal will include the database of all MSMEs existing in Jharkhand and will help them get information on the various govt schemes available to support their businesses.

Jharkhand health department is also taking initiatives to modernise healthcare services in the state with the implementation of AI-based medical systems. On Feb 18, health minister Irfan Ansari held a meeting with a USA-based med-tech company to discuss the inclusion of AI in Jharkhand’s health care ecosystem.

During the recent annual budget presentation for FY 2026-27, state finance minister Radha Krishana Kishore said that AI training will be started shortly in six Industrial Training Institutes in the state.

National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi in February signed a MoU with a private organisation — Cyber Peace — to collaborate in the areas of cyber law, cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI) governance, digital forensics, research, capacity building, and community awareness.

Under this partnership, specialised courses will be developed in key areas such as data protection, privacy, cybercrime investigation, AI governance, and emerging technology laws.

Jamshedpur’s Xavier School of Management (XLRI) recently signed an MoU with Centific Global Technologies, heralding a new chapter in the Institute’s continued commitment to fostering transformative industry–academia collaboration in the domain of Artificial Intelligence and AI-driven strategies.