In a pioneering step to integrate emerging technologies into school education, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) organised an AI Hackathon that served as the grand finale of a first-of-its-kind pilot project that will promote Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills among students. The project was launched in collaboration with the First Academy of Artificial Intelligence (FAAI) and Skilleareum, covering more than 1,000 students and 22 teachers across 22 schools in Punjab.
Congratulating the PSEB and winners of the event, Punjab Minister of School Education, Harjot Singh Bains stated, “The initiative was designed to promote innovation, technical skills, creativity and leadership qualities among young learners while encouraging them to become future entrepreneurs. The initiative focused on imparting technical skills for the effective use of AI-driven applications, with students undergoing 12 weeks of live, interactive online classes conducted by AI experts.”
He shared, “The Education Department plans to expand the AI skill development programme to more schools across the state in the coming academic session. This is not just a competition. It is about preparing our children for the future. AI is no longer a subject of tomorrow. It is the language of today.
Through this pilot project and hackathon, we are ensuring that students in Punjab’s government schools are not left behind in the technological revolution.” He emphasised that the AI Hackathon would enhance students’ technical skills and foster a culture of innovation.
The enthusiasm and quality of projects we witnessed today show that when given the right exposure and mentorship, our students can compete at the highest level. This is just the beginning. The event reinforced CM Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab government's commitment to tech-driven education.
Meanwhile, PSEB Chairman Dr Amarpal Singh stated, “The AI Hackathon witnessed enthusiastic participation from 20 schools, with 60 students (three from each school) competing in the event. Each team was given one hour to present their innovative projects, which were evaluated by a panel of AI experts.
Participating teams showcased their expertise in areas such as technical innovation, video creation, business planning and web development, effectively utilising modern AI tools.” He said that the top three teams were awarded cash prizes along with certificates.
The first prize of ₹11,000 was won by Punjab School Education Board Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Khatkar Kalan (S.B.S. Nagar). The second prize of ₹5,100 went to Ravinder Khullar Memorial G.M. Model Senior Secondary School, Model Town (Jalandhar).
The third prize of ₹3,100 was bagged by Shaheed Udham Singh Wala Govt. Senior Secondary School (Boys), Sunam Udham Singh Wala (Sangrur), he added. The Chairman further informed that a consolation prize of ₹3,100 was awarded to G.T.B. Khalsa Senior Secondary Public School, Dasuya (Hoshiarpur).
In the all-girls category, Govt. Girls Sr. Sec. Mandi Gobindgarh (Fatehgarh Sahib) also received a consolation prize of ₹3,100.