The Great Indian Education Heist: How AI and CT Are Just New Tools to Exploit You

India’s education reform is being sold as progress—but behind the AI curriculum and startup dreams lies a system designed to extract more from the middle class while delivering less. It’s time to wake up.


In 2026–27, India’s Ministry of Education will roll out an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computational Thinking (CT) curriculum for all schools from Class 3 onwards InsightsIAS The Statesman. On paper, it sounds revolutionary: preparing children for the future, equipping them with 21st-century skills. But beneath the surface, this move is less about empowerment and more about entrenching an education-industrial complex that profits from illusion.

When Thinking Is 60 Years Behind

Before we teach machines to think, we must ask: Are we teaching humans to think at all? India’s education system still struggles with rote learning, outdated syllabi, and exam obsession. Critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and civic awareness are absent. Yet now, AI and CT are being introduced—not to reform the foundation, but to add a shiny new layer that justifies higher fees, expensive certifications, and elite coaching centers.

This isn’t progress. It’s packaging.

The Middle-Class Trap

The middle class is the target. They’re told: Your child must learn AI or be left behind. So they pay—more tuition, more devices, more coaching. But what do they get in return? A system that churns out startup founders who collapse under pressure. Over 28,000 startups shut down in the last two years EducationWorld. Many of their founders were armed with international degrees, leadership certificates, and motivational slogans. But they weren’t taught how to think critically, how to fail wisely, or how to build sustainably.

They were sold dreams. And the middle class paid for it.

What Politicians Teach Their Kids (That You’re Not Told)

If you want your child to succeed, don’t look at startup founders—look at politicians. Their children learn:

  • How to network early.
  • How to navigate power structures.
  • How to build influence, not just resumes.
  • How to protect wealth, not chase unicorns.

They don’t rely on AI certificates. They rely on legacy, leverage, and learning that’s off the books.

Real Education: Start a Tuition Center, Not a Startup

If you’re a teacher, forget chasing edtech unicorns. Start a tuition center. Teach real skills. Build community trust. You’ll earn more, impact more, and stay grounded. If you’re a parent, teach your child how to read people, not just code. Teach them how to speak truth to power, not just pitch to investors.

Wake Up Before It’s Too Late

India’s education reform isn’t about students—it’s about systems. It’s about creating new markets for private players, new burdens for parents, and new illusions for children. AI and CT are tools. But without wisdom, they become weapons of distraction.

Don’t be fooled by the language of “future-ready.” Ask: Ready for whose future?


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