Chief Secretary stressed on Capacity Building of Officers in Artificial Intelligence(AI) through free online Courses

Bhubaneswar :Chief Secretary, Odisha Shri Manoj Ahuja, IAS has stressed on Capacity Building of Officers in
Artificial Intelligence (AI) through free online Courses available in various platforms.
Chief Secretary Sri Ahuja in a letter issued to all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal
Secretaries, Commissioner-cum-Secretaries of Government and all Collectors of Districts
mentioned about the need of learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) and has said that, this
initiative is in alignment with the State Government's broader goal of fostering a digitally
proficient, future-ready administrative workforce.
It is increasingly evident that new innovations such as AI will play a pivotal role in shaping the
future of governance. AI has the potential to bring transformative changes in how
government functions from making it easy for citizens to interface with Government, to
predictive analysis, intelligent grievance redressal systems, planning, and monitoring service
delivery outcomes.
Chief Secretary also stated, it is imperative that officers in the State Administration build a
working knowledge of the principles, tools, and applications of AI. Understanding these
technologies is essential not only for informed decision-making but also for designing citizen-
centric policies, managing large-scale data systems, and enhancing administrative
responsiveness.
In this context, the he requested all Departments to issue necessary instructions to the
Officers under their control to mandatorily enroll in and complete at least one foundational
course in Artificial Intelligence. These courses are available free of cost on reputed platforms
and are designed to offer both conceptual clarity and applied perspectives.
He has also recommended some platforms like: 1. Online Courses on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
on iGOT Karmayogi Portal, includes a. Basic Concepts of Artificial Intelligence-By Ministry of
Communications – Department of Telecommunications, b. AI for Digital Transformation:
Machine Learning and Deep Learning by Wadhwani Institute of Technology and Policy and
c. AI in Government: Transforming Public Service Delivery by Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Bengaluru , 2. AI for All – https://ai-for-all.in(Developed by Ministry of Education,

Government of India in partnership with Intel), 3. AI for Everyone – https://
www.deeplearning.ai/ courses/ai-for-everyone, 4. Elements of AI – https://
www.elementsofai.com (A free online course offered by University of Helsinki, Finland)
Chief Secretary has also instructed that officers should complete these courses within
a period of 3 (three) months from the date of issue of this communication. Departments have
been advised to designate a Nodal Officer in respect of their department to oversee the
implementation, facilitate enrolment, and ensure timely compliance. A consolidated report
indicating the numbers of Officers who have completed such courses are to be submitted to
the Office of the Chief Secretary within the stipulated period.
Chief Secretary also sought active cooperation of all Secretaries and Collectors for
success in this important endeavor.