Bengal HS Council to roll out new subjects on AI, cyber-security

Kolkata: The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) is introducing a number of new subjects in the current academic year with the aim of promoting contemporary and skill-based education at the higher secondary level. The new subjects will come under two categories, Council Assisted Courses (CAC) and Council Taught Courses (CTC).

Under the CAC system, regular online classes will be conducted outside school hours. The subjects to be offered in this category include Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Applied Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security. The initiative is expected to provide additional training opportunities for students interested in emerging technology-driven disciplines. Meanwhile, under the CTC framework, the Council is planning to introduce several new project-based subjects. In this case, teaching will be conducted directly under the supervision of the Council.

These subjects will form part of the main curriculum and will primarily be delivered online. If necessary, offline classes may also be arranged at the district level. Schools that meet specified criteria will have to apply for permission to offer these subjects and register interested students.

Qualified and experienced experts will be appointed to conduct the classes. “We are introducing several new subjects as optional papers. These will be taught online directly by experts appointed by us. Arrangements are also being made to enhance the popularity of several existing subjects through online teaching,” said a senior Council official.

The Council is also planning to record subject- and curriculum-based video lectures in advance for student use. Detailed guidelines and the complete operational framework for implementing the new subjects will be issued through an official notification.

In addition, more subjects are being considered for inclusion under the CTC category, including Entrepreneurship and Related Legal Rights, Intellectual Property Rights and Law, Indology and Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship.