On 13th November, 2025, the Union Education Minister, Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, inaugurated the AI innovation and incubation center at Delhi Public School R.K. Puram. Under the mentorship of our principal, Mr. Anil Kumar, and our vice principals, Mr. Naresh Miglani, Mr. Anil Kathuria, Mr. Mukesh Kumar, and Mrs. Rashmi Malhotra, and empowered by a vision to instill in its students a technological temperament and curiosity,

Delhi Public School R.K. Puram remains a torchbearer, striving to uphold excellence. With a rich history spanning more than 50 years, our school has always been a relentless supporter of technological advancements. The AI Innovation and Incubation Centre is a new addition to the vast technological resources our school already possesses.

The AI innovation and incubation center, built in collaboration with VVDN Technologies, is powered by Google Cloud. It is equipped with a Unitree G1 humanoid and a Sony AIBO robotic dog, which, based on machine learning algorithms, can learn from its environment, showing how robotics and AI together can bring human-like behavior. The Innovation and Incubation Centre is also equipped with Apple- and Chrome-powered workstations, AI conferencing systems, and Google Cloud servers. The AI innovation and incubation center is an important resource that will prove to be a huge asset to our students, bringing technology into education.

As AI begins to move from being a mere tool to a creative and intellectual collaborator, how can schools meaningfully integrate it into learning while preserving human curiosity and originality—and how can students play an active role in shaping this evolution? 

Ans) AI will undoubtedly transform education, but the real question is whether we can guide that transformation to serve human intellect instead of replacing it. True progress would only be achieved when we learn how the two can strengthen each other. I have always been a strong believer that technology and artificial energy should be integrated more into education, but as a facilitator. Technology, no matter how advanced, must remain an instrument guided by human intention and conscience. It is we who built it, shaped its purpose, and set its boundaries. The moment it begins to dictate our choices or replace our curiosity, it stops being progress and starts becoming dependency. Artificial intelligence should assist human intellect, not overshadow it. From when fire was discovered to now possible colonisation of extraterrestrial planets, we have undertaken this journey of progress alone, with little assistance from artificial intelligence. Hence, our goal must always be to lead with wisdom, ensuring innovation amplifies our humanity rather than diminishes it. 

Nevertheless, we should always have an open mind when we talk about integrating AI in education. Redundant tasks should be given to such AI systems because they ensure that we can focus on more meaningful, strategic, and policy-driven decisions. Over the years, we have digitalised many aspects of education such as our app, which now centralises notices, marksheets, and other essential information. Each of these steps brings us closer to an ecosystem where technology handles the operational load, empowering humans to focus on vision, policy, and purpose.

Furthermore, now when we talk about creativity, it is important for us to realise how creativity and what it means is changing in today’s world. Recently, there was an art competition at the Colorado State Fair where Jason M. Allen’s Théâtre D’opéra Spatial won. He later admitted that he used AI image generator Midjourney to create it. This just goes to show how artificial intelligence has advanced, yet every bit of its ‘creativity’ originates from us. These systems receive millions of prompts every day, and with access to the vast pools of human intelligence and ideas, they build upon what we have created. AI does not invent from nothing—it mirrors the depth, diversity, and brilliance of the human mind that shaped it.

 What I feel is we must preserve our three-H’s, our heart, our head, and our hand. The heart gives emotions, the head reasons, and the hand undertakes action- and together they define true creativity. By relying too heavily on AI, we risk truncating these very faculties that make us human and are the very tenets of our progress and innovation. Technology should serve as an aid, not a replacement, ensuring that our creativity continues to stem from thought, feeling, and effort, rather than automation.

Students, too, can now play a more active role in the R&D of Artificial Intelligence. The idea of the new AI Lab in our school is to innovate and generate new ideas, and the human thinking part has to be done there. Students are the key drivers, and they can now reimagine the future of artificial intelligence, too. By engaging directly with AI research, students learn not just how to use technology, but how to question and shape it. It is in their curiosity and imagination that the next great leap in human–machine collaboration will be born.

At the end of it all, the real measure of progress will not be how intelligent our machines become, but how deeply we continue to think, feel, and create as humans. We stand at a turning point where technology can either sharpen our minds or soften them, depending on how we choose to use it. The challenge is to let AI expand the boundaries of what we can imagine, without letting it erode the instincts that make imagination possible. Our task is to stay curious, to keep questioning, and to remember that no algorithm can replace the pulse of a thinking, feeling mind.

Exun has long been known for nurturing students who go on to excel in technology, research, and design. What do you think has enabled the club to sustain such a strong culture of curiosity and innovation over the years?

What makes Exun truly remarkable is that it’s entirely student-driven. Every new member joins with a unique skill set but shares the same spark — a deep curiosity and passion to learn. The club’s structure is fluid, allowing students to explore what excites them most — be it competitive programming, design, research, or hardware. There’s no rigid hierarchy; ideas flow freely, and learning happens through action. In that process, students not only uncover new technological possibilities but also discover more about themselves.

Beyond technical growth, Exun nurtures a sense of shared identity. It’s a space where collaboration triumphs over competition, where late-night brainstorming sessions evolve into lifelong friendships. Here, students don’t just learn to solve problems — they learn to question them. They begin to see technology as something creative, expressive, and profoundly human. The community constantly inspires one another to grow, while staying grounded in respect, curiosity, and a genuine desire to make a difference.

Another defining strength of Exun lies in its ability to bridge disciplines. Students from diverse domains — from design and debate to machine learning and cubing — come together to build projects that blur traditional boundaries. This interdisciplinary energy keeps the club dynamic and ever-evolving, reminding everyone that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation, but through the connection of ideas and the uniting of perspectives.

What I find most inspiring is how Exun transforms the way students perceive themselves and their work. Over time, they begin to see technology not merely as a skill, but as a medium — a means to solve real-world problems and express their ideas. That transformation — from learning something to creating with it — is what defines Exun at its very core. It’s not just a club about technology; it’s a community of belief — in ideas, in collaboration, and in the boundless potential of young minds to shape a more humane and hopeful tomorrow.

In an age where information is infinite and intelligence is automated, what, to you, does it truly mean to be educated?

To be educated today is to remain deeply human in a world that keeps redefining intelligence. In a time when facts are instantly available, being educated is less about retention and more about interpretation – knowing how to sift through the noise, recognize nuance, and find coherence where everything seems fragmented.

Education, to me, is the slow art of sense-making – the discipline of pausing before reacting, doubting before concluding, and questioning before accepting. It’s about cultivating depth in a culture that glorifies speed and awareness in a world built on distraction. An educated mind is one that can hold complexity without collapsing into certainty, one that can navigate contradiction without cynicism. That balance – of intellect and restraint -is what separates thought from reaction, and wisdom from mere cleverness.

Automation has made brilliance effortless; it has not made wisdom common. The real task of education now is to teach discernment – to help young people recognize what deserves their attention, and what doesn’t. That cannot be programmed. It’s a discipline of thought, empathy, and self-awareness – the ability to think clearly and feel deeply in equal measure.

So when I think of being educated, I think less of mastery and more of perspective – the ability to see patterns, contradictions, and possibilities all at once. In a world obsessed with answers, perhaps education’s highest purpose is to teach us to question. 

In today’s digital era, where AI, virtual reality, and smart devices are reshaping industries, how is our school integrating emerging technologies into education while ensuring students remain grounded in real-world learning?

While technology is evolving rapidly, our school’s approach has been steady and thoughtful. We focus on integrating digital tools in ways that genuinely enhance teaching and learning, rather than using them for the sake of novelty. For example, our teachers use interactive platforms, smart boards, and online resources to make lessons more engaging and accessible. Students learn to research responsibly, collaborate on shared documents, and present their ideas using digital media – skills that are essential in today’s world. At the same time, we place great importance on maintaining balance. Face-to-face discussions, hands-on activities, and classroom interaction remain at the heart of our practice. We want students to think critically, communicate clearly, and develop interpersonal skills that no device can replace. We also make it a point to guide students in using technology safely and ethically, helping them understand both its benefits and its limits. Our aim is not to chase every new trend, but to prepare students to use emerging tools wisely – grounded in values, judgment, and real-world understanding.

As technology grows more intelligent, do you think humanity is growing any wiser?

That question touches on the paradox of our age – we’ve never been more capable, and yet perhaps never more uncertain of what to do with that capability. Intelligence today has become measurable, programmable, and endlessly replicable. Wisdom, however, remains stubbornly human – it resists automation because it demands context, empathy, and restraint.

Technology can process, predict, and perform, but it cannot pause. Wisdom lives in that pause – in the hesitation before action, in the awareness that not everything that can be done should be done. We are surrounded by systems that can outthink us in speed, yet none that can match us in conscience. And that gap – between intelligence and intention – is where our responsibility now lies.

I don’t think humanity automatically becomes wiser as its tools become smarter. If anything, progress tempts us to confuse access with understanding, convenience with clarity. The challenge of this century is not keeping up with technology, but staying awake within it – ensuring that our inventions don’t dull the very capacities that made them possible: curiosity, discernment, wonder.

Wisdom demands a kind of humility that technology doesn’t teach. It asks us to remember that intelligence is only power, and power without direction can as easily destroy as it can transform. So perhaps the real question is not whether we are becoming wiser, but whether we are still willing to.

Because if intelligence is about building systems that think, wisdom is about building lives that matter. And that remains, for now, a profoundly human task.

If code is just logic made visible, does that mean emotion and a human touch has no place in computer science? 

It would be naive to believe that programming is just logic. On the surface, it’s clean, structured, and exact. But behind every program is a person trying to make something work, trying to solve a problem that matters to them. That drive comes from varied emotions – curiosity, frustration, excitement, even obsession. The beauty of computing isn’t just in precision; it’s in the moments of chaos before clarity, when you’re experimenting, failing, and suddenly finding a solution. Machines can follow rules perfectly, but it’s emotion that makes us question those rules, imagine new ones, or visualise the final result where others see syntax. Even innovation itself often begins with a feeling – the sense that “this could be better.” or “this is possible”. Programs are made with a purpose by human beings for human beings, which makes all of this process inherently human. So yes, code might be logic made visible, but emotion is what makes it worth writing. Without that human spark, computer science would just be math – not magic. And maybe that’s the secret difference between a program that merely runs and one that truly creates impact. In the end, logic gives computers their structure, but emotion gives computer scientists their purpose. It’s what keeps us curious, restless, and endlessly willing to try again – until the logic finally feels right.

Do you think gaming is shaping how this generation thinks about logic, competition, and creativity- or is it just reflecting it? 

I think gaming reflects this generation far more than it shapes it. Games are, in a sense, mirrors- built from the collective imagination, desires, and frustrations of the people who play them. The logic in modern games mirrors how we think: fast, parallel, always multitasking.  That constant flow of information and decision-making feels familiar because it comes from our own lived reality -a reality filled with choices, distractions, and a constant need to adapt quickly. Gaming doesn’t create that rhythm; it translates it into play. The creativity we see in game design, from open worlds to nonlinear storytelling and the moral choice systems, all of this comes from a generation that questions structure and values freedom. Even competition in gaming feels less about domination and more about self-expression; people now play not only to prove themselves and their skills, but also to find community.

So, I see gaming as a kind of cultural feedback loop. It doesn’t tell us how to think – it reveals how we already do. Every mechanic, every narrative choice, is a reflection of our priorities as a society: our collective and constant pursuit of excellence, which drives our very progress. 

What’s the most important digital habit students should build early on?

I believe the most important digital habit students should build early on is digital mindfulness, the conscious awareness of what they are doing online, why they are doing it, and how their actions affect themselves and others. In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy for students to use technology passively, focusing only on convenience or entertainment. However, true digital literacy is not just about learning to operate devices efficiently, but about learning to use them responsibly and thoughtfully. Whether they are searching for information, communicating with others, or creating content, students should pause, think carefully, and make informed choices. For example, verifying the honesty of online sources, considering the negatives of sharing personal information, and understanding the tone and reach of their messages are all vital skills. These habits not only ensure safe and ethical internet use but also help students develop critical thinking and empathy in a digital environment. As the saying goes, “We shape our tools, and therefore our tools shape us.” This is especially true for young learners, whose early experiences with technology often shape their lifelong digital behavior. By cultivating this awareness from the beginning, we can help students to become thoughtful digital citizens who can scroll through the online world responsibly. Having digital mindfulness equips them with skills that go far beyond the classroom and prepares them to contribute to society in a digital age.

If you could teach computer science without using any computers, what would the class look like?

If I had to teach computer science without computers, I’d focus on building the students’ core computational thinking through hands-on activities. Students would act out sorting algorithms to understand logic and efficiency, and model data structures using physical objects. I would teach Boolean logic through roleplay, with students simulating logic gates and signal flow. Binary encoding could be explained through beadwork or Morse code, making data representation creative and memorable. Programming could become storytelling: students write and debug step-by-step instructions for everyday tasks. To simulate networking, I would pass messages across a classroom “internet,” exploring latency and protocols. Finally, we’d hold discussions on ethics, bias, and the philosophy of computing to reflect on technology’s broader impact. Without screens, the class would become a dynamic, human-centered exploration of how computers think—and how we think through them.