NDLI-FERMI AI Tutor to Help Students Learn Through Guided Questions, While Free Online Platform Aims to Reduce Dependence on Expensive Coaching
Kolkata : Artificial intelligence is set to play a more interactive role in students’ learning journeys, with IIT Kharagpur launching two national education initiatives designed to make personalised academic assistance and competitive examination preparation more accessible to learners across India.
The initiatives — the NDLI-FERMI Learning Enabled AI Tutor and a Free Online Preparatory Platform for GATE-JAM — were launched on Monday by Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Union Minister of State for Education, at the IIT Kharagpur Research Park in Rajarhat, Kolkata, as part of the institute’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The two platforms seek to address different but closely connected challenges in Indian education: access to personalised learning support and the financial barriers often associated with preparing for competitive examinations.
While the AI-powered tutor is designed to help students understand concepts and solve problems through guided learning, the GATE-JAM initiative aims to expand access to structured academic preparation without the cost of commercial coaching.
The launch was attended by Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Director of IIT Kharagpur; Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, former director of the institute; Peeyush Ranjan, co-founder of Fermi AI; faculty members, academicians, teachers, students and other invited dignitaries.
AI Tutor Designed to Teach, Not Just Provide Answers
At the heart of the NDLI-FERMI initiative is an approach that seeks to move beyond the conventional question-and-answer format associated with many artificial intelligence tools.
Developed through a collaboration between IIT Kharagpur and Fermi AI, the tutor is integrated with the National Digital Library of India (NDLI), an initiative supported by the Ministry of Education under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology.
The platform follows the Socratic method of learning, encouraging students to think independently and arrive at solutions through carefully structured questions, hints and contextual explanations rather than simply receiving ready-made answers.
Its Scan & Ask feature allows learners to seek assistance with problems in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology. Students can use the facility to identify errors, clarify concepts and work through problems step by step.
The emphasis is on strengthening conceptual understanding and problem-solving abilities — skills that are particularly important for students navigating increasingly competitive academic environments.
The initiative also reflects the growing focus on using artificial intelligence as a learning aid that supports independent thinking rather than replacing the learning process itself.
Free GATE-JAM Platform Targets Coaching Costs
Alongside the AI tutor, IIT Kharagpur unveiled a free online preparatory platform for students aspiring to appear for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) and the Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM).
For many aspirants, preparation for these examinations involves substantial expenditure on coaching, study materials and other academic resources. Students living in rural areas and smaller towns may also face limited access to specialised guidance and established coaching centres.
The new platform aims to help bridge these gaps by drawing on IIT Kharagpur’s academic expertise and digital educational resources to create a more accessible preparation ecosystem.
By making preparatory support available online and free of cost, the initiative seeks to reduce the dependence on expensive commercial coaching and widen opportunities for students from economically disadvantaged and non-metropolitan backgrounds.
The broader objective is to ensure that financial circumstances and geographical location do not become decisive barriers for students seeking admission to advanced academic programmes.
NDLI’s Existing Digital Reach to Support AI-Enabled Learning
The AI tutor builds on the existing reach of the National Digital Library of India, which, according to the institute’s announcement, serves more than one crore learners and hosts over 130 million learning resources.
With the addition of personalised, interactive assistance, the initiative seeks to take the digital library experience beyond access to educational material and towards more guided learning.
The AI Tutor is available free of cost to registered NDLI users through www.ndl.gov.in.
The collaboration also extends IIT Kharagpur’s academic engagement with its alumni network. Fermi AI, the technology partner behind the tutor, was co-founded by IIT Kharagpur alumnus Peeyush Ranjan.
Union Minister Stresses Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of State for Education Dr. Sukanta Majumdar highlighted the importance of using artificial intelligence to strengthen independent thinking and make quality education more inclusive.
“The true power of Artificial Intelligence lies not in providing instant answers, but in nurturing the ability of young minds to think, question and discover solutions independently,” he said.
Majumdar said the initiative, developed in collaboration with Fermi AI and integrated with the National Digital Library of India, represented a step towards making personalised educational support more widely accessible.
Referring to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Education Policy 2020, he emphasised that technology should empower teachers, strengthen conceptual understanding and help ensure that access to educational opportunities is not restricted by geography or circumstances.
He also congratulated IIT Kharagpur and the Fermi AI team for their contribution to technology-enabled education and the development of independent learners.
IIT Kharagpur Director Calls for Wider Access to Academic Excellence
Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Director of IIT Kharagpur, said the institute’s responsibility extended beyond its classrooms and campus, particularly as it marked its Platinum Jubilee.
“India’s educational future must be built on a simple but powerful principle: excellence should never be limited by access,” Chakraborty said.
He explained that the two initiatives were intended to bring personalised learning support closer to students while widening access to preparation for competitive examinations.
The director also stressed that artificial intelligence should encourage students to think more deeply, ask better questions and develop the ability to learn independently.
According to Chakraborty, the projects reflect IIT Kharagpur’s broader vision of translating institutional academic excellence into public benefit through an inclusive, technology-enabled learning ecosystem.
Live Demonstrations Showcase the New Platforms
The launch programme began with a networking session involving students and teachers, followed by the formal proceedings and an overview of the two initiatives by Prof. Chakraborty.
Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti presented the NDLI-FERMI AI Tutor and demonstrated its learning capabilities. Peeyush Ranjan subsequently addressed the gathering, outlining the vision behind the AI-powered learning companion.
Prof. Haimanti Banerji presented the Free Online Preparatory Platform for GATE-JAM, accompanied by a live demonstration.
The programme also featured a panel discussion titled “Every Learner, One Tutor Away”, focusing on personalised education and the potential of technology to transform learning experiences.
Dr. Plaban Kumar Bhowmick delivered the vote of thanks, bringing the inaugural session to a close with the National Anthem.
The event brought together academic leaders, faculty members, teachers, school students and other stakeholders from the education sector.
Platinum Jubilee Initiatives Reflect IIT Kharagpur’s National Role
Established in 1951 as India’s first Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Kharagpur has built a longstanding presence in engineering education, scientific research and technological innovation.
The launch of the two platforms during its Platinum Jubilee year highlights the institute’s effort to extend its academic resources and technological capabilities to learners beyond its campus.
The success of these initiatives will ultimately depend on how effectively students can access and use the platforms, the quality of the learning support provided and their ability to address the varied academic needs of learners across the country.
For students who lack access to individual academic guidance or affordable examination preparation, the initiatives offer an opportunity to explore new forms of digital support.
By combining artificial intelligence, a national digital learning infrastructure and free online examination preparation, IIT Kharagpur is seeking to make quality learning resources more accessible — with the broader aim of ensuring that talent, rather than financial means or geographical location, shapes educational opportunity.
