Research Division | Penta Minds

Research Areas

AI in Indian Higher Education

Field research on AI awareness, informal learning, and infrastructure gaps across Tier 1, 2, and 3 institutions.

AI Literacy & Policy

Developing evidence-based recommendations for responsible AI integration in Indian academic contexts.

Active Projects

Project 01

AI Grand Challenge 2026

GPAI India Student Community - AI as the Hidden Curriculum

Timeline

March - June 2026

Status

Completed

Output Type

Policy Brief + AI Literacy Toolkit

The AI Grand Challenge is an international student research competition organised under the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) and Inria, France. Penta Minds is participating through the GPAI India Student Community, conducting original field research on how AI is understood, used, and encountered by students and faculty across Tier 1, 2, and 3 higher education institutions in India.

Research Direction

Investigating the informal learning of AI in Indian higher education - what students know, how they learned it, and what the gaps in formal literacy look like across institution types.

Contribution

Producing a structured survey dataset, field visit observations, a Policy Brief, and an AI Literacy Toolkit - all submitted to OECD through GPAI frameworks.

Ecosystem Relevance

This project is the founding research initiative of Penta Minds, establishing the team's credibility, methodology, and output standards.

GPAI India Student CommunityInria FranceOECD (Output Audience)

Timeline

March 2026Registration & Team Formation

April 2026Survey Launch & Institution Outreach

April-May 2026Field Data Collection

May 2026Data Compilation

June 2026Analysis & Final Report

Project 02

AI as the Hidden Curriculum

How Learning is Happening Through AI Without Being Taught

Timeline

July - December 2026

Stage

Preparation

Output Type

TBA

AI as the Hidden Curriculum is the core research initiative examining how students in Indian higher education are learning to use AI tools informally - outside any structured curriculum. The central question is: what does it mean when an entire generation of students is developing AI competency through trial, error, and peer learning, without institutional acknowledgment or guidance?

Objective

To document the informal AI learning behaviours of students across institution tiers, and identify the structural gaps between student AI use and institutional AI policy.

Methodology

Field surveys across 9+ institutions in Tamil Nadu, faculty interviews, institutional observation, and a nationwide online survey instrument.

Current Stage

TBA

Upcoming Plans

TBA

Conducted as part of the AI Grand Challenge 2026 under GPAI India Student Community. Timeline follows the AI Grand Challenge research schedule above.

Publications & Outputs

Since March 2026

Research Report

AI as the Hidden Curriculum: A Student-Led Evidence Based Report

In preparation · June 2026

AI Literacy Toolkit

The Ground-Up AI Literacy Toolkit for Indian institutions

Access Toolkit V1

Datasets

Survey Dataset - AI as the Hidden Curriculum

Status: TBA. Access: Post-December 2026.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Participate in Our Research

Penta Minds is collecting student and faculty responses on AI awareness, informal learning, institutional policy, and responsible use across Indian higher education.

Survey is live

Student SurveyFaculty SurveyInstitution Survey

Take the Survey

Open to students and faculty across all institution types in India.

Collaborate with Research

Academic Partnerships

Institutional collaboration for field research, methodology review, and dissemination.

Data Sharing

Responsible data partnerships aligned with student privacy and research ethics.

Field Research Partners

Regional collaborators who can support institution outreach and survey administration.

Send Collaboration Request

Get in Touch

Research collaborations, questions, or institutional partnerships

hello@pentaminds.in

Research Division · Penta Minds

AI Research at

Penta Minds

Research Areas

AI in Indian Higher Education

AI Literacy & Policy

Publications & Outputs

Research Report

AI Literacy Toolkit

Datasets

Survey Dataset - AI as the Hidden Curriculum

Participate in Our Research

Collaborate with Research

Academic Partnerships

Data Sharing

Field Research Partners

Get in Touch