📚 Knowledge Connect (31): Call for Papers for "Artificial Intelligence" from Elsevier

📚 Knowledge Connect (28): Two-Week Online Refresher Course on “Smart Information Systems: AI in Action” scheduled from 8th to 20th December 2025

 Dear Sir/Madam,

Greetings from the University Library, Central University of Punjab!

The Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MMTTC), Central University of Punjab, is pleased to invite applications for the Two-Week Online Refresher Course on “Smart Information Systems: AI in Action”, scheduled from 8th to 20th December 2025 under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme of the University Grants Commission, Ministry of Education, Government of India. This programme is being organized in collaboration with the University Library, Central University of Punjab.

This course aims to enhance the professional competency of library and information science faculty by focusing on Artificial Intelligence integration, digital library tools, and emerging information systems. The programme will contribute toward fulfilling the requirements laid down in the UGC Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).

Who Can Apply:
Library Professionals and  Faculty members  (Permanent, Contractual, or Ad-hoc) working in universities and colleges recognized under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act. Teachers from affiliated colleges in existence for at least three years are also eligible.

Important Dates:

• Course Dates: 8th – 20th December 2025
• Last Date for Registration: 20th November 2025
• Confirmation Email: 25th November 2025
• Mode: Online (Google Meet Platform)

Registration Details:

1. There is no registration fee for participation.
2. Register yourself at 
3. https://mmc.ugc.ac.in
4. On the MMTTP dashboard, apply for the Refresher Course and select Centre Name: Central University of Punjab.
5. Upload the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your parent institution.

In case you are unable to obtain the NOC immediately, you may submit a self-declaration at the time of registration and forward the NOC before the programme starts. 

You may visit https://mmc.ugc.ac.in to register. After registration, kindly update your profile with your photograph and ID card. Once your profile is updated, go to Programme → Refresher Course → Month: December → Date: 8th, and from the list of events, select Central University of Punjab, then click Apply Now.

As the number of seats is limited, selection will be on a first-come-first-served basis.

For any queries, please contact:

Dr. Bhupinder Singh Brar
Assistant Librarian & Course Coordinator
Central University of Punjab
Email:  bhupinder.brar@cup.edu.in

Phone: +91-98886-31058

https://cup.edu.in/mmttc/activities.php 

Knowledge Connect (26): Call for Book Chapters in AI in Speech and Language Processing by Springer

 

Unlocking the Future — Books on AI for AI Appreciation Day

 

On July 16, the SFIT Library celebrated AI Appreciation Day with a special display of books covering all aspects of Artificial Intelligence.

AI is revolutionizing how we live and work, and understanding it is vital for students preparing to be future-ready. As the legendary mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan believed,
"An equation means nothing to me unless it expresses a thought of God."

Today, AI reflects the beautiful complexity and intelligence of human thought made manifest through technology.

Why explore AI books?

• Stay current with one of the fastest-growing fields in technology.

• Learn the ethical, social, and technical aspects of AI.

• Find inspiration for your own research or innovation.

As the visionary Ratan Tata wisely put it,
"Take the stones people throw at you, and use them to build a monument."

Use the knowledge from these AI books as the foundation to build your own monument of success and innovation.

NDLI Quiz on Revolutionizing Education with AI: Leveraging Next-Gen Tools for Smarter Teaching and Learning

As part of the successful Short-Term Training Program (STTP) on “Revolutionizing Education with AI: Leveraging Next-Gen Tools for Smarter Teaching and Learning,” an official quiz was conducted to reinforce the concepts covered during the session in collaboration with the SFIT NDLI Club. The quiz aimed to evaluate participants’ understanding of core AI principles and their applications in the educational context.

Quiz Overview:

• Duration: Conducted immediately after the STTP on July 4, 2025

• Format: Multiple-choice questions focused on AI fundamentals, next-gen educational tools, and practical implementation strategies

• Accessibility: Open to all participants and SFIT students and faculty

• Objective: To strengthen learning retention and encourage the application of AI-driven teaching methods

Participation & Performance:

• Total Participants: 8 enthusiastic learners took part in the quiz

• Top Scorers: Ms, Dhanashri Lamane and Ms. Priya Chaudhari, both Asst. Professors from the Department of Information Technology

Key Takeaways:

• The quiz results revealed that most participants understood the potential of AI tools to personalize learning and enhance assessment techniques.

• Areas like ethical considerations in AI and AI integration challenges showed room for further exploration and discussion.

• The interactive quiz format proved effective in making the learning process engaging and reflective.

Thank you to Ms. Prajyoti Dsilva (Asst. Prof. - INFT) the co-ordinator for this quiz!

Let’s continue this journey—one idea, one innovation, and one inspired mind at a time.

#ISTEApproved #AIinEducation #SmartTeaching #EdTech #SFIT #NDLIClub #DigitalLearning #TeachingWithAI #LifelongLearning #PostEventBlog

India must prioritise frontier AI research to drive innovation: Nadella

During his visit to India, Nadella announced strategic partnerships with the Government of India and industry leaders to advance cloud and AI transformation.



NEW DELHI: India must prioritise frontier research in artificial intelligence (AI) and develop foundational models to drive innovation, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said on Wednesday.

However, he noted that major investment is required to overcome the entry barrier and a single groundbreaking mathematical discovery can revolutionise the entire AI landscape.

“There is no reason why India can’t do frontier work, but you can even define frontier pretty unique. For example, I don’t think the last known big breakthrough in AI frontier has happened. I always say we are one mathematical breakthrough away from that entire edifice being thrown out and being going after something else,” said Nadella

During his visit to India, Nadella announced strategic partnerships with the Government of India and industry leaders to advance cloud and AI transformation. This comes on the heels of its plan to invest $3 billion in cloud and AI infrastructure in India over next two years, including establishment of new data centres.

Microsoft has partnered with RailTel to advance digital, cloud, and AI transformation in the Indian Railways and public sector space. As part of this five-year partnership, Microsoft will support RailTel in establishing an AI center of excellence (CoE).

The company has also joined forces with the Mahindra Group to transform automotive, farm and financial services with AI. Additionally, it has partnered with Apollo Hospitals to co-innovate, jointly develop products and drive digital transformation in the healthcare sector. The partnership will also focus on research in areas such as disease progression and genomics.

Furthermore, Microsoft has entered a strategic partnership with Bajaj Finance to enhance digital transformation and deliver seamless experiences for Bajaj Finance’s customers. The company has signed a MoU with India AI, a division of Digital India Corporation, to collaborate on advancing AI and emerging technologies in India.

Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2025/Jan/09/india-must-prioritise-frontier-ai-research-to-drive-innovation-nadella

Bengaluru traffic police to introduce 5-second countdown timer to address unpredictability of AI-powered signals

AI-powered VAC signals adjust the length of the red/green lights based on traffic density in each area and can often catch commuters off guard.

The Bengaluru traffic police are working to address a key issue with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered vehicle actuated control (VAC) traffic signals by introducing a 5-second countdown timer before the light turns green. Currently, this feature is unavailable at these dynamic signals, leaving commuters unprepared for the change.

VAC signals, which adjust the length of the red/green lights based on traffic density in each area and often catch motorists off guard when they suddenly turn from one to another. This unpredictability has led to concerns among commuters.


With VAV signals, unlike the traditional countdown signals, commuters are caught off guard and stopped abruptly by a red light, with no indication of when it will turn red. This is because the AI-powered traffic signals are designed to address the unpredictable nature of Bengaluru’s traffic and adjust signalling based on different traffic scenarios.

Recognising the problem, Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic) M N Anucheth confirmed that steps were being taken to implement the countdown timer. “The timer will help commuters prepare to move, reducing confusion and improving traffic flow,” he said.

However, commuters have also raised concerns about the rapid signal changes at VAC-equipped junctions. The AI system switches from red to green and vice versa swiftly, with the amber light barely visible, making it challenging to cross signals in time.

Currently, AI-powered VAC systems are operational at 100 junctions in Bengaluru. By the end of March, 65 more junctions will adopt this technology in the first phase, with an additional 300 signals set to be converted in the next phase.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/bengaluru-traffic-police-countdown-timer-ai-powered-signals-9765427/

AICTE declares 2025 as ‘Year of AI’ to shape India as global leader

The initiatives will span across AICTE-approved institutions, impacting over 14,000 colleges and 40 million students nationwide

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has announced 2025 as the “Year of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” to shape India as a global leader in AI. The initiatives under this declaration by the technical education regulator will span across AICTE-approved institutions, impacting over 14,000 colleges and 40 million students nationwide.

“With this bold announcement, AICTE aims to embed AI within the fabric of higher education, fostering innovation, ethics, and leadership to position India as a global leader in AI-driven progress,” AICTE said in a statement.

AICTE chairman TG Sitharam in a letter has urged all its affiliated institutions to submit their AI implementation plans by December 31, 2024, which will be reviewed by its approval bureau, with top submissions featured as benchmarks for other institutions. He has urged the AICTE-approved institutions to adopt five measures to “affirm India’s leadership in AI”. Five measures include institutions taking pledge to make India a global leader in AI through innovation, ethics, and education, displaying this commitment prominently on campuses; launching AI awareness campaigns; updating curricula to include AI topic fostering interdisciplinary approaches; conducting workshops and certifications to equip faculty with AI teaching expertise; and partnering with AI-driven organisations to provide real-world exposure through internship, projects and mentorship.

AICTE will organise workshops and certifications to upskill faculty in AI education. Students will receive real-world experience through internships, projects, and mentorships through collaborations of their colleges with global companies like Adobe, Cisco, and International Business Machines (IBM). Top-performing institutions will be recognised with awards as models of AI excellence.

“As we dedicate 2025 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence, let us unite to build a future-ready workforce. Together, we can shape India as a global leader in AI innovation, ethics, and education, fulfilling our shared vision of self-reliance and prosperity,” Sitharam said.

Officials at AICTE-approved institutions are adopting AI in their courses to prepare students for job markets. Institutions are also conducting teachers training by industry experts to empower them.

Dr Ankit Chaudhary, professor of Computer Engineering at the School of Engineering (SoE), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said, “In the first year, all BTech students are introduced to Data Science. In the second year, they study Introduction to Artificial Intelligence. Third-year students are taught Machine Learning (ML) and Computer Vision, while fourth-year students explore Deep Learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP). Technology changes after every five years and we have to update ourselves accordingly. Students are needed to learn job-market relevant skills and usage of AI in BTech syllabus will boost their employability. We regularly take feedback from industry leaders and prepare curriculum to train our students for better jobs.”

SoE offers two BTech programs: Computer Science and Engineering (BTech CSE) and Electronics and Communication Engineering (BTech ECE).

Sujith Kumar, a professor at T John Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, said, “We have already added topics related to AI in some of our courses. As asked by AICTE, we are making plans to use AI to reshape education. We will organise seminars to raise awareness about AI among students”

Ashok Kumar Mittal, founder chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara said that there are challenges in adopting new technologies due to less training opportunities, and resistance to change.

“To empower educators, LPU has established a comprehensive professional development program. This initiative includes workshops, seminars, and hands-on training sessions conducted by experts in the field of AI and education technology. Teachers are introduced to a variety of AI tools such as adaptive learning platforms, virtual tutors, and data analytics software tailored for educational use. They learn how to integrate these tools into their lesson plans to improve learning experiences for students,” he said.

LPU offers several AICTE-approved courses in engineering, management and pharmacy among others.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/aicte-declares-2025-as-year-of-ai-to-shape-india-as-global-leader-101735055534296.html

AICTE and MyAnatomy Establish Strategic Alliance, Initiating a New Era for Skill Assessment and Development

In a groundbreaking move to enhance technical education and skill development, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and MyAnatomy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address the evolving needs of India’s workforce. This strategic alliance signifies a substantial leap towards bridging the gap between academia and industry, fostering a globally competitive talent ecosystem.

For nearly Eight Decades, AICTE has been at the forefront of technical education in India, driving innovation, excellence, and employability through visionary initiatives. The council’s internship and job portals have connected over 550 million students with opportunities across 76,000+ companies, while its Global Developer Corps (GDC) program and Post-Doctoral Fellowship scheme have further strengthened India’s position as a leader in AI technologies and cutting-edge research.

AICTE has taken a humble yet transformative initiative to incorporate skill assessments into its internship portal. By partnering with MyAnatomy, a leading AI-driven digital talent platform, AICTE aims to enhance skill diagnosis, competency mapping, and career progression. This collaboration leverages MyAnatomy’s advanced assessment technologies to create industry-aligned skill development programs, personalized learning paths, and job-role-specific assessments like the National Competence and Employability Test (NCET).

MyAnatomy is a cutting-edge digital talent platform that leverages AI and automation to seamlessly connect employers, job seekers, and educational institutions, revolutionizing the talent landscape. With a skill-first approach, MyAnatomy offers comprehensive solutions such as Skill Assessment, Recruitment as a Service and Learning-as-a-Service, along with an end-to-end Recruitment Process Management System. The platform empowers candidates by identifying skill gaps, creating personalized career roadmaps, and enhancing employability. MyAnatomy is committed to fostering a balanced and thriving talent ecosystem that meets the dynamic demands of today’s workforce.

This collaboration marks a significant milestone in addressing the evolving needs of India's workforce. By combining AICTE's vast network and regulatory framework with My Anatomy’s innovative technology, the partnership aims to:
1. Empower individuals across various professional profiles with highly advanced, scientifically designed AI-driven assessments and interviews for accurate self-diagnosis of skills.
2. Enable professionals to create personalized career progress plans, paving the way for successful futures in an increasingly competitive job market.
3. Provide organizations with enhanced tools to identify the right candidates, ensuring a perfect match between skills and job requirements.
4. Bridge the gap between academia and industry by aligning skill development programs with current market demands.
5. Optimize campus placements, Internships and Career progression plans with well-designed Learning paths, enhancing the employability of fresh graduates.

Dr. Chandrasekhar Budha, CCO, AICTE stated, “Our partnership with MyAnatomy represents a significant technological leap in skills assessment. We're committed to preparing India's youth for tomorrow's workforce through holistic, diversified skill evaluation.”

Mr. Chinmay Kumar Dash, CEO, MyAnatomy, emphasized, “This collaboration combines innovative AI technology with AICTE’s educational expertise to nurture India’s talent ecosystem and drive global competitiveness.”

As India continues to cement its position as a global technology and innovation hub, this partnership between AICTE and MyAnatomy stands as a testament to the nation’s commitment to developing a skilled, adaptable, and world-class workforce. This initiative aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat by enhancing employability- building a developed, empowered and globally competitive India.

For Media Inquiries, Contact:

MyAnatomy Integration Pvt Ltd
Myanatomy Integration
email us here
Visit us on social media:
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Source: https://cbs4indy.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/770054162/aicte-and-myanatomy-establish-strategic-alliance-initiating-a-new-era-for-skill-assessment-and-development/

It’s not so much machines we should worry about

In the 1940s a journalist asked Claude Shannon, one of the founders of information theory, “can machines think?” Shannon said, “I compute so.” Both his distinction, between thinking and computing, and their deliberate conflation in his aphorism help us understand the current spectacle around ‘AI’. Governments worldwide have moved from a position of “we’re catching up” ignorance, to embarking on “regulating AI”, to a self-regulatory Bill of Rights.

Read the full article on Page No. 14 in the Print edition of The Times of India dated 8th August 2023.

Top Searches from IEEE Xplore - 28th July 2023

 

Good Reads: July 1 to 15, 2023

 

Quiz 1: Post Assessment Quiz on Blockchain and AI

 

Machine-Learning Tool Easily Spots ChatGPT’s Writing ChatGPT’s academic papers were caught 99 percent of the time

Since OpenAI launched its ChatGPT chatbot in November 2022, it has been used by people to help them write everything from poems, to work emails, to research papers. Yet, while ChatGPT may masquerade as a human, the inaccuracy of its writing can introduce errors that could be devastating if used for serious tasks like academic writing.

A team of researchers from the University of Kansas has developed a tool to weed out AI-generated academic writing from the stuff penned by people, with over 99 percent accuracy. This work was published on 7 June in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.

Heather Desaire, a professor of chemistry at the University of Kansas and lead author of the new paper, says...

Read the full text here - https://spectrum.ieee.org/chatgpt-2661369022

Thematic Books Display - Data Science and Artificial Intelligence - 4th July 2022

 

The Human-Powered Companies That Make AI Work

The hidden secret of artificial intelligence is that much of it is actually powered by humans. Well, to be specific, the supervised learning algorithms that have gained much of the attention recently are dependent on humans to provide well-labeled training data that can be used to train machine learning algorithms. Since machines have to first be taught, they can’t teach themselves (yet), so it falls upon the capabilities of humans to do this training. This is the secret achilles heel of AI: the need for humans to teach machines the things that they are not yet able to do on their own.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2020/02/02/the-human-powered-companies-that-make-ai-work/#4c738345670c

5 Soon-to-Be Trends in Artificial Intelligence And Deep Learning

Artificial intelligence is frequently discussed yet it’s too early to show real gains. AI’s major headwind is the cost of the investment, which will skew returns in the short-term. When the turnaround occurs, however, companies who are making the investment can expect to be rewarded disproportionately with a wide performance gap. In a recent report, McKinsey predicts AI leaders will see up to double the cash flow.

To read the full article, please visit:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bethkindig/2020/01/31/5-soon-t0-be-trends-in-artificial-intelligence-and-deep-learning/#3813411b5e56

AI could improve police paperwork: MHA think tank

BPRD’s futuristic vision for law enforcement , especially in smart cities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious project, is part of a concept note the body has drafted.
In a recent interview with The Economist, author Malcolm Gladwell, too discusses the importance of AI in the criminal justice system.(HT image)


The use of Artificial Intelligence in police paperwork, including charge sheets could remove flaws and prejudices from creeping into investigations, India’s Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPRD), a think-tank of the ministry of home affairs (MHA), believes.

BPRD’s futuristic vision for law enforcement , especially in smart cities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious project, is part of a concept note the body has drafted.

“A machine-learning algorithm can generate chargesheets specific to an incident with complete legal validity without any exclusions or non-conformity. This allows minimal manual intervention; hence the scope for malicious intent is not there in any way and the ability of the legal system to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law is always available. In the charge sheet, references from other judgements as well as other outcomes can also be included to make it more effective,” reads the note, a copy of which has been seen by HT.

Asserting that AI based systems have outperformed lawyers as well as judges in some cases, the BPRD note adds: “A neural network based system over a period of time can also create sensor based inputs in order to predictively allow for the analysis of outcome of cases as well, helping speed up the judicial process. The consequent burden on the policing system goes down”.

In a recent interview with The Economist, author Malcolm Gladwell, too discusses the importance of AI in the criminal justice system. Citing an example of judges taking bail decisions, Gladwell says, “..Defendants stand in front of the judge, the judge has to decide whether I released this person until the trial or I put the person in jail. Are they likely to commit another crime in the interim? That’s an extremely difficult decision to make. And when we look at how effective judges are in predicting the dangerousness of the defendant, they are not very good at it. But look how the machine learning algorithm tends to do better, actually much better than the judge. So there is an instance where we have clear evidence that a disembodied computer can be more accurate in making a prediction about the human being than a judge.”

Gladwell, however, also argues that there is a need to combine both the decision making of humans and AI, a view that many proponents of AI have also advocated.

According to BPRD, AI models coupled with crime mapping can be developed “to analyse crime patterns and identify hotspots which act as a useful tool for predictive and preventive policing”.

The police can also use AI based on algorithmic software at a crime scene for immediate recognition of perpetrator (s) based on modus operandi, pattern of crime/criminals in the area, biometric data, forensic data etc, the note claims. The BPRD note cites the example of San Francisco based Deep Science AI which has developed AI Surveillance (AIS) platform which uses deep learning to identify real people concealing their faces/firearms of intruders.

AI can also be used to manage traffic in smart cities, BPRD has suggested in its note.

To be sure, all this needs integrated data on video surveillance of public places, a wide CCTV camera network, sensors just about everywhere, databases of criminals, information on public transport, real-time tracking of events, and other such, the note admits. It also adds that privacy concerns need to be factored in while using such technologies.

When asked how AI can help police smart cities, Tarun Wig, co-founder of Innefu, a data analytics and cyber security company which provides predictive intelligence systems to various government institutions said: “The AI based system will read the text on a particular case which has to be charge sheeted and extract data on similar charges and relevant law provisions. It can read the type of crimes and tell police how to use its resources”.

BPRD and MHA officials did not respond to queries seeking comment on the concept note.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ai-could-improve-police-paperwork-mha-think-tank/story-ntYcMOFRvWX8ij4SRlgR4K.html (Accessed on September 13, 2019)

Why AIoT Is Emerging As The Future Of Industry 4.0

Two trends that are dominating the technology industry are the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). But for industrial automation, these two technologies are much more than the buzzwords or trending topics. The convergence of AI and IoT will redefine the future of industrial automation. It is set to lead the Industry 4.0 revolution.

To read the full article, please visit:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/janakirammsv/2019/08/12/why-aiot-is-emerging-as-the-future-of-industry-40/#56077a09619b (Accessed on August 16, 2019)

Behind cutting edge AI work, Lucknow woman who set out to be a doctor

Hailing from Lucknow, Abidi joined the chipmaker as a software engineer and is now responsible for deep learning framework software optimisation for Intel’s top of the line Xeon processors.

To read the full article, please visit:

https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/behind-cutting-edge-artificial-intelligence-work-lucknow-woman-huma-abidi-who-set-out-to-be-a-doctor-5843297/ (Accessed on July 23, 2019)