“Aunt Jennifer’s tiger jumps across the screen/Bright Topaz is a resident of the green world.”Every time 12th grade student Tashvi Berry opened her English literature book to study American poet Adrienne Rich’s 12 lines of metaphor-filled rant against the patriarchy, those famous opening sentences made no sense at all.For the learning-disabled 17-year-old who put this poem on the board in CBSE Class 12, battling the many poetic devices (juxtaposition, symbolism, irony) that make up the poem felt like a losing battle. “I felt stuck because I couldn’t understand the deeper meaning of the lines,” Tashvi said.Classroom education did little to break down poetry. Even the tutor could not help her.But Tashvi wasn’t helpless. The AI knew exactly what to do.Tashvi turned to ChatGPT almost as a last resort. This was an eye-opener. The AI was a tutor avatar that explained the entire poem line by line, not just the opening line. It taught her symbolism through “action”. Aunt Jennifer in the poem actually sewed the tiger onto the cloth. Embroidery was a form of self-expression for women who felt fearful and trapped in married life. And she is expressing her thoughts through the brave and free tiger she sews.“ChatGPT explained each metaphor used, why certain words like ‘uncle’ were important, how the questions would be framed in the exam, and what the answers should be,” says Tashvi.Once she deciphered it, she went back to the AI and asked a question about the escapism-themed short story “The Third Level” on the syllabus. “Thanks to AI, I was able to make notes with simple words and bullet points. Whenever I had a conceptual question or needed more information, such as painting theory or Rajasthani art, I kept relying on AI,” said the Delhi-based student, who cleared CBSE class 12 with 87% earlier this month, a huge improvement from his score of 70% in class 10.Tutoring and Mentoring Since the AI dam broke, the use of AI in schools has been banned.This is especially true when students use it as a shortcut and miss basic points of practice, such as helping them write an essay, using it to solve a math problem, or copying an AI-generated answer word for word for a project. But the latest CBSE batch of graduates is full of examples of AI being put to good use. There, AI was used as a mentor and guide for students to supplement classroom learning and improve exam performance.From simplifying difficult concepts and solving last-minute questions, to generating answer patterns and practicing on model papers, to even asking AI to generate optimal study routines, these students leveraged the power of AI to better prepare themselves.Aditi Mishra, who scored 99.2%, said AI played a supporting role by summarizing long chapters. “Classroom education is invaluable,” said Mishra, who studied at Rani Lakshmi Bai Memorial School in Lucknow and hopes to attend medical college. “But AI can be used to assist and correct.”Priya Singh, who appeared in the CBSE Class 12 exam from Amitasha Foundation, Noida, secured 97%. Priya, the daughter of a bus driver, could not afford to pay extra tuition fees or purchase reference books. “AI was my reference book and my tutor,” she told TOI. “There was mention of the Mandal Commission in political science, but there was limited information in the NCERT books. When I researched it using ChatGPT, I got the big picture and its importance in understanding reservations in India.“Priya had secured around 70% marks in class 10, so it was a big improvement for her.”For history and home science, teachers encouraged them to explain the topics as they would explain them to a beginner. That made it easier to retain chapters that I found difficult,” she says.Some used AI whenever they needed a more analytical understanding of a topic. One example is Nisha Solanki who scored 92.4% in class 10 and cleared the class 12 board with 98.2%.“Instead of memorizing chapters, I wanted to understand why voting patterns change and how election verdicts reflect social and political changes,” says the DPS Gurgaon student. “And Gemini explained the trends with examples and comparisons, which made my answers better.” Nisha says she used AI to improve understanding because she can’t hope to do well by “just coming up with definitions” as current exams are “competency-based” and questions are structured in such a way that application and interpretation are also important.Nisha says she also used Gemini to understand Sigmund Freud’s theories to get answers in psychology. “It wasn’t easy to understand Freud’s concepts directly from the textbook. However, after asking questions and looking at examples related to AI, I developed a real interest in the topic.”But Nisha issued a warning. To use AI meaningfully, you need to understand the basics of the subject matter, she says, so you can’t just skip class and use AI to catch up. “Teachers build that basic foundation, and my teacher was great. AI only works well if you know how to give it the right prompts. If the prompts are common, the responses will be as well.” “Integral” to mathematicsAI can understand Freud’s theory of dreams, but as it turns out, it can also dispel math nightmares. Just ask Aarya Jain, a Class 12 board student from Apeejay School, Noida. Aaliya got only 60 marks in her class 11 exam. “Integral calculus confused me, because the same method would work for one problem and fail for another. But the AI tool solved each problem that I didn’t understand step by step, showed me another way, and explained where exactly the mistake happened,” says Aarya, who improved her math score to 85 on the board.Several companies used AI for exam practice and time management. Gunjan Chauhan used AI to create and evaluate mock tests for all papers. “I wrote my answers and uploaded them back to the chatbot, where they suggested improvements, pointed out weaknesses, and explained how I could better structure my answers for the board. It felt like I was practicing with a teacher who was always available,” says the NCR-based student. Aishwarya Pandey from Lucknow, who scored 99%, used AI to create her board preparation schedule. By entering details such as class time, study time, breaks, hobbies, etc., I was able to create a systematic daily schedule.Shreyash Srivastava of DPS Greater Noida, who scored an overall score of 98.4%, said he used AI to prepare for organic chemistry. “Reactions can be confusing: what goes into what, why reagents behave differently, how mechanisms change, etc. AI tools explained reactions visually and logically. To stand out, more conceptual clarity is needed. Referencing multiple books would take time, but AI explains it quickly with as many examples as needed,” he says.“You can’t replace teachers and textbooks.”Educators welcomed the meaningful use of AI, but also warned. “AI tools can definitely be used as an instructional platform for homework, conceptual clarification and acquiring additional knowledge beyond textbooks,” said Aditi Basu, president, All India Principals Association (Noida) and educationist. “Many students are using AI today, but we need to remember that these tools are meant to support learning, not replace teachers. AI-generated responses may be incomplete, oversimplified, or inaccurate, so we always recommend verifying information with your teacher or tutor. ”Ritu Srivastava, principal of Noida’s Sri Chaitanya School, admits that AI has made life a little easier for “both students and teachers.” For teachers, she says, mock tests, academic schedules, personalized assignments, lesson plans, and even assessment tools can be created in seconds using AI. At the same time, she warns against over-reliance, saying there are drawbacks that educators and students must learn to deal with. “In many cases, the answers produced by students in this year’s CBSE boards clearly lacked the ‘human touch’. We hope that these gaps will be resolved over time as AI evolves further and provides more sophisticated prompts,” she says.Seema Jeeras, principal of DLF Public School in Ghaziabad, echoed similar sentiments. “I’ve seen many students who were struggling with a particular chapter, subject, or concept become much more confident and fluent after using AI tools to clear up their doubts. It’s truly amazing how quickly kids pick up on this technology.”And she, too, finished signing with a sign of caution. “It is equally important for teachers to take responsibility for guiding students and helping them understand what is correct, accurate and meaningful learning,” she added.
– Information from Mohita Tewari, Lucknow
