AI use by students sparks concerns in Delhi’s schools and colleges, here’s how they plan to tackle it

Recently, a law student from O P Jindal University moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court after being failed for allegedly using AI-generated content in coursework.

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Nov 8, 2024 02:01 PM IST

Most AI companies like Google and OpenAI took a cautious approach to the US elections.

The New York Times sued OpenAI in December last year. (File photo)

Adopting plagiarism-detection software, rethinking assessment strategies to develop critical thinking skills: Administrators across schools and colleges in Delhi have begun using different methods amid concerns that students might exploit Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT to generate assignments.

Recently, a law student from O P Jindal University moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court after being failed for allegedly using AI-generated content in coursework. The university Thursday said the student was issuing “factually incorrect, misleading, and prejudiced statements” on social media, possibly with the intent of influencing public opinion and judicial outcomes.

As the debate gains momentum, The Indian Express spoke to schools and colleges in Delhi on how best to adapt to the challenges of AI in education.

At Delhi University, Shriprakash Singh, Director of South Campus, noted that the varsity’s reliance on traditional pen-and-paper exams currently limits AI plagiarism concerns. However, for research papers and thesis submissions, DU uses Turnitin which flags not only conventional plagiarism but also content generated by AI.

Singh emphasised that while AI can be a valuable learning tool, an over-reliance on it is detrimental. “AI is not dangerous, but completely depending on it is,” he said.

At Miranda House College, Principal Bijayalaxmi Nanda voiced similar sentiments. She underscored that pen-and-paper exams help preserve originality. Still, with AI’s growing popularity, she acknowledges the need for more sophisticated assessment methods. “The Western world has come up with innovative ways to test students, and so will we in the near future,” Nanda explained. “We need stronger plagiarism checks and an ethical protocol to regulate AI use in education.”

At Lloyd Institute of Engineering in Gautam Buddh Nagar too, Turnitin is in place. Senior Director Rajeev Aggarwal said assignments should increasingly emphasise technical and practical skills rather than theory alone. “The way we test students… is the area of importance to address plagiarism issues due to AI. We need to give more assignments that test technical and practical strengths of students rather than making theoretical assignments. We should also learn how to incorporate AI to seek and gain knowledge but should also put in boundaries to tackle it positively.”

Schools, meanwhile, vary in their approach.

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At ITL Public School in Dwarka, where students submit both handwritten and online assignments, AI detection software is in use. Principal Sudha Acharya said it identifies AI-generated content, and her team uses AI analytics for performance assessments to improve teaching approaches.

“Since our students submit internal assignments online and also through pen and paper, our computer department uses software that detects whether AI has been used by students in their assignments or not. We also use AI in our school’s result analysis. For instance, if we feel like a particular section or a subject has low performance, we use AI to analyse and identify what elements can be changed to make our performance better,” Acharya said

In contrast, Springdales School still values the “human touch” in learning, according to Aporajito Bose, Manager of Technology, Innovation, Diversity, and Environment. While the school incorporated digital tools like Microsoft Teams during the pandemic, most assignments remain handwritten, and there is no AI detection software in place.
“Our teachers have known their students long enough to find out whether one is using ChatGPT to do their assignments. If one is not performing up to the mark in their speaking assessments but can produce an entire writeup, that is self-explanatory,” Bose said.

“Our efforts are to educate students to use AI responsibly, solely for learning and awareness,” he added.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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