Mission SOAR Nagaland and the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) organised a one-day workshop on the practical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for 44 officers and ministerial staff of the Board at the NBSE office in Kohima on August 11.
The workshop, conducted with sessions delivered by resource persons from Shikha Academy, Mumbai, focused on helping participants understand and apply AI tools to routine professional tasks, with an emphasis on improving efficiency, productivity and responsible use of emerging technologies.
The day opened with a question: If every day suddenly had 25 hours, what would you do with the extra hour? For many participants attending their first AI training, the question highlighted the amount of time spent on repetitive tasks such as drafting formal letters, checking documents against checklists and rephrasing official communications.
The workshop demonstrated how effective use of AI could help reduce such repetitive workloads and enable officers and staff to devote more time to higher-value responsibilities.
Delivering the opening remarks, Rangumbuing Nsarangbe, NCS, Secretary and Chairperson, NBSE, encouraged participants to make full use of the opportunity to learn, explore and harness the potential of AI to enhance efficiency and productivity in their work.
From understanding AI to workplace applications
The sessions began with an introduction to the fundamentals of AI, including what AI is, what it is not and common misconceptions surrounding the technology. Participants were then introduced to practical applications of generative AI in areas such as planning, data analysis, feedback, brainstorming and automation.
The participants mapped these capabilities to their own responsibilities and practised writing effective prompts using real workplace tasks, including summarising policy documents and drafting public notices.
The final session focused on building simple AI assistants—tools that can be configured to perform recurring tasks consistently without requiring fresh instructions each time.
The workshop concluded with discussions on the safe and responsible use of AI, including the need to understand its limitations and exercise professional judgement when applying AI-generated outputs to official work.
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Assistant Academic Officer, NBSE, Rüchünino Ziephrü said the workshop helped participants understand how to use AI more effectively, particularly through sharper prompting and the use of AI to assist in developing prompts. She also described the session on AI assistants as practical, noting that such tools could help reduce time spent on repetitive work.
Kekhrievilie Nakhro, Cashier, NBSE, who attended his first AI workshop, said the training provided a clearer understanding of AI and its practical applications and increased his confidence in using the technology in his work.
Participants also expressed interest in further, branch-specific training sessions focusing on the particular workflows and requirements of different sections of the Board.
The workshop marked an early step towards exploring how AI can serve as a practical support tool in education administration—not as a replacement for professional judgement, but as a technology that can help officials work more efficiently and focus greater attention on higher-value responsibilities.
Mission SOAR is a state-wide initiative aimed at transforming public education in Nagaland into an agile, inclusive and high-performing system. Rooted in Naga culture while aligned with national priorities and global aspirations, the initiative seeks to equip every child with grade-level competency, 21st-century skills and a strong sense of identity.
Through innovative teaching practices, capacity building and systemic reforms, Mission SOAR aims to develop an education model that can serve as a benchmark for the rest of India.
