Education & Skilling New India

“When I see the young generation busy in innovation with enthusiasm like this, my resolve for ‘New India’ gets stronger. In the 21st century, we will be able to get India the place in the world it deserves.” Shri Narendra Modi, Honourable Prime Minister of India.

Precisely! Atal Incubation Mission is a flagship initiative of NITI Aayog, Government of India, to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Bharat. It was started in 2016 with a holistic approach to creating an ecosystem of entrepreneurship in universities, research institutions and private and MSME sectors. With 620+ startups incubated in AIC/EIC, 14,000+ jobs created, 150+ MSMEs empowered, 900+ events and 350+ training conducted, 500+ mentors and 350+ collaborated with, AIM continues to soar great heights. However, this isn’t the highlight of the initiative.

A vision to ‘Cultivate one Million Children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, the Atal Tinkering Labs fosters curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds. It inculcates a design-first mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, etc., to acquire a problem solving, tinkering and innovative outlook. Currently, Atal Tinkering Labs stands tall with 10,000 labs spanning 722 districts with more than 6,200+ Mentors of Change, 1.1+ crore students actively engaged in ATL and 16 Lakh+ innovation projects created.

Atal Tinkering Labs will pave the road for prosperity not only in Amrit Kaal but for Ananta Kaal. Here’s how they are doing it and its impact on the Nation –

  1. Atal Tinkering Labs: An idea – ATL as an idea itself inspires the change you want to see in a prosperous society driven by the youth. Deepali Upadhyay, programme director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, at a recent event said, “The 21st century skills, innovation, problem solving creativity are integral for our youth to imbibe for a successful future.” Thus, encouraging a positive change. Safe to say, the Tata, Adani and Pichhai groups don’t seem the Tata’s, Adani’s and Pichai’s don’t seem a rare goal but a more obvious outcome of the initiative.
  2. Youth-centric initiative – From classroom to the real world, ATL is a gamechanger for young trailblazers as the innovative ecosystem provides learning and activity-based teaching. Essentially, they are guided through certain stages:
    a. Research and ideation
    b. Problem identification & design thinking
    c. Solution technological development
    d. Proof of concept

Harnessing the power of youth is the trump card and this project is a testament to that. Young tinkers, Hannah Reethu Sojan, Anncila Reji, Annlin Bijoy, and Anjeleena VJ, class IX students at St Mary’s Convent Girls Higher Secondary School, Thrissur, built ‘Smart Goggles’ that helped visually challenged students in their school. Built with an ultrasonic sensor that triggers a buzzer after identifying obstacles in its way, this project enables them to be independent and confident. “From soldering to coding, we have learnt a lot in the tinkering lab in this one year,” as the students expressed their one-of-its-kind experience.

  1. Innovation and skill development – Children are provided with educational ‘do it yourself’ kits and equipment on – science, electronics, robotics, open-source microcontroller boards, sensors, 3D printers and computers. They are also provided with meeting rooms and video conferencing facilities that merge the gap between them, their mentors and other stakeholders. Ideas such as ‘Smart Car Parking System’, ‘Automated Smart Home Solution’, ‘Railway Accident Prevention System’, ‘RFID-based attendance system for students’, and Height measurement device, are celebrated.
  2. Mentors for Change – More than 6,200+ Mentors for Change guide the young innovators of India and provide them with expertise on a human centric design approach, computational thinking, physical computing, etc. Not only that, they also invest in them through various on-ground activities too, helping them to deliver only the best.
  3. The confidence of being an entrepreneur – Skills such as identification of cause, research on the cause, crafting problem-solving solutions, design thinking and many more help students create the perfect POC. These POCs can eventually be converted into full size business projects. Knowing ‘what’ and ‘how’ from a young age with the right exposure and knowledge system in place, equips them with the right entrepreneur skills that help the dream and vision of a self-sustaining economy in New India.
  4. Empowering Rural India – ATLs aren’t just limited to posh metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities but extend to rural and remote regions too, creating an equal opportunity for all. One such example that deserves a spotlight is the ‘Smart Farming System’ that addresses water scarcity and wildlife threats in Kerala. Created by Aswathy NG, Annliya Deepak, and Maria CJ, class IX students at St Paul’s CEHSS in Kuriachira, Thrissur. They also came first in the ‘Grand Student Innovation Showcase 2024’ event which commemorated a year of the first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model of Atal Innovation Mission by NITI Aayog and OPPO India at St Paul’s CEHSS.
  5. Opportunities known and unknown at the ATL – Right from the ATL Community day that invites the community,the ATL innovation ecosystem, ATL School of the Month that encourages students to innovate on specific themes to ATL festival that promotes real problem solving and creation of innovative prototypes to ATL Tinkering and Innovation Marathon which is an annual nationwide challenge related to national importance, all of them lead to opportunities that are larger than life itself. ISRO adopting 100 ATLs across the country. Limitless opportunities await and young Bharatiyas are here for it.

‘Good’ is an understatement when you talk about Atal Tinkering Labs.
ATL has become a force to be reckoned with. Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Space, and Atomic Energy, inaugurated the New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) Schools Annual Science Fair at NDCC Convention Center where he highlighted how ATL is fostering innovation amongst school children and expressed confidence that young innovators would contribute to making India a global tech hub by 2047.
New India isn’t just ready for Amrit Kaal but for Ananta Kaal. Swarnim Bharat is the making.


Author : Anisha Chavan

Author Description : Anisha Chavan is an award-winning Writer celebrated for her diverse portfolio with prominent national and international companies. She’s passionate about governance, international relations and politics


Disclaimer : The views, thoughts, or opinions expressed in this blogs belong solely to the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of author’s employer, organisation, committee or any other group or individual.

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