What’s in the news?

• Niti Aayog has launched the first of its kind Vernacular Innovation Program under the Atal Innovation Mission which aims to enable innovators and entrepreneurs to have access to the innovative ecosystem in 22 mother tongue languages. 
• By providing access to learning in one’s language and culture, the programme aims to create equal opportunity for the vernacular innovators.
• To build the necessary capacity for the Vernacular Innovation Program, Atal Innovation Mission has identified and will be training a Vernacular Task Force in each of the 22 scheduled languages. Each task force comprises vernacular language teachers,  subject experts,  technical writers, and the leadership of regional Atal Incubation Centres.

About Atal Innovation Mission 

• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country.
• AIM’s objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness and create an umbrella structure to oversee the innovation ecosystem of the country.

Initiatives under Atal Innovation Mission

Atal Tinkering Labs – at School Level

• Over the last two years, AIM has launched the establishment of thousands of Atal Tinkering Labs enabling students from grade 6 to grade 12 to have access to and tinker with innovative tools and technologies like 3D printers, robotics, miniaturised electronics do-it-yourself kits, thus stimulating a problem solving innovative mindset to solve problems in the community they are in.
• Some activities related to ATL Operational Excellence, Proactive Promotion of Innovation & Thought Leadership, Collaborations & Partnerships and New Initiatives by AIM:
  • ATL Gandhian Challenge – launched in all schools along with UNICEF.
  • India Stamp Creativity challenge- launched with UNICEF and India Post.

Atal Incubators at Universities, Institutions, Industry Level

• To promote creation of a supporting ecosystem for start-ups and entrepreneurs, AIM has been establishing world-class incubators called Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) in universities. Institutions, corporates, etc. that would foster innovative start-ups and become scalable and sustainable enterprises.
• Some activities related to AIC Operational Excellence, Proactive Promotion of Innovation & Thought Leadership, Collaborations & Partnerships and New Initiatives by AIM:
  • Youth-CoLab Sustainable Innovation Challenge along with UNDP–based on Gandhian Values.
  • UNLEASH Startups Challenge with Netherlands embassy support.

Atal Community Innovation Centres – Serving Unserved and Under-Served Regions of India

• To promote the benefits of technology led innovation to the unserved/ underserved regions of India including Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, aspirational districts, tribal, hilly and coastal areas, AIM is setting up Atal Community Innovation Centres (ACICs) with a unique partnership driven model wherein AIM would grant up to Rs. 2.5 crore to an ACIC subject to a partner proving equal or greater matching funding.

Atal New India Challenges – Product and Service Innovations with National Impact

• To create product and service innovations having national socio-economic impact, AIM has  launched over 24 Atal New India Challenges in partnership with five different ministries   and departments of the central government.

Applied Research and Innovation for Small Enterprises (ARISE) – to Stimulate MSME Industry Innovation

• To promote innovation in a phased manner in the MSME/Start-up sector AIM will be launching ARISE along with partner Ministries so that great research ideas are converted to viable innovative prototypes followed by product development and commercial deployment.

Mentorship and Partnerships – with Public, Private sector, NGOs, Academia, Institutions

• To enable all the initiatives to succeed, AIM has launched the “Mentor India – The Mentors of Change” programme, in collaboration with the public sector, corporates and institutions, to support all the initiatives of the mission.
• It is a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders who can guide and mentor students in Atal Tinkering Labs.