Innovation unfolds through Atal Tinkering Labs in Kashmir
Srinagar: Over 200 students and teachers displayed their talent in innovation at the ‘Pragaash’ Innovation Showcase at SKICC Srinagar in the presence of Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog Chintan Vaishnav, who was in the valley for the event. Students from across 67 private and government schools displayed their projects ranging from indigenous apple graders to assistive devices for farmers, smart robots, weather stations and similar innovations.
Dr. Chintan Vaishnav while speaking at the event said that he was delighted to be here and said that Jammu and Kashmir has great potential in promoting innovation, and added that as per the NITI Aayog Innovation Index, J&K took 6th place amongst all UTs, and per capita innovation score was promising. Pertinent to mention that Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is Government of India’s flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship amongst children.
The event was organised by Pi Jam Foundation, Pune.
Pi Jam Foundation works closely with the Department of School Education in supporting ATLs. Currently, J&K has 67 functional ATLs against the approved number of 500 ATLs, which is a great leap from 3 before COVID-19. Shoaib Dar, Founder Pi Jam said that innovation must be inherent in education and they both go hand in hand. He said that ‘Taleem’ is a part of the social fabric of Kashmir and forms the basis of the famed craft of shawl making.
At the event Director School Education Dr. Tasadduq Hussain Mir were also present, who said that it was very important to have open communication with students to foster innovation. Deep Raj Kanethia, Project Director Samagra Shiksha lauded the effort and thanked AIM for nurturing the spirit of innovation in J&K and said that innovations must be solution-driven, localized and affordable.
An expert panel comprising of students, faculty, innovators and educators also deliberated on how the innovation ecosphere in Jammu & Kashmir can be fostered and presented ideas to support these brilliant young minds to look beyond their textbooks and create a vibrant future. Dr. Iqra Altaf from NIT Srinagar, Ms. Sumaiya from NITI Aayog, Sheikh Inayatullah from Move Beyond, Ms. Manorama Aware from Samagra Shiksha Mahashtra, Mohd Ameen Beigh, CEO Bandipore and Danish Aziz from UNICEF India were in the panel.
