By OUR STAFF REPORTER
New Delhi, 11 Sep: Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ attended the First Annual Innovation Festival of the MHRD’s Innovation Cell (MIC). MIC organised the festival in coordination with AICTE here today. During this festival, the Innovation Cell showcased more than 70 top students’ innovations from across India. Minister of State for HRD Sanjay Dhotre was also present on the occasion.
The Union Minister also launched the Smart India Hackathon 2020, Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020, and Institution’s Innovation Council 2.0. The event also witnessed the release of the Start-Up Policy Document and SIH Report, launch of Technical Teacher’s Training Module, ATAL Academies, Protsahan Mudra Scheme, Vishwakarma Award and the Vice Chancellors’ Meet on the Student Induction Programme, which has bridged the gap between students and teachers through creatively designed programmes that have unveiled the best potential of a student outside of the book curriculum.
On the occasion, Pokhriyal said that the MHRD, last year, initiated the separate Innovation cell with support from AICTE to foster the culture of innovation in all educational institutions of India. He said that as India aspires to be a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2024, it needs to emerge as a global innovation, entrepreneurship and startup hub. He added that considering India’s current demography, youngsters need to be in the forefront of this innovative movement and Indian higher education institutes need to play a key role and emerge as centers of excellence producing global quality research and innovation.
He revealed that MHRD’s Innovation Cell with the support of AICTE had undertaken multiple initiatives to ensure that innovation becomes the primary fulcrum of technical education. All India Council for Technical Education, in its endeavour to bring quality revolution in the standard of technical education of India, has undertaken a plethora of activities which includes various schemes, policies, programmes and regulations that have evolved to shape the educational domain of India as the ultimate in every sphere and has come forward as emerging giants of global technological warriors.
Dhotre said that in-line with the vision of the Prime Minister, AICTE and MIC are promoting start-ups and innovation culture which will eventually result in society of job creators instead of job seekers. He expressed his happiness that AICTE and MHRD Innovation Cell had taken up several path breaking initiatives to bring the desired tectonic shift in quality of education.
R Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, MHRD, Madhu Rajan Kumar, Joint Secretary, MHRD, Anil Sahsrabuddhe, Chairman, AICTE, Professor DP Singh, Chairman, UGC, also addressed the gathering. The event saw the participation of the Vice Chancellors of Central, State and Private Universities, Directors and Faculty of Institutions and research organisations.
