Niti Aayog all set to launch 500 Atal Tinkering Labs in schools

NITI Aayog, government’s premier think-tank, will set the ball rolling for the setting up of much awaited Atal Tinkering Labs on Friday when the Aayog in technical support from Intel Technology India will meet expert consultative group to help create and put in place a framework for the 500 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL).

ATLs, which are part of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), will be established in schools all across the country to help create an innovation ecosystem in the country. These labs are being set up to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mind set, computational thinking, adaptive learning etc.

“Makers, practitioners, schools and civil society would discuss, deliberate and help create a Tinkering Lab Framework (TLF) which would act as the guideline for all the selected schools to establish Atal Tinkering lab,” a NITI Aayog statement said.

The concept of a lab other than academics is a relatively new for our country and so it is imperative to provide some direction to the implementer’s at the school level.

“The discussion would range from what all needs to be there in a lab; do-it-yourself activities; content; engagement with the community; a hands-on workshop to series of educational lectures etc,” it added.