10K Atal Tinkering Labs in last 11 years fuelling innovation from schools — Nirmala Sitharaman
Ten thousand Atal Tinkering Labs have been established in the country in the last 11 years, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday
- NEW DELHI — Ten thousand Atal Tinkering Labs have been established in the
country in the last 11 years, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on
Friday.
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- In a post on social media platform X, Sitharaman said
that Atal Tinkering Labs, under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of the NITI
Aayog, is fuelling innovation among school children.
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- “10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs have been set up in the
country since 2016. Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reforms are fuelling
a maker mindset, where curiosity leads to innovation from schools,"
Nirmala Sitharaman's Office stated on X.
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- The Atal Tinkering Labs have contributed to over 12 lakh
innovation projects. It has actively engaged more than 1.1 crore students in
innovation and creative problem-solving.
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- Maharashtra has the highest number of Atal labs (1,033)
followed by Tamil Nadu (975), and Uttar Pradesh (955), as per data from the
Ministry of Planning.
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- In the Union Budget 2025, the finance minister announced
plans to establish 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools in the next
five years. The initiative has been taken to cultivate the spirit of curiosity
and innovation and foster a scientific temper among young minds.
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- Further, to enable the country to become a global science
player, the government set up the Anusandhan National Research Foundation
(ANRF) with an investment of Rs 50,000 crore over five years.
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- The initiative is aimed at building a strong research
ecosystem in Indian universities, institutions, and labs, making India a global
hub of science and innovation.
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- The country also opened the gates of global research
through the One Nation One Subscription initiative.
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- The initiative has benefitted more than 1.8 crore
students, researchers, and faculty members across the country with access to
more than 13,000 prestigious journals from 30 leading international publishers.
