Context: Recently, to expand the vision of technology Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, in collaboration with Dell Technologies launched Student Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0 for young innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs.
Key Points
SEP 2.0

• Objective: It will allow student innovators to work closely with Dell volunteers. They will receive mentor support; prototyping and testing support; end-user feedback; intellectual property registration and patenting of ideas, processes, and products; manufacturing support; as well as the launch support of the product in the market.

Background

• As many as 1500 innovations were submitted in the last season of ATL Marathon (2019). ATL Marathon is a nationwide contest where students identify community challenges and create grassroots innovations and solutions within their ATLs.
• 50 teams were selected and mentored by Atal Incubation Centres via the Student Innovator Programme 2.0.
• Student Innovator Programme provides training on business and entrepreneurship skills to students.
• The top 8 will take their prototypes to product through SEP 2.0.

SEP 1.0

• SEP 1.0 was a 10-month-long programme through which the top 6 teams of ATL Marathon 2017 got a chance to transform their innovative prototypes into fully functioning products, which are now available in the market.

About Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs)
Vision

• AIM is establishing ATLs in schools across India with a vision to cultivate one million children in India as neoteric (modern) innovators.
• It is aimed at disrupting the Indian education system, creating a paradigm shift where children as young as 12 years of age are being introduced to the world of technology innovation.

Objectives: To foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.

• Eligibility: Schools (minimum Grade VI - X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society.
• Financial Support: AIM provides grant-in-aid of Rs. 20 Lakh to each school that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.

Features

• ATL is a work space where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands on do-it-yourself mode; and learn innovation skills.
• Young children get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
• CollabCAD was launched in ATL schools to provide students experience in creating and modifying 3D designs.
• In order to foster inventiveness among students, ATL conducts different activities ranging from regional and national level competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem solving, designing and fabrication of products, lecture series etc. at periodic intervals.