Ministry of Human Resource Development Launches Innovation Cell

• 31 Aug 2018

Innovation cell has been established at All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) premises with a purpose to systematically foster the culture of Innovation in all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country.

• The primary mandate of Innovation Cell is to encourage, inspire and nurture young students by exposing them to new ideas and processes resulting in innovative activities in their formative years.
• Along with Innovation cell, Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) has also been launched which aims to encourage healthy competiveness among Higher Educational Institutions.
• The move comes after India’s ranking in the Global Innovation index Ranking moved slightly up to 57 in 2018 from 60 in 2017. India has been constantly outperforming on innovation relative to its level of development for many years in a row.

Major Programs under Innovation Cell

1. Network of Innovation Clubs (NIC)

• They will be established in Higher Educational Institutions to encourage, inspire and nurture young students by providing a platform for various activities like:
  • Interaction with renowned Business Leaders and top-notch academicians,
  • Mentoring by Industry Professionals,
  • Experiment with new technologies, etc.

2. Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA)

• ARIIA will rank education institutions and universities primarily on innovation related indicators.
• It considers all major indicators which are commonly used globally to rank most innovative education institutions/ universities in the world.
• More than quantity, ARIIA will focus on quality of innovations and will try to measure the real impact created by these innovations nationally and internationally.
• It will primarily focus on 5 main parameters:
  • Budget Expenses and Revenue generated through Innovation and entrepreneurship development.
  • Facilitating access to advance centres / facilities and entrepreneurial support system.
  • Idea to Entrepreneurship.
  • Development of Innovation Ecosystems Supported through Teaching & Learning.
  • Best innovative solutions Developed In-house for Improving Governance of the Institution.

3. Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2019

• Smart India Hackathon 2019 is a nationwide initiative to provide students a platform to solve some of pressing problems of daily lives.

Read more about SIH-2019

4. National Student Startup Policy (NSSP)

• AICTE launched its Student Start-up Policy in 2016, which is designed for the AICTE approved Institutions in accordance with Govt of India’s "Start-up India" Action plan.
• It intends to guide AICTE approved institutions to promote student driven innovations and start-ups.
• The policy aims at identifying the innovative and entrepreneurial potential of students and transforming them into start-up entrepreneurs.

Steps Taken by Government to Promote Innovation

• “India Innovation Index” launched by NITI Aayog, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• The Government is promoting Research Parks (RPs) and Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) which would nurture and promote the innovative ideas till they become commercial ventures.
• The projects for promoting research and innovation like the IMPRINT and Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) have brought focused attention of the scientific community on the need for promoting innovation.
• The Start Up India initiative of the Government has also put in place a mechanism for identifying and incubating the innovative ideas.