Atal Tinkering Labs

Context: ISRO to adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs to promote scientific temperament among students

• Through this collaboration, the Indian Space Research Organisation will facilitate coaching and mentoring of students in advanced 21st century cutting-edge technologies.
• ISRO will adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs across the country to promote scientific temperament among students and encourage them for space education and space technology related innovations.
• Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog have established over 7,000 ATLs across the country so far, enabling more than three million students between classes six to 12 acquire a problem solving, tinkering and innovative mindset, the statement said.

Atal Innovation Mission

• With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, Atal Innovation Mission, an initiative of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), Government Of India, is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India.
• AIM will provide grant-in-aid 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.

Eligibility

• Schools (minimum Grade VI - X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society to set up ATL.
• The applicant school would have to provide at least 1,500 Sq. Ft. of built up space. Applicant schools from hilly / Himalayan and island states, UTs would have to provide atleast 1,000 Sq. Ft. of built up space. The existing facilities for meeting rooms and video conferencing among others can be used to supplement the laboratory.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/isro-to-adopt-100-atal-tinkering-labs-to-promote-scientific-temperament-among-students/article33550422.ece?homepage=true