On April 13, 2023 the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) agreed to connect Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) and Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMAs) under the initiative.
- Objective: To promote innovation in the agricultural sector among school students across India.
Backdrop:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the collaboration idea and proposed to connect the ATLs with the KVKs across the country.
- The PM also suggested both government bodies look into the idea of linking soil testing labs to ATL schools.
Key Points:
i.KVKs function as a “Single Window Agricultural Knowledge Resource and Capacity Development Centre,” and this collaboration will provide the stakeholders with required information, training, and inputs.
- KVKs, in partnership with ATMA, will collaborate with nearby ATLs to support agricultural-related innovation.
ii.AIM has mapped and shared a list of 55 ATLs (mapping each of the 11 KVKs, and ATMAs with up to 5 ATLs) based on the list of KVKs and ATMAs shared by MoA&FW.
- In the first phase of the implementation, one KVK under each of the 11 Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes (ATARIs) will be involved, providing technology backstopping and facilitating knowledge-sharing and skill-building exercises.
- KVK experts will also undertake need-based visits to nearby ATLs, while KVKs will provide literature, seeds, planting materials, and other inputs as required.
- The pilot project will be extended after assessing the positive outcomes after two years
iii.Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DA&FW, MoA&FW stated that MoA&FW and ATL can develop a problem-finding platform under the framework and organise hackathons. He stressed the need for adopting an “integrated learning approach” to find solutions to the problems of the farm sector.
Additional info:
A delegation from MoA&FW visited the ATL lab at Amity International School, Saket, Delhi
- Student innovators from the ATL schools KV Janakpuri, DAV Vasant Kunj and Amity International School also shared their ATL experiences and spoke about their innovations in the agriculture sector.
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare(MoA&FW):
Union Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar (Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Sushri Shobha Karandlaje (Udupi Chikmagalur, Karnataka) ;Kailash Choudhary (Barmer, Rajasthan)
