New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the University of Kashmir, on Thursday launched the ATL Sarthi and Frontier Region Programme, with the announcement of 500 new Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in Jammu & Kashmir.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that Jammu & Kashmir holds the promise to be the torchbearer of India’s journey to Destination 2047.

Speaking at the event, Dr Singh said that as India’s economy moves up from rank 4 to rank 3 and further upward, the value addition will come from regions and resources hitherto under-explored, and J&K qualifies on both counts.

He added that the region began receiving its due attention only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, and its vast resources of the Himalayas and rivers found new outlets with initiatives like the Aroma Mission, launched by this government.

The Union Minister said that Jammu & Kashmir has the potential to emerge as a frontline contributor to India’s innovation-led growth story in the next two decades.

Congratulating the launch of the ATL Sarthi initiative in Srinagar, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the occasion marked a “dual celebration” — for Kashmir University becoming an instrument of engaging J&K as a mainstream player in India’s growth journey, and for AIM extending its innovation network to this peripheral Union Territory.

The Minister announced that under the Frontier Region Programme, 500 new Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) will be set up in J&K, forming the largest share of the 2,500 labs sanctioned for frontier regions, with an investment of Rs 100 crore.

These labs, he said, will give school students exposure to cutting-edge tools in robotics, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence, enabling them to innovate at a young age.

Addressing the gathering, Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of J&K, underlined the transformative potential of innovation-driven education for inclusive development.

“The Atal Tinkering Lab is a fitting tribute to former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. These Labs are empowering our young students and providing them with the tools for new discovery and self-development, and imparting skills like problem-solving. By nurturing the curiosity of India’s ‘Amrit Generation,’ ATL labs are laying the foundation for a developed and aspirational nation,” he said.

—IANS

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