news details |
|
|
| 2 private schools chosen for ATL, 55 Govt schools failed to fulfill criteria | | NITI Ayog's shocker! | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 9: For Education Minister Nayeem Akhtar, this may come as shock. NITI Ayog has chosen two private schools over 55 government institutions which had applied for establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in Jammu and Kashmir.
None of the 55 government schools which had applied for being considered for establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in Jammu and Kashmir had credentials required for being considered for this innovative mission. Of the 12 private schools which had requested for being considered, NITI Ayog choose two schools namely Delhi Public School (DPS) located at Athwajan Bye Pass Chowk Srinagar and Model Academy
NITI Ayog rejected application received from the government schools of Jammu and Kashmir because they failed to fulfill the eligibility criteria. The failure to fulfill eligibility criteria clearly points out that government as well as private schools in Jammu and Kashmir are operating with limited infrastructure. They do not have even the minimum required infrastructure for being considered for the Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL).
Minister for Education Nayeem Akhtar who is an ace writer and Journalist himself has done little to bring drastic change in the education sector, which he would always talk about when he was serving as a KAS officer and later, as leader of PDP. He could not take up the issue of ATL being set-up in private schools in Jammu and Kashmir with the NITI Ayog. Instead, he preferred remaining silent.
According to the official document of NITI Ayog, schools were supposed to provide at-least 1500 square feet of built up space for setting up ATL. None of the 65 schools had this much built-up space for setting up ATL. They were also required to have 1000 Sq Ft of area. The rejection clearly shows that Jammu and Kashmir doesn't have even one single school with 1000 sq ft of area or that the school has area but not in a condition for being used for setting up laboratory.
It was also mandatory for schools to have functional computer with internet facility alongwith a genuine electricity connection. Highly qualified and technically trained Mathematics and Science teachers were also mandatory for the schools for getting qualified for ATL. Minimum enrolment should have been around 200 students in Grade VI-X besides regular attendance of 75 percent and above of the staff and enrolled students.
NITI Ayog had further said that all the assets acquired or created from the grant will be the property of the Government of India and should not be disposed-off or encumbered or utilised for purpose other than those for which the grant has been sanctioned without the prior permission of the NITI Aayog. The host institute was supposed to be ready for putting in place requisite physical infrastructure such as laboratory and workshop facilities, computer lab with internet within a period of 6 months from the date of release of funds.
It needs to be mentioned here that with a vision to 'Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators', Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India. The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.
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 will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). ATL would contain educational and learning 'do it yourself' kits and equipment on science, electronics, robotics, open source microcontroller boards, sensors and 3D printers and computers. Other desirable facilities include meeting rooms and video conferencing facility.
In order to foster inventiveness among students, ATL can conduct 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. 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. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
