In a major step towards ramping up the Indian Mobile App Development innovation ecosystem, NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) today launched the ‘ATL App Development Module’ for school children all across the country.
The initiative is in line with the Aatmanirbhar (self-reliance) environment that the government is looking to foster.
It is also synergetic with similar projects and competitions that the ministry has launched that OpenGov Asia has reported on.
The ATL App Development modules have been launched in collaboration with Indian homegrown startup Plezmo.
Under the AIM’s flagship Atal Tinkering Labs initiative, the end goal is to move the students from merely being app users to becoming app makers under.
The initiative is looking to hone the skills of school students and encourage them to be effectively use their learning and talent.
The CEO of NITI Aayog said that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a big disruption, that is being tackled through the use of technology to aid for everyday lives.
The nation’s Prime Minister has been encouraging the citizens to use technology and innovate for an Aatmanirbhar India.
Expressing his views on the said module, CEO NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant said, “Under the Atal Tinkering Lab initiative, AIM, NITI Aayog is proud to launch the ATL App Development module for our India’s young minds – our dear children. It is crucial for the young Indians to learn skills at a young age and to enable them to become the next generation of technology leaders.”
Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, R Ramanan, speaking on the virtual launch of the module said that the needs world class technology solutions and apps from India, leveraging the tremendous demographic dividend of our country.
AIM, NITI Aayog brings the skills of App Development to the young tinkerers of Atal Tinkering Labs across the country so that they can integrate their Tinkering Lab innovations with mobile apps enhancing the usability and reach of their innovations.
R Ramanan opined that this would be one of the largest app learning and development initiatives at a school level in any country.
To foster learning and creativity within young minds, as part of the ATL #TinkerfromHome campaign, AIM, NITI Aayog has created a growing state of the art platform for the students and teachers across the country to learn and apply the latest of technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Game Design and Development, 3D Design, Astronomy, Digital Creativity Skills, etc. from the comfort and safety of their homes.
The launch of AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge has been inspiring to the young students uniformly at school, university and industry level.
The ATL App Development module is a free online course. Young innovators can learn to build mobile Apps in various Indian languages through 6 project-based learning modules and online mentoring sessions.
Additionally, to build capacity and acumen of school teachers for App Development, periodic Teacher Training sessions will be conducted on the AIM App Development course.
The CEO of Plezmo said that after agricultural and industrial revolutions, global economies are being shaped by a Technology revolution.
Plezmo’s mission is to enable everyone to learn 21st Century technology skills like coding, computational thinking, design thinking and problem solving.
Till date, more than 5100 ATLs are established in more than 660 districts across the country by Atal Innovation Mission with more than 2 million students having access to the Tinkering Labs.
The vision is to foster creativity and innovation nationwide through its various integrated initiatives including incubators, startups, community innovation Centres and Atal New India challenges for product and service innovations enabling socio economic growth of the country.
