VIJAYAWADA: A two-day training programme on Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship (IDE) began on Thursday at Siddhartha Deemed to be University, Vijayawada, aiming to strengthen a culture of innovation in Andhra Pradesh’s school education system and empower students to become young innovators.
The programme is organised with support from the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (Government of India), AICTE, Samagra Shiksha, PM SHRI, NCERT, the School Innovation Council and the Wadhwani Foundation.
Additional State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, MR Prasanna Kumar said, “Academic knowledge alone cannot shape a complete personality. Students must be equipped with the ability to think critically, solve problems and innovate with new ideas and creations.” He suggested introducing Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship into curriculum from Class 6 onwards.
He said innovation must become a continuous culture in all schools and universities. He stressed the need to develop students as thinkers, designers and entrepreneurs who contribute meaningfully to the nation’s growth.
He said every school and classroom should nurture discussions on innovation and noted that opportunities for students to showcase ideas at science fairs would strengthen economic development. He expressed confidence that if such a spirit is encouraged, India—currently the world’s fourth-largest economy—could rise to first place. Assistant Innovative Director, Innovation Cell, AICTE (Ministry of Education), Elangovan Kariappan praised Andhra Pradesh for establishing School Innovation Councils in 50 per cent of the state’s schools.
Kariappan announced that participants of the programme would be designated District Innovation Ambassadors, who would help transform districts into innovation hubs and schools into innovation labs.
He said India’s rank in the Global Innovation Index improved from 81 in 2015 to 38 now, and shared a national vision of placing India among the top 10 most innovative economies by 2047 under the Viksit Bharat mission.