CBSE on 14th June 2021, signed a MoU with AICTE to motivate, train and engage school students and teachers in various initiatives for skill enhancement currently being organized by AICTE for its Engineering and Technology students and faculty.
NEP-2020 emphasizes on nurturing young students for problem-solving and critical thinking at the school level. Teachers, therefore, shall have to become mentors and guide these young students to pursue innovation and entrepreneurship. To strengthen the mentoring capacity of teachers, CBSE, in collaboration with the Innovation Cell, AICTE, Ministry of Education, launched the ‘Innovation Ambassador Program’. In which the teachers from affiliated schools shall be trained on the following five modules:
1. Design Thinking & Innovation
2. Idea generation & Ideal hand-holding
3. Intellectual Property Rights
4. Product / Prototype development
5. Finance, Sales and HR
Dr Abhay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer, AICTE while speaking on the on online innovation ambassador training program said it can help strengthen the mentoring capacity for nurturing ideas of students. He said it will systematically foster the culture of innovation in school education across the country.
Vice Chairman AICTE Prof M.P. Poonia explained about the student learning assessment survey and talked about autonomy, practical knowledge, assessment, innovation, industry 4.0, and critical thinking in NEP- Schools education pedagogical and curricular while outlining the process of making of a student vibrant, be able to plan and think, Manoj Ahuja, Chairman CBSE, informed about the collaborative approach and partnership with AICTE for training program under the ATAL academy and teachers training in new areas AI, Blockchain, coding, cybersecurity.
He said students need enabling environment in schools to undertake innovative tasks and to ideate. What is required is to mentor these students and align education with the goals of NEP 2020.
Professor Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Chairman AICTE, expressed hope in the students as they learn to observe their surroundings and encouraged to innovate in schools. Dr Biswajit Saha Director Training and Skills welcomed the joint efforts of the two premier institutes and stressed upon creating innovation clubs in schools for nurturing future leaders. More than 40,000 teachers participated in the online awareness program held on the advocacy of the Innovation Ambassador Program.
