Mysuru: To achieve the goals and go forward in life one should have proper focus, clarity regarding what is to be done, continuous involvement, discipline and systematic way of working, said Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri B N Suresh, former director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
Speaking after inaugurating the Atal Tinkering Laboratory at Kautilya Vidyalaya here on September 12, he said, “Any developed country across the world will be too good in science and technology. Science and technology are interlinked with each other and they are nicely harmonised. Atal Tinkering Lab which is inaugurated in this school will provide opportunity for the young minds to come out with innovative ideas and make use of the tools for their innovations. There are many engineers but they will be lacking basic practical knowledge. To enhance one’s practical knowledge, Tinkering Lab will be of great benefit.
No doubt developed or developing countries should come out with a lot of innovations on rocket. Defence apart, as scientists or science students we should also think of coming out with solutions for many issues in our surroundings, society and state. Even for such innovations, the students can make maximum use of Atal Tinkering Laboratory. Just learning will not serve the purpose. Learning, innovation and research should go together. If one wants to take up research, they should have three qualities-good observation power, curiosity and innovative thinking. If you practise these three qualities, you can become another C V Raman.”
He also mentioned that continuous guidance would spoil one’s creative thinking and hence called upon the students and researchers to think on their own.
Atal Tinkering Laboratory is designed to inculcate skills including design mindset, computational thinking and adaptive learning. The lab will teach students essential 21st century skills which will help them in developing their professional and personal skills. Across the country, 257 schools including 16 in Karnataka were selected for establishing ATB with the support of the NITI Aayog. ATB would provide support for modern labs for taking up research related activities. The lab is an approach of central government in India to create an environment of scientific temperament, innovation and creativity amongst Indian students.
Objective of ATL
The main objective of setting up of this laboratory is to create scientific temper and cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation among young minds. ATL is a workspace where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands–on-do-it-yourself mode and learn innovation skills. The vision is to cultivate 1 million children in India as Neoteric Innovators. The objective of this scheme includes fostering curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds and inculcating skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning and physical computing. Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand what, how and why aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. ATL would contain educational and “do it yourself” kits and equipment on science, electronics, robotics, open source microcontroller boards, sensors and 3D printers.
How the school got ATL
L Savitha, Senior Principal and Secretary of Kautilya Vidyalaya said, “After scrutiny of the applications, we were invited for a seminar for presenting the innovative ideas in a competition. A team of students selected for the purpose was sent to Hyderabad who made a presentation of their ideas with models. There was a stiff competition for selection of schools wherein students had to present their innovative ideas and their potential. Out of a large number of schools competing, about 267 schools were selected in the first phase and we were one among them and we received a communication in April 2017 that our school was selected for establishment of ATL”.
Who can make use of the facility?
Students from class VI and above studying in any school across the district can make use of the facility which will be opened everyday including on Sunday daily between 10 am and 6 pm. The lab has got two facilitators who will be assisting the students.
