ATL Sarthi, a thorough self-monitoring framework, was introduced by NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to reinforce the Atal Tinkering Laboratories’ constantly expanding ecosystem (ATL).
In order to encourage young minds’ curiosity, creativity, and imagination. As well as to instill skills like a design-thinking mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, etc. The Atal Innovation Mission is opening Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools all across India. As of now, AIM has provided funding for 10,000 schools to open Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).
AIM is constantly enhancing this ecosystem by creating frameworks and tools to improve ATL performance and accomplish the necessary goals. One such effort in this manner is ATL Sarthi. As Sarthi is a charioteer, as his name indicates, he will help the ATLs function effectively and efficiently. The initiative is built on four pillars: on-the-ground ATL enablement in collaboration with relevant local authorities through Cluster-based Approach. It providing ownership to schools to analyse their performance through Performance-Enablement (PE) Matrix; and regular process improvements. These include a self-reporting dashboard known as “MyATL Dashboard” and Compliance SOPs for schools to ensure financial and non-financial compliances.
Atal Innovation Mission
AIM is Government of India’s flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of our country. AIM’s objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platforms and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, and create an umbrella structure to oversee the innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystem of the country.
The ATL Cluster aspires to provide a self-sustaining paradigm for enablement and monitoring. In which ATLs and local governments collaborate on the ground to create clusters of 20–30 ATLs in a certain area. The area is training, partnerships, events, and sharing of best practises, these ATLs may benefit from one another. ATL Sarthi implemented by AIM as a pilot with many partners in states including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
The launch event attended by Sh. Suresh Kumar, IAS, Andhra Pradesh, Commissioner of School Education. Smt. B B Cauvery, IAS, SPD, Samagra Sikhsha; Mr Sudhanva, MD and Founder – Excel Soft; Mr Yogesh Suri, Director – Vigyan Ashram; Mr Sheshagri K M Rao, Education Specialist, UNICEF; Mr Brijesh Srivastava, Programme Manager, MGNF- IIM Ahmedabad and Mr Hardik, MGNF who highlighted how they have adopted clustering approach in their respective regions to make the ATLs more efficient.