NITI Aayog's Atal tinkering lab launched at Sivananda Balalaya school

TRICHY: Proposed by the central government to foster inventiveness among students, Atal tinkering lab (ATL) was inaugurated in Sri Sivananda Balalaya (SSB) CBSE school on Thursday.

Raised at a cost Rs 10 lakh, this is one among the 1,500 labs proposed by the union government as part of ATAL innovation mission under NITI Aayog scheme. ATL is an approach of union government to create an environment of scientific temperament, innovation, creativity amongst students.

Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). This lab has a smart classroom apart from equipment like 3D printer and computers.

“As a routine academic curriculum, basic electronics is introduced here from class V onwards,” said in charge of ATL in SSB S Monisha.

While students up to class X will have two weekly classes to explore in the lab, it is a work place for young minds to give shape to their ideas through hands-on do it yourself (DIY) kit. The lab is designed in such a way to spur the spark of creativity and go beyond regular curriculum and textbook learning, she said.

It will also allow students to explore skills of future such as design and computational thinking, adaptive learning and artificial intelligence.

Saying that students can opt for training in robotics in this lab, she added that it will make students know how basic principles of science is applied in the objects of daily use.

“The lab will create an environment of scientific temperament, innovation, creativity among students starting from class V,” said principal of SSB, K Bhanumathi.

Speaking after inaugurating the facility, Trichy district chief educational officer M Ramakrishnan said the school will act as a resource centre for children from neighbouring schools, both government and private. But the real benefit can only be realized if students and teachers make the best use of the facility.

The teachers were asked to provide the required guidance to the students so that they can come up with innovations that benefit the society at large.

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