National Technology Week 2023 concludes in Delhi
National Technology Day is celebrated every year on 11th May to commemorate the country’s technological advancements. It was on this day in 1998, India had the prideful accomplishments of ‘Operation Shakti’ and ‘Hansa 3 Test flown’. For this year, to mark this momentous occasion of 25th anniversary of these landmark events, Technology Development Board along with 12 Ministries/Departments viz. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) -NITI Aayog, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation – Ministry of Defence, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Biotechnology, Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Education, Indian Space Research Organisation and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) organised National Technology Week, 2023 with primary focus on Atal Innovation Mission, programs and showcase innovations from different sectors of the innovation lifecycle with a central theme of ‘School to Startup- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’.
The event was inaugurated by PM, Narendra Modi. Praising the theme of event ‘School to Start-ups – igniting young minds to innovate,’ the Prime Minister said that India’s future will be decided by the youth and children of today. He said that the passion, energy and capabilities of the children and youth today are India’s big strengths. Quoting Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the Prime Minister underscored the importance of knowledge and said as India is developing as a knowledge society, it is acting with equal force. He elaborated on the strong foundation that has been created in the country during the last nine years to ignite young minds.
The Prime Minister said that more than 10 thousand ATAL tinkering labs in 700 districts have become innovation nurseries. More importantly, 60 percent of these labs are in government and rural schools. He informed that over 75 lakh students are working laboriously on more than 12 lakh innovation projects in Atal Tinkering Lab. This, the Prime Minister said, is a sign of young scientists coming right out of schools and reaching the far corners of the country and emphasising that it is everyone’s duty to handhold them, nurture their talent and assist them in implementing their ideas. He noted the hundreds of start-ups that have been incubated at Atal Innovation Centres (AIC) and said that it is emerging as the new laboratories of the ‘New India’. “The Tinker-preneurs of India will soon become leading entrepreneurs of the world,” the Prime Minister said.
