Question : Innovation Council

(a) whether the Department of Education has assigned the All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE) for developing Business, Idea and Creativity among
the students;
(b) if so, the salient features thereof along with the amount of funds allocated for the
purpose;
(c) whether the Government aims to expand the programme to schools and if so, the
details thereof; and
(d) the details of the manner in which the Government is likely to incentivise other
national organisations to join Institution’s Innovation Council partnership?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a) to (d): An Innovation Cell has been established by Ministry of Human Resource
Development in the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to foster innovation
culture among all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) only. It will undertake/ initiate
various innovations related activities such as establishing Institutions’ Innovation Councils
(IICs) in HEIs, ranking HEIs on innovation parameters such as Atal Ranking of Institutions
on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) rankings, Hackathons (Smart India Hackathon,
International Hackathons, Grand/ Mini Challenges) and other such initiatives. Initially, an
amount of Rs. 2 Crore has been proposed for the Innovation Cell during the year 2018-
19.
In the Budget for the year 2017-18, an Innovation Fund for Secondary Education was
created under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), to encourage local
innovation for ensuring universal access, gender parity and quality improvement,
including ICT enabled learning transformation with a special focus on educationally
backward districts of the country. During 2017-18, an outlay of Rs. 69.75 crore was
approved for innovation fund. Further, an outlay of Rs 314.39 crore has been provided
for under Samagra Siksha for various innovative activities/ projects as submitted by the
States and Union Territories (UTs) for secondary and higher secondary level for
encouraging science education and promote creativity.
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