ATL Handbook 2021

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The Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook

Journey towards an Innovative ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’
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Preface
The Atal Tinkering Lab program has become a national movement which is revolutionizing the Education
Ecosystem of India. The goals and vision of the ATL program ties in beautifully with the National Education
Policy and will play a pivotal role to implement ‘Experiential and Project-Based Learning’ model in India. The
ATL ecosystem in a school facilitates a fresh learning-by-doing teaching and learning methodology. This keeps
both the teacher and the student engaged and excited.
The 21st century needs a radical and disruptive change to a student’s learning processes. With each passing
day, new technology interventions by the industry are challenging the education system to create Future-ready
Makers. ‘Tinkering’ and ‘Making’ are natural human skills which now need to be embraced with technology.
And we at Atal Innovation Mission have embarked on this journey.
The objective of this book is to provide a robust framework and action plan of all the aspects of the Atal
Tinkering Lab Program. The ‘Select-Establish-Enable-Celebrate’ framework captures the program in a simple yet
elegant manner. This framework is replicable and can be implemented by any school, institution, department
or country.
The progress which we have made would not be possible without the support and guidance of distinguished
individuals of our country.
I would humbly like to thank NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr. Rajiv Kumar, CEO Mr. Amitabh Kant and Mission
Director Mr. Ramanathan Ramanan, Atal Innovation Mission, for their agile and strong leadership which helped
ATL to become a national movement across India. I also express my sincere gratitude to all members of AIM’s
Mission High Level Committee, including Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Dr. Renu Swarup, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma,
Prof. Tarun Khanna, members of NITI Aayog family, who have been continuously guiding and supporting us
towards creating the vision of AIM, and encouraging us at every step in our journey.
To make any program successful, it is important to have strong partnerships with Industry, academia, and
various departments within the Government.
My sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Education, Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science &
Technology, Cell for Intellectual Property Rights Promotion and Management, Startup India, Invest India,
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Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, for their contribution towards enhancing the overall impact of
ATL, through several innovative engagement initiatives.
ATL in a nationwide program, and would require both centre and state to work together to make it a
huge success at the grassroots. I would like to particularly mention the efforts of the State Governments of
Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat for their pro-active participation in the ATL
program implementation in their respective states. I would like to thank the Ministry of External Affairs, the
Ambassadors and Embassies of Singapore, Russia, and Sweden; and the Ambassadors and Embassies of India
in Singapore and Moscow, Russia who have helped the ATL students reach the global stage.
My gratitude to academic institutions IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay, and special thanks to the AIM Incubators –
C-CAMP, Amrita TBI, Aartech, 36Inc, Banasthali Vidyapeeth, Amity IC, JKLU, Sikkim Manipal University, NMIMS,
Jyothy Institute, BIMTECH, CCMB, MIT-ADT, ALEAP, Great Lakes who supported the ATL Student Innovator
Program, while helping students in furthering their innovative ideas.
My special acknowledgement for the co-operation and support from the industry – NASSCOM FutureSkills,
Dell, Learning Links Foundation, IBM, Adobe, Lego Education, Network Capital, SAP, tGELF, NIC-CollabCAD,
MyGov, CSIR-Jigyasa for their contribution and commitment towards building a vibrant community of tinkering
and innovation in India.
I thank all our Mentors of Change, who have inspired our young innovators, and supported them whole
heartedly. My special words of praise and thankfulness to the entire ATL community, mentors, teachers, student
innovators and parents for being a continuous source of inspiration to the AIM team.
It has been a wonderful team effort that has resulted in some of the initial success stories for ATL. I would also
like to thank my colleagues at NITI Aayog - Mr. Shashank S. Gore, Mr. Manglesh Yadav, Mr. Vedant Sharma,
Mr. Pitambar Sahoo, Mr. Harish Chowdhry, Ms. Ishita Agarwal, Mr. Pramit Dash, Mr. Desh Gaurav Sekhri AIM
administration and finance teams for relentlessly supporting the ATL program. My special words of praise and
thankfulness to the core ATL team – Ms. Madhuri Pal, Ms. Naba Suroor, Ms. Vishnupriya Bijapur, Ms. Swati
Rao, under the guidance of Ms. Deepali Upadhyay, and Ms. Sumaiya Yousuf for scribing and editing the ATL
Handbook 2.0.
In an effort to celebrate the grassroot innovations in different parts of India, AIM will continue to strategize,
design and implement pathbreaking initiatives, which will pave the way for developing the ‘Aatmanirbhar
Bharat’.
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Let’s Make, Break, Create and Innovate!
Happy Tinkering
Ronak Jogeshwar
Atal Innovation Mission
NITI Aayog
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Contents
1. Genesis of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL).................................................................. 15
1.1 NITI Aayog.............................................................................................. 17
1.2 Atal Innovation Mission.......................................................................... 18
1.3 Atal Tinkering Labs................................................................................. 19
1.4 ATL Program Design & Framework (Select – Establish – Enable – Celebrate).... 21
2. Selection of Atal Tinkering Lab........................................................................... 25
2.1 Digital Application and Challenge Based Selection.................................. 27
2.1 Compliance............................................................................................. 28
3. Establish the Atal Tinkering Laboratory............................................................. 31
3.1 ATL Standard Operating Procedure.......................................................... 33
3.2 Identifying Resources and Building Capacity........................................... 35
3.3 ATL Curriculum........................................................................................ 38
3.4 Communication channels between ATLs and AIM................................... 42
4. Enable a Vibrant Atal Tinkering Lab Ecosystem................................................ 45
4.1 ATL Calendar of activities........................................................................ 47
4.2 Mentor of Change (MoC) Initiative.......................................................... 52
4.3 Engaging the nearby community and non-ATL schools............................ 54
4.4 Quality Measurement of ATL................................................................... 54
4.5 Collaborations & Partnerships for an Impactful ATL................................. 56
4.6 ATL Adoption.......................................................................................... 57
5. Celebrate Tinkering and Innovation................................................................... 59
5.1 ATL Wall of Fame.................................................................................... 61
5.2 Recognition............................................................................................. 61
5.3 Celebration............................................................................................. 63
5.4 Opportunity............................................................................................ 64
6. Conclusion........................................................................................................... 71
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List of Abbreviations

Abbreviation Definition
ATL Atal Tinkering Lab
AIC Atal Incubation Centre
ARISE Atal Research and Innovation in Small Enterprises
ANIC Atal New India Challenges
ACIC Atal Community Innovation Centre
MoC Mentor of Change
PFMS Public Finance Management System
MoA Memorandum of Agreement
AAB ATL Advisory Body
GeM Government e-Marketplace
ATM Atal Tinkering Marathon
TTT Teachers Training Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibilities

SIP Student Innovator Program
MSME Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
IP Intellectual Property
RMoC Regional Mentor of Change
EMoC Exemplary Mentor of Change
ToC Teacher of Change
SEP Student Entrepreneurship Program
PMO Prime Minister’s Office
SoM School of the Month
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Tinkering Labs (ATL)
Genesis of Atal
CHAPTER1
Genesis of
Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs)
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Genesis of Atal
1. Genesis of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs)
INTRO
This chapter introduces the entities that initiated the program of
ATL. It gives a brief overview of the program objectives and its
overarching framework.
Connecting science, technology and innovation with societal outcomes, will drive strong economic and social
progress for India. A whole range of structural reforms are being undertaken to place India on the global map
of innovation. Strong linkages are being created between academia, government, and industry, to create
an enabling environment, that not just breeds scientific aptitude leading to innovation, but also nurtures a
creative and innovative mindset at a young age, to accelerate growth for a New India. The traditional Indian
education system has not been able to address the fast-changing requirements of the industry, and it was
imperative that the school education in India may be redefined with innovation. This book recounts the story
of the first of its kind and largest ever government led initiative in the history of India, introduced to disrupt
the Indian education system and create a New India.
1.1 NITI Aayog

The National Institution for Transforming India, also called NITI Aayog, was formed via a resolution of the
Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015. NITI Aayog is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of India,
providing both directional and policy inputs. While designing strategic and long-term policies and programmes
for the Government of India, NITI Aayog also provides relevant technical advice to the Centre and States.
The Government of India, in keeping with its reform agenda, constituted the NITI Aayog to replace the Planning
Commission instituted in 1950. This was done in order to better serve the needs and aspirations of the people
of India. An important evolutionary change from the past, NITI Aayog acts as the quintessential platform of
the Government of India to bring states to act together in national interest, and thereby fosters cooperative
federalism.
NITI Aayog is also developing itself as a State-of-the-Art Resource Centre, with the necessary resources,
knowledge and skills, that will enable it to act with speed, promote research and innovation, provide strategic
policy vision for the government, and deal with contingent issues.
The prime responsibilities of the NITI Aayog are:
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India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, 1998
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NITI Aayog
To evolve has also been nominated
a shared vision of as the nodal agency by the
national development on To design
United Nations to monitor,
priority sectors and develop strategic and long-term
coordinate and effectively
strategies with the active policy and program
implement the 17 Sustainable
involvement of states, in frameworks Development Goals across the
light of the nation’s country to bring
objectives about the desired
To develop To create a transformation.
mechanisms to formulate knowledge, innovation &
credible plans at the grassroot entrepreneurial support
level and aggregate these system through a collaborative
progressively at higher levels of community of national and
government international experts,
practitioners and other
partners.
Composition of NITI Aayog
A high-level team comprising of the Prime Minister as its Chairman, Governing Council including Chief Ministers
of the States and Lt. Governors of the Union Territories, experts and specialists from various fields and the
Regional Council work together to achieve the goals and objectives of the NITI Aayog.
1.2 Atal Innovation Mission

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative of the Honourable Prime Minister’s Office (PMO),
housed at the NITI Aayog, to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the
country.
AIM, NITI Aayog is envisaged as an umbrella innovation organization that would play an instrumental role in
alignment of innovation policies between central, state and sectoral ministries, by incentivizing the promotion
of an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship at various levels - higher secondary schools, higher
educational and research institutions, and SME/MSME industry, corporate, and government ministerial level,
by public-private partnership.
The initial focus has been towards creating an institutional framework, to nurture innovation and entrepreneurial
mindset. Through the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) program, AIM, NITI Aayog is fostering the spirit of creativity
and innovation at school level, wherein students get an opportunity to experience 21st century skills such
as ideation, design thinking, IoT, rapid prototyping, etc. and widen their intellectual horizons in pursuit of
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Genesis of Atal
solutions to day-to-day problems and showcase their innovations at prestigious national and global platforms.
To further nurture these school students, the Mentor of Change (MoC) program which is a citizen led national
movement was launched and is being led by AIM, NITI Aayog, wherein skilled professionals provide pro-bono
mentoring to young ATL innovators, with a strong sentiment towards nation building.
AIM, NITI Aayog’s Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) are creating world class ecosystems for start-ups to flourish,
with the required handholding including access to mentoring and investor networks. Atal Community
Innovation Centres (ACICs) through PPP driven model are encouraging the spirit of innovation with a focus on
underserved/unserved regions of the country, such as rural, tribal, aspirational districts, hilly and/or coastal
areas which at present lack a vibrant startup and innovation ecosystem.
AIM, NITI Aayog realised the importance of making innovation a national movement, wherein citizens felt the
responsibility to create impact and contributed towards the same. Launched by AIM, NITI Aayog in collaboration
with five Ministries of the Govt. of India, the Atal New India Challenges (ANIC) provided innovators an
opportunity to propose technological solutions in 24 different areas of national importance. The selected
innovations shall receive grant-in-aid along with support for swift productization and commercialisation. And
finally, the Atal Research and Innovation in Small Enterprises (ARISE) program encourages the Ministries of
Government of India to invest in research and innovation, and explore to leverage relevant innovations into
the public system.
1.3 Atal Tinkering Labs

With AIM, NITI Aayog, innovation and entrepreneurship have become an integral part of our national mission,
and children as young as 12 years of age are being introduced to the world of technology innovation, with
ATL in schools. ATL is the flagship initiative of AIM, NITI Aayog, NITI Aayog, Government of India, to nurture
an innovative mindset amongst high school students across the length and breadth of India.
Within a ATL students are free to think and explore, try and fail, even come up with something out of the box.
The program is designed to equip students with the 21st century skills such as design thinking, critical thinking,
computational thinking, digital fabrication, collaboration and so on.
It will enable India to create a dent in the Global Maker’s movement (Dougherty, 2012) and become a
global platform for world class innovation. ATL is encouraging students and teachers to experiment, explore
and follow a self-learning path, thereby empowering them to think differently about problems and develop
innovative solutions. ATL is also providing other sections of the community including parents, mentors and
other individuals interested in innovation to give life to their ideas.
Under the ATL scheme, grant-in-aid of up to ` 20,00,000/- (Rupees Twenty Lakhs Only) is provided to schools
selected for setting up the ATL.
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Dougherty, D. (2012). The Maker Movement. Innovations
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As on December 2020, 14916 schools have been selected for establishment of ATLs and more than 7000 ATL
schools have been sanctioned, covering more than 90% of all the districts and 110 Aspirational Districts of
India. These labs, established in both government and private schools and majority in co-educational and
girls’ schools, are serving as community hubs of innovation, while transforming the way India learns, thinks,
ideates and innovates. As per the Strategy for New India published by NITI Aayog, over 10,000 ATLs will be
established by FY 2020-21.
Significance of ATL for India
Combining the traditional teaching methodologies with today’s experiential learning will be the key towards
creating a unique blended education system in India. Keeping in mind the demands of the growing economy
and global growth in innovation development, the Government of India, embarked on a noble mission to
create an ecosystem that nurtures futuristic skills like complex problem solving, critical thinking, adaptive
learning, computational skills in children, with a vision to create 1 million neoteric innovators, with the ATL
initiative. The ATL initiative, across India today, is tapping on the intrinsic imaginative and problem-solving
knack of children and equipping them with the required skills of the future. Access to multiple ATL resources is
helping them to ideate and create feasible solutions to substantial problems facing the community.
Further, the support of students, teachers, principals and parents is considered crucial in successfully achieving
the objectives of ATL. The overall goal is to disrupt the Indian education system, and create a generation of
young innovators ready to take on the further challenges, in their constant pursuit to build the New India.
A video explaining the relevance of Tinkering can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Sqd6RDloE
Vision of ATL
The broad vision of the ATL program includes the following:
1. To create workspaces where young minds can learn innovation skills, sculpt ideas through hands-on
activities, work and learn in a flexible environment.
2. To empower our youth with the 21 century skills of creativity, innovation, critical thinking, design thinking,
social and cross-cultural collaboration, ethical leadership and so on
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Genesis of Atal
Fig 1.1 - Innovators from India and Russia at Sirius Centre, Sochi, Russia
3. To help build innovative solutions for India’s unique problems and thereby support India’s efforts to grow
as a knowledge economy.
ATL Program Design & Framework (Select – Establish – Enable – Celebrate)

The ATL program design systematically helps the ATL-in-charge to nurture the innovation mindedness amongst
the young innovators. Beyond innovation, while engaging in ATL activities, students are benefitting on their
overall personality development, soft skills, technology skills and the 21st century skills.
The ATL introduces Indian students to a very different microenvironment, that allows freedom to explore new
ideas, test them, and follow a ‘learning by doing’ approach. Students are introduced to 4 different levels of
tinkering (Described in detail in ATL Curriculum) , wherein they experience design thinking, ideation which
helps them to develop a new perspective, towards social and community problems. As students progress
further in the journey, they are introduced to new technologies, and concepts of computational thinking,
and physical computing and other sectoral areas. And finally, they begin working in teams, towards solving
real world problems, leveraging their learning from the previous phases. Such a gradual approach, allows
the students to acclimatize themselves to this new and innovative experience, learn new technologies, and
appreciate the transformation within. A video explaining the concept of Tinkering can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78CcarCgt8Y
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Spotlight Story #1: ATLs in Lonesome Corners

District: Vizianagram, Andhra Pradesh
Vizianagram, Andhra Pradesh has long been recognised as a ‘beemaru’ i.e. sick district and has
recently been identified as an Aspirational District. With the vision and mission to uplift such remote
districts in the country and embed ‘tinkering & innovation’ into the young brains of Vizianagram,
Andhra Pradesh, 20 ATLs were set up in government and private schools of the district in 2018.
The Principal of Chaitanya Public School, Ukkunagaram, ENVSL Chandrika, said, “Representatives
from ATL visited the school to set up the ATL and helped us understand the scheme better. The lab
will provide a chance for the children to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts
of science and technology.” In July 2019, only a few months after establishment, two schools i.e.
ZPHS Kumaram and Sri Sai Surya School shone through the ATL School of the Month Challenge and
were recognised as ATL School of the Month.
To drive innovation amongst the stakeholders in the community several teacher training sessions
and vendor training sessions were also organised for the schools. One such teacher training session
inspired a few teachers from the ATLs to innovate and inspire their students. Mr. Chandra Rao and his
group participated in the four-day State Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) Teachers workshop, conducted by
NITI Aayog with the support of IBM, at Sri Krishnapuram AP Social Welfare Residential Educational
Institutions Society (APSWREIS) School and Junior College. P. Chandra Rao, a PGT in Physics at A.P.
Model School and Junior College at Shikaruganji of Vizianagaram district, who, with the help of a
like-minded teachers, developed a low-cost flyover with ‘collapsible’ metal structure to reach the
already constructed concrete flyover at Manappuram. The collapsible metal structure, which could
be designed to carry a permissible weight, would operate with solar power and sensors to lift, and
collapse when not required.
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Genesis of Atal
The ATL program can be broadly classified into 4 major phases
as shown in Fig 1.2:
Robust System Driven Two Way Communication
SELECT ENABLE ESTABLISH CELEBRATE
Application Portal and ATL Calendar of ATL SOP Guidelines Wall of Fame
Selection SOP activities Capacity building ATL and Mentors of
Grant Quality Assurance Teacher and Mentor Month
Management Portal Plan (Dashboard) training Regional Mentors and
ATL Adoption ATL Curriculum Teachers of Change
Template
Mentors of Change
portal
Fig 1.2 – Framework of ATL program
The next 4 chapters will explain each phase in-depth and guide the reader step by step through the application
& selection process, how to set up an ATL within their school and maintain it successfully as well as enable
the ATLs to reap the opportunities and rewards that come by for consistent innovative students, teachers and
mentors.
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SUMMARY
This chapter introduced the genesis of ATL highlighting the significance of tinkering for
India. It included the introduction, program design & framework as well as the overall
vision of the initiative. The next chapter highlights how schools commence their ATL
innovation journey, describing the selection, compliance and subsequent grant-in-aid
disbursement process.
Fig 1.3 ATL Innovators with the H.E Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation.
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Genesis of Atal
CHAPTER 2
Selection of
Atal Tinkering Lab
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INTRO
This chapter explains the first phase of the ATL framework – Selection. It will
Selection of Atal
Tinkering Lab
guide the reader through the entire application and selection process for an ATL
and the documentary compliance required by ATLs once they are selected.
2.1 Digital Application and Challenge Based Selection

Schools in India (having at least Grade/Class VI to X) recognized by Ministry of Human Resource and
Development (MHRD) and managed by State/Union Territory/Central Government, Local body (Municipality/
Nagar Nigam), Private Trusts/Society or Tribal/Social welfare Department can apply for financial support in the
form of ATL Grant-in-Aid.
Interested schools intending to apply for ATLs may visit the AIM website and submit their application online to
the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog. The ATL online application portal is a seamless platform developed
for schools to submit their ATL applications. A three stage process is followed as described below:
Stage I: Inviting applications via online application portal: 3- 4 months - Schools are invited to submit
online applications for ATL. The ATL online application portal is a seamless platform developed for schools to
submit their ATL applications.
Stage 2: Screening of applications: 1-2 months - Received applications would be processed on the basis of
eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria include availability of built up space of 1000 – 1500 sq. ft., minimum
enrolment of students, dedicated mathematics and science teachers, basic infrastructure including availability
of computers and internet connectivity, steady electricity connection, science lab, library and playground, and
regular attendance of staff and students. Eligible applicant schools shall be evaluated and ranked based on
these criteria.
Stage 3: Final evaluation: 1 – 2 months - Assessment is made based on more subjective parameters on how
committed the school is to utilize the ATL as a platform to transform their school into a local innovation hub.
After the final evaluation, a fixed number of schools are announced in the form of a list on AIM website. The
number of selected ATLs announced at any point of time is based on budgetary allowance and approval of
competent authority. To receive the grant-in-aid, the schools will be required to complete the compliance
process which is detailed in the next section.
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2.2 Compliance
Compliance refers to the adherence of AIM, NITI Aayog’s requirements in terms of proper documentation, such
that grant-in-aid can be released to the shortlisted ATL School. There are two components of compliance viz.
documentary compliance and Public Finance Management System (PFMS) compliance.
Documentary Compliance: Shortlisted schools need to upload relevant documents on the online document
submission portal for documentary compliance. The documents include a declaration form by the school
Principal on the school letter head, Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), bond, which is applicable for non-
governmental schools only, bank passbook detail and the ATL lab layout.
Upon successful document compliance, the activation process for PFMS, Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
and MyATL Dashboard credentials will be initiated by AIM.
PFMS Compliance: In addition to the documentation compliance, the school is simultaneously required to
complete the PFMS compliance as well. The PFMS is a government-initiated finance management and decision
support system, that helps to track and monitor fund disbursement and utilization for government schemes.
It is aimed towards maintaining transparency and preventing misutilization of public funds, and has been
mandated by the government of India for all schemes. As part of the PFMS compliance, schools are required to
register their institution on the PFMS portal. To facilitate the registration, schools are required to open a new
bank account in a scheduled bank exclusively for receiving the ATL Grant.
Upon successful completion of the above steps, the Tranche 1 of ATL Grant-in-Aid of Rs. 12,00,000/- (Rupees
Twelve Lakhs Only) will be sanctioned and transferred to the ATL Bank Account of the school. The grant must
be spent exclusively for the specified purpose within the stipulated time of a maximum period of 5 years, with
`10,00,000/- (Rupees Ten Lakhs Only) for capital expense and remaining `10,00,000/- (Rupees Ten Lakhs
Only) for operational and maintenance expenses.
The release of subsequent funds shall be a function of the performance of an ATL, the utilization of the
previous grant and the submission of details required on MyATL Dashboard. Utilization Certificates for each
financial year must be furnished with PFMS and EAT reports updated to date. The relevant details are available
in the ATL Guideline document.
Schools must carefully read and adhere to all requirements mentioned in the below ATL Guidelines document.
Refer the ATL Guidelines Document for details:
ATL Guidelines :
https://aim.gov.in/guidelines-for-school.php
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Selection of Atal
Tinkering Lab
Fig 2.1 - Hon’ble Minister of Human Resources and Development,
Government of India Shri Prakash Javadekar at an ATL launch
SUMMARY
This chapter highlighted how schools commence their ATL innovation

journey, describing the selection, compliance and the subsequent grant-in-
aid disbursement process. The next chapter details the strategy for successful
establishment of ATL, including procurement, capacity building and absorbing
the ATL seamlessly within the school.
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Selection of Atal Tinkering Lab
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CHAPTER 3
Selection of Atal
Tinkering Lab
Establish the
Atal Tinkering Lab
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INTRO
This chapter details out the next phase of the ATL framework – Establish. It will
elucidate the entire process that an ATL needs to follow once they receive the
grant including procurement of equipment, setting up the lab as well as engage
in capacity building of the ATL.
3.1 ATL Standard Operating Procedure
Establish the Atal

Tinkering Lab
The ATL journey of the schools begins with the sanction of ATL Grant-in-Aid. Once the school has received their
ATL Grant-in-Aid, they must pay great attention towards designing the ATL space, procurement through GeM,
identifying the right human resources and training them. These elements shall be crucial towards ensuring that
the facility is able to meet its expected outcomes. Schools must setup the ATL, procure ATL Equipment through
GeM, inaugurate and make it operational within 3 months after receiving the ATL Grant-in-Aid money.
Designing the ATL space
Since the ATL will be an open experimentation and innovation bed, it is extremely essential to follow the
proper design and layout guidelines. Set in an expanse of 1000 to 1500 sq. ft. area, the ATL space should be
one single room with maximum open space, such that there is room for mentoring as well as for collaborative
project work.
Procurement of Equipment
All ATL schools must procure equipment through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) as per the mandate by the
Government of India to ensure transactions are done with credible vendors to maintain transparency. GeM is
a platform that provides government departments with an opportunity to procure commonly used goods and
services online, while promoting transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
Details on ATL Standard Operating Procedure is elucidated within the ATL Guideline Document:
ATL Guidelines :
https://aim.gov.in/guidelines-for-school.php
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Establish the Atal Tinkering Lab
Fig 3.1 - ATL lab arrangement, modular furniture, proper display and storage of tools, lighting.
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Establish the Atal
Tinkering Lab
3.2 Identifying Resources and Building Capacity
It is imperative for each school to identify resources for the ATL. The lab needs to be supported by teachers
who understand the philosophy and purpose of ATL, with the right technical knowledge, experience and skill
sets so that they can help smoothen the path towards innovation for their students. Once identified, these
dedicated ATL teachers will hereby be referred to as ‘ATL in-charges’.
It is the responsibility of an ATL in-charge to nurture the ATL innovation ecosystem, to facilitate generation of
ideas and keep students motivated towards tinkering.
Various research studies4 have indicated that when teachers are effective classroom managers, students
achieve on a higher level and display a deeper interest in the subject. Therefore, in order to inculcate innovation
into the DNA of young students, it is crucial to equip the ATL in-charges responsible for empowering these
students with the technical know-how and relevant skill sets.
AIM, NITI Aayog, along with its partners, envisaged and conceptualized ‘Unbox Tinkering’ – a unique ATL
Teacher Training Program to build capacities of resources attached to the ATLs. AIM encourages school faculties
and ATL in-charges to undergo tthe training being organized online or in-person across the country to learn
about and identify with tinkering, innovation and the objectives of ATL. The program aims to empower the
participants with the quintessential tools and technologies and includes lecture series, discussions and hands-
on training sessions, thereby, allowing interactive learning and free-flow of ideas. Till date, more than 2000
teachers have been trained by various partners including Intel, IBM, Dell, SAP, Adobe, KPIT, Learning Links
Foundation, and others. Further details on ‘Unbox Tinkering’ can be found in the document below:
https://aim.gov.in/pdf/ATL_Teacher_Training.pdf
4
lassroom Emotional Climate, Student Engagement, and Academic Achievement: Maria R. Reyes, Marc A. Brackett, Susan E. Rivers,Mark White, and
C
Peter Salovey at Yale University, Freiberg et al. 1995; Omoteso and Samudara 2011; Stronge et al. 2011; Stronge et al. 2008, Kunter et al. 2007
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Spotlight Story #2: ‘Un-box Tinkering’

School: Best High School, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Partner: Intel & IBM
“Unbox tinkering Workshop was conducted by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Intel and IBM at
Ahmedabad in Best High school. We, Mrs. Manisha Girolkar and Mrs. Swati Kale attended this
workshop along with 35 participants from 15 schools all over India. It gave us a new outlook about
the mission of NITI Aayog to inculcate innovation skills among young students using Atal Tinkering
Labs. We got an opportunity to interact with Dr. Ayesha Chaudhary from Atal Innovation Mission
on Skype. She enlightened us about the vision behind ‘tinkering’ and gave us guidelines w.r.t. the
forthcoming activities being organized by AIM, NITI Aayog. We also got chance to meet Director of
Gujrat Science and Technology Department Mr. Narottam Sahoo. He explained the importance of
Do-IT-Yourself approach especially in the field of Science and Technology. He also emphasized on
developing critical thinking ability among the students. It was really an enriching experience for us.
It created a good forum for all enthusiastic and innovative minds who really enjoy working with
children.”
#UnboxTinkering
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Spotlight Story #3: Attitudinal Shift amongst Teachers
School: MES BSM English Medium School, Pune
Principal: Geetanjali Bodhankar
“Be the change you want to see in the world”
Establish the Atal

Mahatma Gandhi’s words have been the guiding force behind the philosophy followed by Mrs.
Tinkering Lab
Geetanjali Bodhankar, Principal, MSME BSM English Medium School, Pune, Maharashtra. In order
to bring about an attitudinal shift amongst teachers in a manner that they go beyond the regular
academic syllabus of the school, the school administration focused on immersing not only all the
students but also all the teachers into the ATL orientation process. Furthermore, the school also
identified enthusiastic teachers in the fields of Science and Mathematics and encouraged them to
be a part of teacher training sessions organised by AIM, NITI Aayog, mentoring sessions etc. Most
importantly, the school tried to cultivate and foster synergies between various stakeholders involved
in the ATL i.e. students, parents, teachers, mentors of change, community, alumni etc.
The result of this has been a wholehearted involvement by the teachers in tapping the innovative
potential in students. As team members, they are working beyond the usual mandate of working
as per the prescribed syllabus. They are now effectively engaged in a process of education that
manifests as the emotional, cultural and technical upbringing of future citizens who are going to
empower the nation’s quest for competitive excellence.
Furthermore, this methodology has resulted in higher student enrolment in ATLs, increased
enthusiasm and better innovations. The school’s innovative performance has not gone unnoticed
by mentors and dignitaries.
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3.3 ATL Curriculum

Post successfully completing the ‘Unbox Tinkering’ program, ATL in-charges are equipped to pass on the
knowledge and ignite the spirit of tinkering within students. To initiate this, AIM provides a rich repository of
content and resources on its website, for ATL in-charges to learn from to ensure a successful implementation
of the initiative. The content includes videos, documents, and other hand holding material for the ATL-in-
charge to conduct the ATL activities and sessions, in accordance with the AIM, NITI Aayog guidelines. While
conveying information more effectively and providing information related to ATL in a concise manner, the
online resources are easy to understand and are deployed with the intent to help ATL get answers to most of
the queries pertaining to setting up the labs.
For instance, before introducing the students to the concept of Ideation, it is recommended that the ATL
In-charge thoroughly reads and understands the reading material provided on the AIM website. The ATL In-
charge will also find a PowerPoint presentation with definitions, videos etc. that he/she can use to introduce
the concept of ideation to his/her students.
Furthermore, to collectively drive the charter of developing creative skills and spreading digital literacy, partners
have collaborated with AIM, NITI Aayog by providing free access to their technological toolkits and creating
modules for children on cutting edge technologies of Artificial intelligence, Drones, Gaming, Space, Computer
Aided Design (CAD) and so on.
The ATL In-charge can go through the resources by clicking on the link given below.
http://aim.gov.in/resources-for-atl-incharge.php
Furthermore, given that ATL schools are spread across the length and breadth of India, all ATL related content
shall be published in English and other official/local languages for a higher reach and more awareness.
Integrating ATL with the school curriculum via four levels of tinkering
The School Principal and the ATL-in-charge must take proactive steps to ensure student engagement and that
they get sustained and continuous opportunities to tinker at the ATL. This can be done through a systematic
planning of ATL inclusion in the regular curriculum without compromising on the teaching hours allocated to
other subjects.
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It is important that an ATL schedule is prepared, which helps students from Class 6th-12th to progress through
the four levels of tinkering within a specific timeline. AIM, NITI Aayog has devised these four levels of tinkering,
which define the different stages that students would go through, during their innovation journey at the ATL.
This will not only create a sustainable ATL student engagement mechanism but will also ensure that the ATL
students advance with regard to their technological and innovation skills. The four levels of tinkering, the kind
of students to be enrolled with their respective objectives can be found Fig 3.2 below:
Pre-Tinker Tinker Club

This phase is when the lab is newly set This is where the interested students
Establish the Atal

Tinkering Lab
up within the school and the goal is to keep coming back to the lab to learn
encourage all students to come, look at digital literacy, computational thinking
the equipment and technology, shed with Do-It-Yourself activities. The
their doubts and anxieties of exploring objective of this level is to transform
something new. interested students to tinkerers.
Level 01 Level 02
Tinker lab Post

Tinker lab
In this phase the tinkers are introduced Here the self-driven and interested
to physical computing and building real students are further encouraged to
time projects. continue to solve real world problems in
systematic and research driven away
with guidance from ATL-in-charge and
mentors.
Level 03 Level 04
Fig 3.2 – Illustration of four levels of Tinkering
This plan shall be integrated with the school curriculum in the form of an ATL schedule in consultation with
the school management so that students get enough opportunities to successfully move through the different
levels, graduating from students, to tinkerers, makers and eventually innovators.
A sample ATL schedule is provided in Fig 3.3, which can be used by the ATL-in-charge to guide students from
different classes through the four levels of tinkering. The schedule also includes teacher sessions which can
be used to educate the school ATL team on the equipment and efficient management of the ATL. Community
sessions refer to sessions for external stakeholders, community students, teachers from other schools in order
to create awareness about the ATL objectives and the activities.
39
Day/Period 1 2 Recess 3 4 5
Mon Class 6th Class 12th
Tue Teacher Sessions Class 9th
Wed Class 8th Community Sessions
Thu Class 10th
Fri Class 7th Class 11th
Fig 3.3 - Sample ATL schedule
Spotlight Story #4: Integration of ATL with school curriculum

Name of School: Jubilee Hills Public School, Hyderabad, Telangana
ATL-in-Charge: Udaya Lakshmi P, Gangadhar G
To create an ecosystem of innovation within the school, the ATL incharges have ensured that the
doors of the ATL are open to all the students. Students are taken to the Atal Tinkering Lab during
the substitution or ‘zero’ periods where they are introduced to the ATL, the machines and the basic
technological concepts. This process ensured that each and every student from the school is given
an opportunity to understand the basics of innovation. The interested students are introduced to
details of each concept through extensive workshops on 3D printing, arduino programming, etc.
organised in collaboration with external partners. At this stage, the students who show an aptitude
for programming, 3D Printing, etc. are taken through the advanced modules by the Mentors of
Change.
The students are, now, divided into groups to ensure peer-learning and project initiation. The
facilitator/ATL In-charge plays a significant role in ensuring that each student gets one-on-one
attention. The students who excel at different technologies are made student ‘tutors’ - they are
given the task to teach and to help other students finish their respective projects. Furthermore, these
student tutors are alloted extra time in the ATLs so that they are able to conclude their projects.
“Conducting classes and utilization of time effectively has to be planned in such a way that the regular
curricular hours are not affected while at the same time, the ATL classes are also streamlined.” The
ATL In-charges recognised that after school-hours can be utilized for ATL. he result of the organised
integration of ATL with the school curriculum was higher enrollment in ATL, effective utilization
of ‘free’ or ‘zero’ periods and post-school hours, increased participation in regional and national
competitions and increased participation in innovation-workshops.
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Spotlight Story #5: Enrolling and engaging the ATL students
School: Andhra Pradesh Rural Welfare Society Girls School, Vijayawada, Andhra
Pradesh
ATL-in-charge: U. Vinay Babu Ulli
Establish the Atal

Tinkering Lab
Happiness witnessed no bounds when a rural school 60 kilometres away from the
nearest town in Andhra Pradesh was selected to establish an ATL, back in 2017.
The students of the Andhra Pradesh Rural Welfare Society Girls School (APRSWS) had
never seen a computer before the establishment of ATL. The students were hesitant
when it came to communicating their thoughts with the outside world. To enable the
students to speak up and share ideas, the School created the ‘Ideabox’.
The Ideabox - where students can contribute with their ideas without any fear or
hesitation, provided students the ‘anonymity’ while also giving the liberty to write and
share ideas. Just like the butterfly effect, the use of the Ideabox grew exponentially. The
Ideabox was opened after a month and the top 10 ideas were announced during the
morning assembly. The students were asked to express their opinion on the ideas by
a show of hands and with each hand rising, the confidence of those ten students only
grew stronger. Thereafter, their names were called out which indeed gave a great boost
to their self-belief.
Out of the top ten selected ideas, the local community issues were selected and solved
one by one, by creating prototypes and on-ground testing. The students got a chance
to present their ideas at the Maker Faire in Hyderabad early in 2018 which transformed
to a special invitation to the World Maker Faire, 2018 at the Bay Area, California, USA –
considered the ‘Mecca’ for a Maker!
“10 students from a rural school in India invited to the Biggest International event to
celebrate the making and tinkering culture”, isn’t that an inspiring story?
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3.4 Communication channels between ATLs and AIM

One of the many crucial parameters that play a vital role in making a program successful, impactful and
effective is the communication between its internal and external stakeholders. Post establishment of the lab
and during its operations, it is natural for an ATL in-charge to have questions and require assistance. A free
flow of information not only answers these queries but also eliminates ambiguity keeping the stakeholders
involved and informed about the developments of the program. Some of these communication channels are
listed below:
ATL Query Resolution Portal
For any query, visit the online query resolution portal on the AIM website. The ATL team ensures that all
queries are resolved at the earliest. The URL for the same can be found below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97BZoIpv_Tc
To understand how to use the query portal, please click on the link below:
http://expd.pro/cgrms-atl/register/
Social Media
Social media is a good platform to reach out to existing and potential stakeholders, not just to display the
achievements but also to ignite the spirit of innovation in the wider group. Schools are encouraged to share
stories on social media channels, to create awareness about the innovation activities and invite community
participation. All ATLs are encouraged to create Facebook and Twitter accounts, share ATL activities, innovation
stories etc. Schools are advised to tag ‘Atal Innovation Mission’ and ‘NITI Aayog’ in all their posts and use the
hashtag - #AIMtoInnovate, on Twitter use @AIMtoInnovate, YouTube use @AIMtoInnovate.
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In order to receive regular updates from AIM, NITI Aayog, you can follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/AIMToInnovate
https://www.youtube.com/c/AIMtoInnovate
Establish the Atal

Tinkering Lab
https://www.twitter.com/AIMtoInnovate
A tutorial video for creating a Facebook page can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDnSbsCpkNE
Messenger groups
Messenger groups such as WhatsApp facilitate swift information sharing, sharing of achievements/ accolade.
It also allows schools to share best practices and engage in peer to peer learning. AIM has created state wise
WhatsApp groups which help in connecting all ATLs with one another and create a sense of community.
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Fig 3.4 – Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt. of India, Prof. K. Vijayraghavan inspiring students to
connect science and technology with innovation
SUMMARY
This chapter highlighted how the ATL-in-charge, along with the school management,
shall lead the tinkering initiatives at the ATL. It gave an overview of the standard
operating procedures of ATL as well as the ATL curriculum resources available to the
in-charge and students. It introduced the capacity building program for in-charges
and listed the various communication channels for ATLs to reach out to AIM for any
query or assistance
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Genesis of Atal
CHAPTER4
Enable a Vibrant Atal

Tinkering Lab Ecosystem
45
46
INTRO
This chapter highlights the third phase of the ATL framework – Enable. It will
narrate in detail the various activities undertaken by both AIM and the schools
to enable an ATL to become a hub of innovation and creativity.
4.1 ATL Calendar of activities

Once the ATL is fully functional, the ATL in-charge has assumed his/her responsibility with confidence and
the students are exploring their way in the world of tinkering, it is important that the ATL organizes and
participates in regular tinkering activities, to keep the students engaged and inspired.
These activities not only provide the ATL students with an opportunity to tinker and showcase their innovations,
but also help to create awareness in the community, while engaging with parents and other students from
non-ATL schools. The conducive environment created by such intra school tinkering and innovation activities
also prepares the students to go out and advocate their innovations on external platforms, which also provides

them the recognition they deserve for their work.

In this chapter, a few nationwide events conceptualized by AIM and organized by ATL schools have been
discussed. However, these concepts are only indicative in nature and the schools can conceptualize and
implement more of such initiatives for a successful implementation of the program.
Please find the link to the ATL Annual Calendar of Activities below:
https://aim.gov.in/ATL_Calendar.pdf
1. ATL Community Day Celebration (14th April)
ATL Community Day is a special event where young minds from the community come together and celebrate
tinkering, learning and innovation. This is a day to celebrate inclusiveness in the community through innovation,
an opportunity for everyone to come together and solve problems using the ATL infrastructure.
Celebrated on 14th April every year, commemorating Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, ATL school students
47
Enable a Vibrant Atal Tinkering Lab Ecosystem
and teachers organize a full day of tinkering activities for non-ATL and community children, especially those
who have not been sensitized about the ATL and/or did not yet have an opportunity to tinker at these labs.
AIM has created the ATL Community Day brochure, which guides an ATL on how successfully celebrate
the event, and provides a sample agenda and activities which may be conducted during ATL sessions. The
Community Day brochure can be found here:
https://www.aim.gov.in/pdf/ATL_Community_Day.pdf
2. World Intellectual Property Day Celebration (26th April)
Intellectual property (IP) is at the heart of every innovation and is crucial that every tinkerer and ATL in-charge
understand IP rights and its protection. Celebrating World IP day is a way to encourage innovation and
creativity and to understand the economic value that is generated from an innovation. AIM organizes a series
of sessions along with experts, in partnership with CIPAM, DPIT, Govt. of India to raise awareness on different
types of intellectual property and teach students and teachers the process of protecting their IP.
3. National Technology Day Celebration (11th May)
National Technology Day is celebrated on May 11th every year to mark India’s technological advancements
and entrepreneurial spirit.
This day serves as reminder of India’s technological achievements over the years and inspires children to
embrace science and technology.
On this day, AIM organizes a series of live sessions along with experts to attract children to science and
technology, and create awareness on the latest technological developments in India and across the globe.
4. ATL Tinkerfest (May - July)
Tinkering in schools is now becoming a nationwide movement and the ATL Tinkerfest allows children to unleash
the entrepreneur within during their summer vacation. Students are encouraged to keep their boredom aside
this summer break, and prove it to their family and to the world, that they can become a Student-preneur
or a Student-maker while being at home. A wide range of skills nurturing entrepreneurship, creativity and
innovation are inculcated during the festival, benefitting the ATL students in their pursuit for excellence.
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The details for organizing the ATL Tinkerfest can be downloaded here:
http://aim.gov.in/pdf/ATL_Tinkering_Festival.pdf
Spotlight Story #6: Tinkering to Save Lives

School: Paljor Namgyal Girls’ School, Sikkim
ATL Incharge: Ivan Lepcha
Supriya Sharma and Choden Tamang,

two young innovators of class 9th

from the Paljor Namgyal Girls’ School,
Sikkim were walking down the school
aisle, when they noticed an old room
getting renovated. They soon found
out from their teacher, Mr. Ivan
Lepcha, that a neoteric lab to be setup
soon – The Atal Tinkering Lab. Since
their first introduction to the ATL, the
young innovators started participating
in workshops and training sessions
organised in their ATL. As a part of
School of the Month Challenge, the
two tinkerers reached out to the
community to identify a problem statement. Through these interactions a clear challenge popped in
their curious minds - road safety in hilly terrains.
These two students from the ‘Tinker Club’ of their school leverage the ATL resources and tools
to devise a novel solution, a ‘sensor-based robotic accident prevention technology for hill-roads’.
Their innovation led them to win School of the Month Challenge. But this challenge was just the
beginning. They brought laurels to the school when their innovation was among the Top 5 Exhibits
showcased in Science and Technology for Harnessing Innovations (SAATHI) meet held during the
India International Science Festival (IISF) by Department of Biotechnology in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Furthermore, UNICEF recognized their story and their innovation when Choden was invited to speak
at the World Children’s Day student talk-series organised by UNICEF.
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5. ATL School of the Month
ATL School of the Month (SOM) is an opportunity for ATL schools to utilize the different resources and modules
provided by AIM, NITI Aayog, conduct various sessions and workshops aligned with tinkering and innovation,
and update all ATL activities on the ATL Dashboard.
Top schools which successfully and regularly update their ATL Dashboards are felicitated and featured on the
official AIM website and Social Media handles.
6. Gandhian Challenge (Launch Oct 2nd)
The year 2019 marked the 150th Birth anniversary of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi who was not
only a great leader and a social reformer but also an innovator par excellence whose creative and innovative
ideas are of relevance till today. On this day, AIM launched the Gandhian Challenge for children to come
together and innovate towards building a brighter World and a better future.
The goal of this challenge is to bring Gandhiji’s way of life to the students of our country. AIM encourages
students to read and understand the principles of Mahatma Gandhi to express their innovation.
7. Children’s Day Celebration (14th November)
Children’s Day is celebrated in India on 14th November every year to commemorate Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s
birth anniversary. This day is pure joy and celebration of a child’s innate curiosity and inquisitiveness.
Schools across India usually have a fun day planned for students on Children’s Day. Taking note of this national
celebration, AIM awards a special title to one boy and one girl from each ATL who are its most consistent,
engaged and enthusiastic tinkerers, who will be called as the ‘Top ATL Innovator of the year’.
8. ATL Marathon (Launch 14th November)
The ATL Marathon is a flagship nationwide contest, where the ATL students identify a community problem and
create an innovative solution for it. The ATL Marathon is designed to test students and hone their skills through
a grueling 6-month long challenge teaching them to work towards sustainable and mindful innovation.
This challenge is unique in its approach that it tries to replicate an innovator’s journey and gives students a
glimpse into the real problems faced by our country and how to create long-term, impactful solutions. ATL
Marathon’s core principles are Research – Ideate – Innovate – Implement.
The top students of the ATL Marathon are selected through multiple rounds of evaluation and awarded the
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AIM Student Innovator Programme (SIP) (See Student Programmes)
The summary of Top 30 innovations of ATL Marathon 2017 can be found here
https://aim.gov.in/pdf/top30final-low.pdf
The summary of Top 50 innovations of ATL Marathon 2018 can be found here
https://www.aim.gov.in/pdf/Coffee_Table_Book_Final.pdf

Fig 4.1 – Top 8 teams of ATL Marathon 2018 with the Hon’ble President of India
9. National Science Day Celebration (28th February)
With the aim to commemorate the scientific work done by Sir. C.V. Raman and his discovery of the Raman
effect, AIM, NITI Aayog along with the country celebrates 28th February as National Science Day. Nobel
Laureate, Sir C.V Raman was a world-renowned physicist whose work inspires both young and old till today.
To inspire students, introduce them to the world of STEM and research, AIM celebrates this day with children
51
by holding thought provoking interactive sessions with India’s young scientists. The goal is to open the world
of science, emphasize the role of research, and expose them to the life of a scientist in today’s world.
4.2 Mentor of Change (MoC) Initiative

Apart from the inter school activities as mentioned in the previous section, an important aspect of successful
implementation of ATL is the robust partnerships forged with different stakeholders including mentors, industry
professionals and alumni, in order to leverage their expertise towards guiding students on various innovation
related skills. Sustainable institutional frameworks that draw upon the capacity, resources, technical know-how
of different partners are key to ensure the success of the program. Moreover, since tinkering as a concept is still
new in our country, to advance the idea requires sustained handholding support from mentors from corporate
world, academia, institutes of higher education, government and so on. Given that ATL is non-prescriptive
by nature, mentors are expected to be enablers rather than instructors. Technical knowhow, innovation and
design, business and entrepreneurship are some of the areas of contribution from the mentors. Partners could
also help expand the technical horizons of the students by providing internship opportunities and organizing
other programmes, especially tailored for the ATL students.
Mentor Application and Selection
In order to be a part of the Mentor of Change program by AIM, an individual must apply for the same through
the AIM website once NITI Aayog/AIM announces the requirement for Mentors of Change. The link to the
application form can be found below:
http://aimapp2.aim.gov.in/mentor2020/mentor_register.php
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Further details of the program can be found in the Mentor Handbook below:
https://aim.gov.in/pdf/Mentors_of_India_27_January_2019.pdf
Spotlight Story #7: Mentor of Change
Mentor: Navaneethakrishnan Ramanathan

With Atal Innovation Mission NITI Aayog’s Mentor India program, which is a first of its kind national
initiative from the government of India, young and experienced professionals irrespective of their
age, professional-linguistic expertise, and socio-economic background, are contributing voluntarily
to transform the learning process in India.

Exemplary motivated professionals are engaged as ‘Mentor of Change’ to empower high school
children in Atal Tinkering Labs, with the skills of the 21st century. Navaneethakrishnan Ramanathan’s
journey as a Mentor of Change is one that acts as a guiding light for many. Mr. Ramanathan was
appointed as a MoC for Kamlavati Senior Secondary School, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. His mentoring
mantra ‘the more you teach, the more you learn’ motivated him to travel to the school located 400
KMs away, regularly. In his own words, “As an academician, it was the love for teaching that made
me partner with AIM as a Mentor of Change, however, it was the passion shown my students that
made me visit the ATL located 400 KMs away again and again. The imagination and curiosity that
you see in the eyes of these students is what sparks my energy. There have been times when their
questions have kept me up at night and given me the opportunity to learn something new”.
Under his mentorship, the students of Kamlavati School have gotten the opportunity to participate
in national and international competitions such as IEEE 2019, where they bagged the third prize.
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4.3 Engaging the nearby community and non-ATL schools

In the previous sections we have seen how various ATL activities as well as the mentors of change are keeping
the ATL students and in-charges engaged and inspired. There is however another crucial element of this
equation that needs to be integrated in the ATL family - The community. Community plays an important
role in the successful implementation of the ATL as the local hub of innovation. Parents, students from the
community, non-government organizations (NGOs), volunteers, government bodies can make a significant
contribution towards providing support and creating awareness about the ATL innovation activities. Combined
efforts would determine how the ATL is able to reach its true potential and a few recommendations include
the following:
1. Orientation sessions for parents and students outside ATL school: The orientation sessions could be
extended to the parents, as they are important stakeholders in nurturing the innovation mindset of the
students by providing them with the support needed. Further, students from the community could also be
involved in these sessions to expose them to tinkering, while increasing the reach of ATL in the student
community.
2. Collaboration with local NGOs, community centers, volunteers to reach out to the extended
community: The ATL-in-charge could collaborate with local NGOs and other support groups to take the
ATL message further in the community. This will not only help to increase awareness, but also involve more
students from the community in ATL activities.
3. Seeking assistance from local government bodies to identify meritorious students: Local government
bodies can help the ATL school to identify meritorious students of the community with proven innovation
potential, who could be involved in the ATL activities. A special timetable to accommodate such students
and other students from the community could also be designed.
4.4 Quality Measurement of ATL

The previous sections have taken you through the journey to transform an ATL into a hub of innovation with
the help of activities and constant support from AIM, mentors and the community. However, for the successful
implementation of any new initiative, good governance and regular monitoring are of paramount importance
and form essential components of the program.
Therefore, all ATLs shall be evaluated on a monthly and yearly basis, using external evaluations as well as
internal portals such as MyATL Dashboard supplemented with on-site visits.
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Spotlight Story #8: Successful Integration of Community with ATL
Name of School: Government Model Senior Secondary School, Chauntra
State & District: Chauntra, Himachal Pardesh
ATL-in-Charge: Mr. Sandeep Verma

“When the ATL was established in Government Model Sr. Sec. School, Chauntra, integration of ATL
with the community was a natural ‘next step’ after setting up the ATL and introducing the school
students to the concept of ATL. I say that it was a natural next step because it is only through
community integration that the experience and idea sharing process can be initiated.”
Since its inception, ATL Chantra has been open to all the schools in Himachal Pradesh with the single
goal of propagating the spirit of innovation in their state. This lead to the formation of Mind Grind
: Team ATL Chauntra. Mr. Sandeep’s ideology behind community integration showed its true result

when two students, Ritika from Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School, Chauntra and Rashmi from Govt. Model

School, Ghatta, came together to conceptualize and envisage ‘The Smart Medicine Box’- a novel 3D
printed full scale innovation that allows systematic and periodic dosage of medicines to patients.
External Evaluation
In September 2019, 285 ATLs among the 1107 operational ATLs underwent a quantitative assessment by
Quality Council of India (QCI) and a review by Economic Advisory Committee of Prime Minister (EAC-PM). Both
parties assessed the performance of an ATL with multiple objective parameters.
55
The assessment resulted in highlighting the various best practices being followed in schools as well as the
challenges faced by some ATLs. It gave a macroscopic view of the ATLs across India and enabled AIM to
understand the program’s successes as well as take the required course-corrective measures to address the
challenges faced by some schools.
Internal Portal - MyATL Dashboard
Schools need to compulsorily submit monthly reports on the Dashboard that helps AIM recognize each school’s
present engagement in ATL, participation in regional, national or international events & competitions and
achievements and determine the suitability of the ATL for the next tranche of grant disbursement.
Link to ATL Dashboard - https://aim.gov.in/atl/
A step by step video will guide you in the process of filling monthly reports on the MyATL Dashboard.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=7VqU-HJwj2w&feature=youtu.be
4.5 Collaborations & Partnerships for an Impactful ATL

In the previous sections we had established the importance of involving different partners or stakeholders like
Mentors of Change and the community to ensure successful implementation of ATL.
To take this forward, AIM has worked on forging robust partnerships with the industry and academia in
order to leverage their expertise towards guiding students on various innovation related skills. Sustainable
institutional frameworks that draw upon the capacity, resources, technical know-how these partners will be
key to ensure the success of the program.
Partners help in expanding the technical horizon of the students by providing internship opportunities, guidance
with their innovations as well as working with AIM to create student friendly technology modules such as
Artificial intelligence, Drones, Gaming, Space, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and so on. These modules can be
56
found by clicking on the link given below.
http://aim.gov.in/resources-for-atl-incharge.php
4.6 ATL Adoption

Beyond the support that could be provided by external partners as described above, a few schools might need
additional handholding. This is where institutional partners could make a major contribution through ATL
adoption, especially in the case of government schools or schools located in second/third tier cities and rural
areas, with lower access to improved infrastructure which could affect the quality of implementation of the
ATL initiative.
AIM has established clear guidelines for ATL adoption, which could be implemented by any organization

intending to make this meaningful contribution.

The primary responsibility of partners adopting ATL schools shall include:
• Assigning a Resource Person (RP) to manage ATL related activities in school, support the ATL in-charge
and ensure successful implementation of the ATL initiative in the school. The RPs should facilitate ‘Unbox
Tinkering’ programs (See Identifying Resources and Building Capacity), student workshops and boot-camps,
in partnership with the ATL-in-charge. They should also conduct community outreach sessions to increase
awareness about the ATL.
• Providing a continuous pool of volunteers who would take mentoring sessions for ATL students and
teachers, which will eventually lead to creation of technology innovations.
The secondary responsibility of partners shall include:
• Conducting events/competitions/exhibitions for their adopted ATL while encouraging ATL students to
participate in various innovation events/ competitions, challenges.
• Organising workshops: Workshops on different themes for ATL students could be organized, for students
to better understand aspects of innovation.
• Mentoring: Partners could conduct mentoring programs during which experienced professionals could
57
spend time with the young innovators, helping and advising them on taking their innovative ideas forward.
• Training sessions: Partners could organize the ‘Unbox Tinkering’ Program (See Identifying Resources and
Building Capacity) in different ATL schools, to educate the ATL-in-charges on the ATL mission and impart
hands-on learning on the different equipment that the lab shall house.
SUMMARY
This chapter highlighted the importance of continuous engagement with different

stakeholders of the ATL family – students, in-charges, mentors, parents and the larger
community to successfully work together and achieve the goal of ATL. It touched
upon the various ATL activities conducted throughout the year and the importance
of the large network of mentors that work with ATL to guide students and teachers.
It also gave an overview of how AIM is engaging with the industry and academia
for nurture the ATL initiative.
58
Genesis of Atal
CHAPTER5
Celebrate
Tinkering and Innovation
59
60
INTRO
This chapter will engage readers by describing the final phase of the ATL
framework – Celebrate. It elaborates on a very important aspect of any
program – recognition and celebration. For a program molding the thinking of
a child from a young age, the chapter illustrates the need for highlighting the
achievements of a young tinkerer who is learning how to think like an innovator,
empathize with fellow citizens while overcoming his/her fear of failure with
persistence.
It is said that for good ideas and true innovation, you need to have human interaction, thought exchange,
debate and recognition. AIM, NITI Aayog embarked on a journey to create a vibrant hands-on learning
environment for students across the country and equip them with 21st century skills through ATL.
In this journey, AIM seeks to not only celebrate the ‘eureka’ moments of the hard-working young student
innovators but also celebrate the victory of the unsung heroes such as teachers, mentors, parents and
community members who have contributed to their success.
5.1 ATL Wall of Fame

AIM, NITI Aayog initiated the ATL Wall of fame (aim.gov.in), a recognition platform for the students, teachers
and mentors by celebrating and recognizing them along with providing exiting rewards & opportunities.
Celebrate Tinkering
5.2 Recognition
and Innovation
1. Exemplary Teachers of Change
To share and celebrate the exceptional work done by the ATL in-charges and to give them recognition for their
efforts a ‘Exemplary Teachers of Change’ book is published twice a year. This book has inspiring quotes and
messages from top performing ATL in-charges to serve as an inspiration for others across India.
https://aim.gov.in/pdf/ATL_Teacher_of_
change_book.pdf
61
Celebrate Tinkering and Innovation
2. Gems of Mentor India
To share and celebrate the exceptional work done by the Mentors of Change and to give them recognition for
their efforts a ‘Gems of mentor India’ is published twice a year. This book has details of the top performing
RMoCs and EMoCs and their mentoring stories.
https://www.aim.gov.in/pdf/Gems_of_men-
tor_india.pdf
3. ATLs of the month
Schools and ATL In-charges have to take on the additional responsibilities over and above their regular school
hours and subjects to engage students, allow them tinker freely, learn new technologies themselves and adopt
a new teaching pedagogy. To recognize their effort and engagement with ATL via the MyATL Dashboard, AIM
announces the list of ATLs of the Month from each state of India. Through this initiative, AIM also wishes to
emphasize the importance of regularly and accurately filling the MyATL Dashboard (See MyATL Dashboard
under Quality Measurement of ATL) which is the primary source for AIM to know the best practices being
followed across ATLs in India and their level of engagement and activity.
The list of schools is announced on the 7th of every month on AIM’s website and social media.
4. Top Mentors of the Month
The Top Mentors for each month are identified based on the mentoring session reports that mentors submit
on the Innonet portal. AIM recognizes Top MoCs on a monthly basis, and the list is broadcasted on AIM social
media channels.
62
Spotlight Story #9: Leveraging Social Media to Drive Innovation
AIM has optimally leveraged the collaborative power and wider reach of social media platforms
like Facebook and Twitter to drive and foster innovation. AIM encourages all ATL schools to
create a Facebook page for their ATL and share various ATL activities on the forum. Schools are
advised to tag ‘Atal Innovation Mission’ and ‘NITI Aayog’ in all their posts and use the hashtag
- #AIMtoInnovate.
Various schools such as Hansraj Model School, Kulachi, Doon Public School, New Delhi
and St. Paul’s School, Hubli leverage their social media pages to share vital information
with the community such as participation in competitions, sessions with mentors, awards
etc.
Celebrate Tinkering
and Innovation
5.3 Celebration
1. Social media stories
AIM, NITI Aayog encourages all students, teachers and mentors to post their innovation stories on social media
platforms, which are then shared by AIM, NITI Aayog. These stories not only help in sharing the contribution of
ATL towards changing the innovation mindset of the country, but also serve as incentives for our stakeholders
for their commitment towards this national mission.
63
5.4 Opportunity
1. Mentor India Round Table
Every six months, NITI Aayog organizes a Mentor India Round Table with CEO, NITI Aayog to honour the work
done by Exemplary Mentors of Change (EMoC). The objective of the Round Table is to recognize the efforts of
Mentors in building an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in India and to discuss challenges faced
by the Mentors on ground.
2. Student Innovator Program (SIP)
The AIM Student Innovator Program (SIP) is an initiative to build confidence in young innovators to pursue the
dream of becoming a student-entrepreneur. The SIP exposes a student to world-class Incubators, experienced
and excited mentors, technical resources, research, IPR and business skills. The SIP partners, mentor ingenious
ATL students to take their innovation to a minimum viable product (MVP) and train them on various aspects
of business and entrepreneurial skills. The program is a combination of Research-based and Project-based
learning and is offered to the top teams of ATL Marathon, every year.
Further details of the program can be found on the link below:
https://aim.gov.in/pdf/ATL_SIP_Brochure.pdf
64
Fig 5.1 – Students participating in SIP program
3. Student Entrepreneurship Program (SEP)
AIM has designed the Student Entrepreneurship Program (SEP), an effort to institutionalize a mechanism where
top teams of the SIP (one from each focus area) can work with the corporate and industrial partners and receive
further mentorship, funding for IPR, product design, and product deployment in market in collaboration with
AIM’s Corporate Partners.
Celebrate Tinkering
and Innovation
Fig 5.2 – Students participating in SEP program
65
4. AIM-SIRIUS Innovation Exchange Program
The AIM-SIRIUS Innovation Boot-camp is a first of its kind initiative, where high school students across two
different countries of India and Russia came together to innovate and identify solutions for global challenges.
This is the beginning of a new era for India and Russia’s bilateral relations, and an opportunity to create an
innovation exchange bridge for our youth, to equip them with globally relevant skills.
The boot-camp emphasizes on Research Based Learning (RBL) where several eminent researchers, scientists
and academicians from reputed institutes with experience spanning decades in the domain, mentor students
during the boot-camp.
Fig 5.3 - AIM-SIRIUS Student Innovators with Hon’ble Prime Minister of India,
Shri Narendra Modi and Hon’ble President of Russia, Mr. Vladimir Putin
Fig 5.4 - Student Innovators from India and Russia with Hon’ble President of Russia, Mr. Vladimir Putin
66
On the sidelines of the four-day bootcamp in 2018, AIM and Russia’s SIRIUS Educational Centre inked a
Statement of Intent, as part of which Russian and Indian students from ATL schools shall be selected for
exchange programs, annually. A video capturing the journey of the AIM-SIRIUS Innovation Festival can be
viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-
DEl5f-g5qo
5. ATL Student internships
The internship program is focused on enhancing the skills of the students via various innovative activities like
design thinking, developing prototypes and solutions for community issues.
During the course of this grueling and exciting internship, students learn about various technical skills such
as semiconductor technology and architecture, software programming, AI, Internet of Things, Cyber Security,
User interface and experience design and Blockchain.
Celebrate Tinkering
and Innovation
Fig 5.5 - ATL Student Internship Felicitation at IBM, Bengaluru
67
6. Participation and recognition at national and international challenges
The ATL schools that are performing exceptionally well, and winning some of the AIM, NITI Aayog organized
challenges, are provided several opportunities to participate in external innovation related events and
exhibitions. Some of the notable examples include World Robot Olympiad, Nobel Prize Series, India International
Science Festival, Vibrant Gujarat summit, Makerfaire, TEKLA Sweden and several others.
Spotlight Story #10: Participating in Asia’s Largest Robotics

Competition, IRC Open league
School: Venkateshwar Global School, New Delhi
ATL-in-charge: Mrs. Puja Shah Dahiya
At ATLs across the country, young innovators get the opportunity to try new technologies such as
Drone Technology and Robotics. A team of four students of Venkateshwar Global School (Nischal
Wadhwa, Utkarsh Agarwal, Krrish Yadav and Samarth Bhutani), New Delhi, recently participated in
Asia’s Largest Robotics competition, IRC Open League and secured the first position. The students
designed two robots: manual and automated. The manual robot can quickly move an object or a
number of objects either by grabbing or dragging from one place to another. The compact autonomous
robot can follow a black line, place blocks in the drop area and stop at the required location. Similarly,
a team of two students, Pranav Bharadwaj and Navnoor Singh, participated in ‘Synergy’, a national
drone competition organised
by SGD University and won
Rs. 10,000 cash prize.
The ATL incharge noted, “Atal

Tinkering Lab has helped us
foster innovation in young
students. Our students had
read about such technologies
but it was the hands-on
learning experience that
helped them think out of the
box.”
68
Spotlight Story #11: ATL School of the Month selected for India
International Science Festival
School: Excel Public School, Mysuru
ATL-in-charge: Mrs. Lekha Nair S
Excel Public School has been winning laurels by being actively involved in the various initiatives
of AIM. The school was awarded ATL School of the Month twice in the last six months. Eighteen
students and two teachers from Excel Public School’s ATL were recently invited to be a part of India
International Science Festival. The aim is to engage the public with Science and show the ways how
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) provide us with the solutions to improve
our lives.
Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences in association with Vijnana
Bharati (VIBHA), has created a unique platform of India International Science Festival which intends
to inspire curiosity and make learning more rewarding.
As part of their preparation to attend this annual event, the selected students visited the Koorgalli
Gram Panchayat and interacted with the officials to understand the immediate needs and the
development programmes for the village, as this Fest is also linked to the Pradhan Mantri Sansad
Adarsh Gram Yojana.
Celebrate Tinkering
and Innovation
69
SUMMARY
This chapter highlighted the importance of recognition and celebration of each

stakeholder that is driving the innovation journey in their community. It enlisted
the various platforms created by AIM to celebrate the young tinkerers, their ATL
in-charges as well as the mentors who are working diligently to realize the vision
of AIM.
70
71
Conclusion
CHAPTER
6
Genesis of Atal
72
The ATL program design and implementation follows a plug and play approach and includes standard
guidelines, curriculum, training tools, standard operating procedures (SOP) and is supported by a robust IT
system and several partnerships. It enables the creation of a culture of innovation and a vibrant collaborative
ecosystem within the school community, through celebration and recognition of innovative students, teachers,
mentors, parents and other stakeholders.
Adopting a long-term outcome-based approach is important for any programmatic intervention to create a
substantial impact on ground. Since ATL is a national initiative, it is necessary that the overall outcomes are
continuously monitored and corrective measures are taken as and when needed.
The below Fig 6.1 highlights the inputs or resources deployed towards ATL from AIM to produce a measurable
output which leads to a change or outcome that was generated because of the program and eventually creates
a long-term and indirect impact.
Conclusion
Fig 6.1 – Illustration of Input, Output, Outcome, Impact framework for the ATL program
73
Conclusion
ATLs in the last 3 years have created an environment for young students to think freely, innovate and be the
problem solvers for their community. The transformation of mindsets, of teaching pedagogy, of learning and
doing as a whole within ATLs is what AIM considers as the eventual impact that will be created by the ATL
program.
Going forward, there is a need to continuously assess and review the efficacy of the program to:
1. Understand the quality and functional performance metrics of operational ATLs
2. Compare various subjective and objective parameters of the school, students and ecosystem, prior and post
establishment of ATL.
3. Improve understanding of the impact of ATL by studying short term and long-term metrics
4. Track and understand the education and career journey of ATL students
5. Track the change in mindset of ATL in-charges and teachers working in ATL schools.
6. Understand the impact on community post the introduction of the ATL program
To truly incorporate innovation within Education system of India, it is imperative to also parallelly develop an
ecosystem of industry – academia linkage to foster relevant public-private engagements to ensure sustainability
and dedicate resources to build a network of highly motivated and passionate teachers & mentors.
AIM, NITI Aayog and the Government of India will continue to work with dedication and vigor towards
ensuring the success of the first of its kind initiative to nurture innovation within the children of India – The
Atal Tinkering Labs.
74
LIST OF AIM PARTNERS
75
LIST OF ATAL INCUBATION CENTRES
76
77
Genesis of Atal
78
79
Genesis of Atal
80

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1

The Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook

Atal Innovation Mission

AIC Atal Incubation Centre

ARISE Atal Research and Innovation in Small Enterprises

ANIC Atal New India Challenges

ACIC Atal Community Innovation Centre

MoC Mentor of Change

PFMS Public Finance Management System

MoA Memorandum of Agreement

AAB ATL Advisory Body

GeM Government e-Marketplace

ATM Atal Tinkering Marathon

TTT Teachers Training Program

CSR Corporate Social Responsibilities

MSME Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

RMoC Regional Mentor of Change

EMoC Exemplary Mentor of Change

ToC Teacher of Change

SEP Student Entrepreneurship Program

PMO Prime Minister’s Office

SoM School of the Month

1.1 NITI Aayog

The prime responsibilities of the NITI Aayog are:

Composition of NITI Aayog

1.2 Atal Innovation Mission

1.3 Atal Tinkering Labs

Significance of ATL for India

A video explaining the relevance of Tinkering can be viewed here:

The broad vision of the ATL program includes the following:

ATL Program Design & Framework (Select – Establish – Enable – Celebrate)

Spotlight Story #1: ATLs in Lonesome Corners

Robust System Driven Two Way Communication

SELECT ENABLE ESTABLISH CELEBRATE

Fig 1.2 – Framework of ATL program

2.1 Digital Application and Challenge Based Selection

Refer the ATL Guidelines Document for details:

This chapter highlighted how schools commence their ATL innovation

3.1 ATL Standard Operating Procedure

Establish the Atal

Designing the ATL space

Spotlight Story #2: ‘Un-box Tinkering’

Partner: Intel & IBM

Establish the Atal

3.3 ATL Curriculum

Pre-Tinker Tinker Club

Establish the Atal

Tinker lab Post

Fig 3.2 – Illustration of four levels of Tinkering

Mon Class 6th Class 12th

Tue Teacher Sessions Class 9th

Wed Class 8th Community Sessions

Thu Class 10th

Fri Class 7th Class 11th

Fig 3.3 - Sample ATL schedule

Spotlight Story #4: Integration of ATL with school curriculum

ATL-in-charge: U. Vinay Babu Ulli

Establish the Atal

3.4 Communication channels between ATLs and AIM