DIMAPUR: The Department of School Education, Government of Nagaland, in collaboration with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, concluded a two-day engagement under the AIM 2.0 Frontier Region Programme at De Oriental, Kohima. The programme featured a State-level consultation in Kohima on September 16 and visits to two Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) on September 17. The initiative was supported by “Lend A Hand India” as the implementation partner.
In a press release issued by Department of School Education (DoSE) stated that the consultation brought together over 70 participants from government departments, schools, higher and technical institutions, industry, start-ups, incubation centres and civil society organisations.
The session was chaired by State Mission Director, Samagra Shiksha, Nagaland, L. Jamithung Lotha, who urged participants to provide practical inputs tailored to the State’s needs. Innovation Lead, AIM, Shubham Gupta presented the objectives of the Frontier Region Programme.
Commissioner and Secretary, Department of School Education and SCERT, Asangla Imti, delivered the keynote, stressing curiosity, problem-solving and connecting traditional knowledge in agriculture, bamboo, crafts and community life with modern scientific tools.
Program Director AIM, Prateek Deshmukh, outlined AIM’s vision for strengthening innovation in frontier regions.
Additional Secretary, Finance and IDAN, Vineet Kumar, highlighted credit-linkage awareness and the Chief Minister’s Micro Finance Initiative (CMMFI) supporting young entrepreneurs.
Lend A Hand India representatives showcased their work in skill-based education and ATL support nationwide. Discussions focused on infrastructure, teacher capacity, mentorship, internships and pathways for student innovators to progress from school-level tinkering to incubation centres. Suggestions included forming a technical consortium, strengthening mentorship networks, and organising a Nagaland Innovation Hackathon.
Innovative student projects were displayed, including: a multipurpose agricultural tool by Loyola Higher Secondary School, Jakhama; a smart-home system by PM SHRI Government High School, Kiruphema.
In his closing remarks, Principal Director, Directorate of School Education, Shashank Pratap Singh, urged participants to focus innovation on local challenges such as agriculture and disaster management and to integrate practical activities with curriculum and pedagogy.
On September 17, the AIM NITI Aayog team visited ATLs at PM SHRI Government High School, Kiruphema, Kohima and Hollotoli School, Dimapur. The visits aimed to assess lab functioning, interact with school leaders and students and gather feedback on implementation, equipment, mentoring and participation.
The programme seeks to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship in border, remote and aspirational regions. Nationally, 2,500 new ATLs were proposed. For Nagaland, 93 additional ATLs and two Atal Incubation Centres are under consultation, with inputs from the State engagement shaping a locally relevant approach.
