NEW DELHI, 2 October 2019: Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, NITI Aayog (Atal Innovation Mission and Atal Tinkering Labs) and UNICEF India, launched ‘The Gandhian Challenge, for children across the country to ideate and develop innovative solutions for a sustainable India of their dreams, using Gandhi’s principles.
The winners of ‘The Gandhian Challenge’ will be awarded in New Delhi by NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and UNICEF on occasion of Children’s Day in November 2019. The contest – open for every child in India from 2 October to 20 October 2019 – also celebrates 70 years of partnership between Government of India and UNICEF India to enable ‘Every Right for Every Child.’
“Through this partnership, AIM and UNICEF recognize every child’s ability and right to voice their dreams for a world of their choice, following Gandhi ji’s principles. Our aim is support them to thrive as young innovators and entrepreneurs,” said Mr. R Ramanan, Mission Director AIM.
The problem statement for the Gandhian Challenge is: ’Share your innovative solutions/ideas to create a futuristic and sustainable world of your dreams, following Gandhiji’s principles.’
‘Encouraging meaningful participation of children is a core right of every child. It allows us to understand their point of view and envisage solutions through a child rights lens,” said Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, Representative UNICEF India. “Meaningful participation by children and young people and building their critical thinking skills is an essential part of Generation Unlimited[1],” she added.
Ideas and solutions to the Gandhian Challenge may be expressed through broad categories: Art & Innovation (Letters, poems, painting, videos and photos, among others) and Science, Technology & Innovation (Robotics, IoT, sensors and 3D printers, among others).
All applications must be submitted on the challenge page on https://innovate.mygov.in/the-gandhian-challenge/ which is the Government of India’s citizen engagement portal. All applications must have an Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) code. Children in schools without an ATL can obtain the ATL code by visiting or calling the nearest ATL school. The list of nearest ATL schools in every district can also be accessed on the challenge page mentioned above.
The most innovative, sustainable solutions/ideas will be showcased as a symbol of a larger movement by children taking root in every district of India. Children across India can access more than 8000 Atal Tinkering Labs across all districts to support their innovative ideas.
In ATLs, students of class 6th to 12th acquire a problem-solving attitude, develop innovative solutions leveraging technologies like 3D printers, robotics, miniaturised electronics, Internet Of Things (IOT) and programming and Do It Yourself (DIY) kits, with support from teachers and mentors.
