Mentor India Campaign - Objectives, Responsibilities And Impact

The Mentor India program is a voluntary national movement. It is being led by AIM, wherein skilled professionals provide pro-bono mentoring to young ATL innovators, with a strong sentiment towards nation-building. These capable volunteers, known as the "Mentors of Change," spend time on-site with ATL students, the nation's future innovators, to help them experience, learn, and put 21st-century skills like human-centred design, computational thinking, physical computing, etc., to use. ATLs are, by design, non-prescriptive, and mentors are supposed to be facilitators rather than teachers. They contribute significantly to creating a new India that leads the world in innovation and technology and works with a mission to give back to the nation.

In this article, we will learn in detail about the Mentor India campaign, its objectives, focus areas, rules, and responsibilities of a mentor under the Mentor India Program. 

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What is the Mentor India Campaign?

The Mentor India Campaign is an Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) strategic nation-building programme to provide free professional mentorship to young Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) innovators at more than 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs across India. The Mentor India Campaign is especially focused on utilising the adult tinkering Labs to the maximum possible extent.

Objectives of Mentor India Campaign

The primary objectives of the Mentor India Campaign are

• To utilize the maximum potential of Atal Tinkering Labs through the Mentors of Change.
• To bring skilled volunteers who can dedicate at least 1-2 hours per week to help students learn innovative skills.
• To make students aware of India's unique problems and push them to develop innovative solutions for such problems.
• To develop an enabling ecosystem for students where mentors act as enablers, not instructors.

Roles, Responsibilities, and Targets for the Mentors

Following are the roles and responsibilities of a mentor under the Mentor India Campaign

• In-person or online mentoring for 1 to 2 hours at least once a week.
• Help the schools in conducting lab sessions after school hours.
•  Reviewing specific innovation projects and providing support.
• Reporting the activities on the Internet portal every month.
• Introducing the students to relevant extended networks or communities.
• To participate reasonably in social media forums organized by Atal Tinkering Labs.
• Supporting the school in reaching out to neighboring area communities.

Focus Areas for Mentors

In implementing the Mentor India Campaign, the following focus areas are kept in mind.

• To utilize the available equipment to build products in various fields, including the Internet of things, 3D printing robotics and many more.
• Focusing on problem-solving aspects, including design thinking.
• Design and innovation.
• Inoculating design-based thinking at a full stop in students' still innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
• To adopt a solution-oriented approach.
• Instill confidence and inspiration among students.
• To Inoculate leadership skills, self-motivation, and reflection of oneself.
• Breaking stereotypes and driving behavioral change.
• Encouraging students to form a sustainable and successful enterprise by creating a business model.

Source: aim.gov.in

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The impact created

The impact created due to the Mentor India campaign can be assessed based on the following points:

• 5800+ mentors onboard
• 479+ cities with mentors.
• 4900+ schools with mentors.
• 5100+ participants in knowledge hub sessions.
• 5000+ sessions conducted for mentors.
• 50+ events conducted for mentors.

Atal Tinkering Labs

NITI Aayog, under the Atal Innovation Mission, established Atal Tinkering Labs in schools all over India.

• The vision of Atal Tinkering Labs is to ‘cultivate 1 million children in India as Neoteric Innovators.
• Atal Tinkering Lab is a workshop aiming to foster innovative ideas and thinking in school children's minds.
• This is done through various modules under which school children get a chance to work with various tools and equipment to help them understand their concepts and work practically.

Objectives 

• To help build innovative solutions for the unique problems of India.
• To enable our youth to learn the 21st-century skill set.
• To create workspaces where the young Minds of India can learn innovative skills and ideas in a Flexi environment.

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Mentor India Campaign: Facts and Figures for UPSC

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Concluding Remarks

The Mentor India Campaign for Atal Tinkering Labs will be the backbone of India's innovation and skill development programs. The Mentor India Campaign has received an overwhelming response from skilled leaders around India. A network of more than 10000 Atal tinkering labs has been set up across India. If implemented properly, India will be the powerhouse of innovation and technological development worldwide.

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