LG Sinha Hails PM’s Support as Jammu Kashmir Gets Rs 100 Crore for New Tinkering Labs

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving 500 additional Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) for Jammu and Kashmir at a cost of Rs 100 crore under the Frontier Region Programme. He said the move would strengthen innovation and skill development at the school level, particularly in remote and tribal areas.

Sinha was speaking at the launch ceremony of ATL Sarthi at the University of Kashmir, where he hailed the initiative as a major step in linking every ATL to a larger ecosystem of guidance and mentorship. The university will serve as a nodal institution for ATL Sarthi in collaboration with NITI Aayog, focusing on teacher capacity building, student mentorship, and developing prototypes into market-ready products.

“The Atal Tinkering Lab is a fitting tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. These labs are empowering our young students, nurturing curiosity, and imparting future-ready skills,” Sinha said.

The Lieutenant Governor underlined that districts such as Jammu, Udhampur, Rajouri, Kulgam, Shopian, and Srinagar are already witnessing a surge in student-led innovation through ATLs. He emphasised that the expansion of these labs would give youth greater opportunities to address local challenges in agriculture, handicrafts, tourism, and disaster management.

Highlighting broader policy support, Sinha pointed to the Rs 1 lakh crore fund announced by the Government of India for research, development, and innovation over six years, which he said is accelerating progress in priority areas such as climate action, energy security, and advanced technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

He urged the University of Kashmir to intensify its focus on skill development and ATL teacher training while encouraging students to pursue creativity and innovation. On the sidelines of the event, Sinha interacted with ATL students, visited stalls showcasing their projects, and released a coffee table book highlighting successful innovations from J&K.

The event was also attended by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Atal Innovation Mission Director Deepak Bagla, Vice Chancellor of the University of Kashmir Prof Nilofer Khan, and other senior officials, teachers, and students.