AIM, NITI Aayog, AWS announced new initiatives to boost innovation

The NITI Aayog Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Centre(CIC) emphasises using digital innovation to solve societal problems. The CIC curriculum, which was co-created with Amazon Web Services (AWS), allows nonprofits, educational institutions, empowering school students and government entities to collaborate with other public organisations on their most challenging issues, innovate and test new ideas, and take advantage of AWS’s technology expertise. The CIC has a fundamental mission to use cutting-edge technology to foster continuous innovation in the delivery of citizen services and build innovative education technology for future innovation and entrepreneurship. All state Chief Ministers and the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Puducherry, Deputy Governors of all UTs, and a vice-chairman appointed by the prime minister make up the NITI Aayog council. 

NITI Aayog:

On January 1, 2015, the NITI Aayog was established. The term “NITI” denotes “ethics,” “activity,” “direction,” and other things in Sanskrit. However, it now refers to policy, and NITI stands for “National Institution for Transforming India.” It is the country’s most powerful legislative body to boost its economic growth and build innovative education technology. Its focus is to create a centralised government that will aid in the development of a vibrant and powerful country.

The key features of NITI Aayog:  The CIC provides the resources, expertise, and skills needed to drive innovation. The mission will support agriculture, health, skill development, and employment. To address major social concerns, it will select and prioritise initiatives and empower school students with government departments, including subject matter experts.

The Frontier Technologies CIC will be able to use any AWS service, including fully-featured services of computing, storage, databases, networking, analytics, robotics, ai and machine learning (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), portable, device internet security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), mainstream press, software development, cloud computing skills, implementation, and management, thanks to this collaboration. The 7 pillars of successful government that NITI Aayog is built on are: 

  (1) Pro-People (2) Pro-Activity (3) Participation (4) Empowering (5) Inclusion of everyone (6) Equality (7) Transparency.

  Steps under NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog(CIC) takes several steps for different sectors. 

• Innovators: CIC is a platform for the conception, creativity, co-creation, design, testing, and demonstration of cutting-edge innovation with social impact solutions.
• Industry: CIC provides a common platform for experienced industries to collaborate on mainstreaming solutions for many subject areas by brainstorming, contributing to best practices, and cooperating with new entrepreneurs.
• Institutions of the government and its allies: CIC provides a systematic platform for governments and affiliated organisations to explore ‘actionable’ ideas firsthand in a focused manner without contacting industry, research, or academia regularly. It also serves as a way for proof-of-concept and pilots that would otherwise need additional resources and administrative processes.
• Academia: NITI Aayog offers various tools for observing, learning, and experiencing technological solutions built or in the works. It will empower school students in creative ideas and research-oriented institutions to address persistent difficulties.
• The non-profit, donor, and multilateral organisations: NFPs, donors, and multilateral agencies may co-opt, tweak, and operationalise CIC’s basic architecture to cooperate and engage with the startup ecosystem to achieve their missions’ goals. It also contributes to achieving these organisations’ greater socio economic goals.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)

NITI Aayog was established in 2016 as the Government of India’s flagship project to encourage a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Towards this purpose, AIM has taken a comprehensive strategy to establish a problem-solving, inventive attitude in schools and develop an ecosystem of entrepreneurship in universities, research institutes, and private and MSME sectors. All AIM projects are systematically monitored and controlled, utilising real-time MIS systems and dynamic dashboards. Third-party agencies are currently reviewing AIM’s programmes to ensure ongoing development.

AIM has been running the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) programme for four years. ATL is a cutting-edge space set up in a school to foster curiosity and empower school students from grades 6 to 12 all across the country using 21st-century tools and technologies like the Internet of Things, 3D printing, rapid prototyping tools, cloud computing skills, robotics, miniaturised electronics, do-it-yourself kits, and more. The goal is to instil a problem-solving, inventive mentality in the youngsters of the ATL and surrounding regions. AIM has chosen 10,000 schools in 680+ districts across the country to create ATLs. Over 7000 schools have been sponsored, and over 2 million kids have access to ATLs.

AWS: 

The government of India’s policy think tank, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have launched the opening of a Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Centre (CIC). A CIC is a public-private collaboration that uses digital innovation to solve societal problems. AWS’s CIC programme allows NGOs, educational institutions, and government agencies to engage with other public sector groups on their most important concerns, experiment and test new ideas, and benefit from AWS’s technological expertise.

Conclusion

The NITI Aayog will work closely with the Ministries of the Central Government and State Governments in collaboration, consultation, and coordination. While it will give recommendations to the federal and state governments, it will be up to them to determine and implement the choices. People-centric, participatory, collaborative, transparent, and policy-driven governance is crucial for effective governance, which NITI Aayog would attempt to support and empower. It will give crucial strategic and directional guidance to the development process, emphasising deliverables and outcomes. The fundamental aim of NITI Aayog will be to be an incubator and disseminator of new thought and ideas for development.