Idea labs in engineering colleges aim to tap students’ talents: AICTE Chairman

Country has 7,000 institution innovation councils says AICTE chairman

Idea labs in engineering colleges aim to tap the talent of students said All India Council for Technical Education Chairman T.G. Sitharam in Chennai on Tuesday.

At idea labs, students get an opportunity to execute an idea they have. “There is a lot of talent in our rural institutions. We have to give hope to all these young people that if they do well they can achieve whatever they want. We should inculcate in our young people who are in the rural settings because there opportunities are less,” he said.

The Council had helped set up 7,000 institute innovation councils, all of them in rural institutions with the aim of providing students hands-on experience. The institutions are also encouraged to establish start ups.

“We are encouraging technology transfers and patent filing. Filing is important to us though awarding (of patent) is not in our control,” he explained, after inaugurating the idea lab at the Chennai Institute of Technology in Kunrathur.

The idea is to familiarise students with the emerging technology be it Internet of Things, 3D printing, chip making, electronic circuit sensors or chip making so that they are equipped to think about a problem and probably find a solution.

Such training would help the graduates overcome the fear of instruments when they enter the workplace, Mr. Sitharam said.

The lab offers the students hands on experience besides working with industry, said P. Sriram, institute chairman.