Atal Community Innovation Centre

Atal Community Innovation Centre or the ACIC is an initiative under the centre’s Atal Innovation Mission. This initiative was launched so that at the community level a spirit of innovation can be promoted.

Highlights

This initiative was launched with the purpose of making the innovation ecosystem socially inclusive as well as to ensure a fair distribution of the innovation infrastructure across the nation. The Atal Community Innovation Center was established to focus on the districts which are backward in and where the infrastructure for innovation is very weak. The new program is specifically designed for underserved regions of the Metro Cities or Tier 1, Tier 2 and the various Tier 3 Cities. Along with these the initiative will also focus on Emerging Districts, Smart Cities, the Northeast, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and all the tribal and rural regions of India.

Features of Atal Community Innovation Centre

• ACIC launched to support the community innovation initiative in the country.
• The program aims to promote the spirit of innovation through solution-oriented design thinking at the service of society.
• ACIC is configured in support from the PSUs, other agencies and also in PPP mode.
• Rs 2.5 crore is the maximum amount of the AIM grant that will be given provided that the ACIC guidelines are met and the grant is provided by the funding partners as well as the host institution.

Eligibility

Eligible academic applicants are the UGC and the colleges or universities which are affiliated with the AICTE. Educational institutions such as the ITI and other technical colleges are also eligible. Non-academic applicants are voluntary and other organizations with good skills and experience in raising awareness and promoting science and technology in the country are also eligible.

Benefits of Atal Community Innovation Centre

It will help provide solutions to India’s problems like pollution, import bills, high fossil fuel cost etc. as well as plays an important role in establishing India as an emerging nation led by innovation and technology and will improve India’s ranking in the global innovation index.