A session titled “MIC Programmes and Schemes with Dr. Abhay Jere” was organised online on 23rd October, 2024 at 2 p.m. The guest speaker was Dr. Abhay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India. 41 students and 3 faculty members attended the session. During the session the speaker emphasized the need for the Institution Innovation Council (IIC) at technical institutions to transform into problem-solving hubs not only for India but also for the global community.
He stressed the importance of raising awareness about Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and organizing idea challenges and design thinking workshops to nurture student creativity. The speaker pointed out that, despite over 1 crore students enrolled in institutions, only 6,000 startups have emerged globally, indicating the need for better entrepreneurial outcomes. He encouraged students to participate actively in the Smart India Hackathon (SIH), including the upcoming SIH 2024, to develop practical solutions for pressing problems. He also highlighted the Yukti Portal, which has received over 1 lakh innovative ideas, urging students to focus on projects at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 for meaningful advancements. The guest speaker mentioned that, in the previous year, 130 innovations were funded under the Yukti Innovation Challenge. He emphasized the importance of the newly established Indovation Centres across the country, which offer support for technology transfer, and urged institutions to leverage these centres to strengthen their IIC activities. Additionally, he discussed the Kapila Portal, which offers reimbursement for government charges related to IP filing, encouraging students and institutions to protect and promote their innovations through proper intellectual property management. Through these efforts, the speaker called for a more robust and dynamic innovation ecosystem within institutions.
