HRD Ministry launches ARIIA and MHRD Innovation Cell (MIC) to promote innovation

New Delhi, Sept 1 (KNN) In a bid to encourage innovation and research, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar this week launched the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) and the MHRD Innovation Cell (MIC).

Announcing the launch of ARIIA, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said “named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the ARRIA will rank educational institutions for innovation output based on all major indicators and parameters used globally.”

“India lacks innovation. It is a challenge for us to innovate; innovation will make our country prosper. New thinking must be encouraged and every college must have an innovation cell”, he added.

Each institution will be ranked on criteria such as the amount of investment on innovation, facilities for entrepreneurship, technology transfer, patenting, innovation in teaching-learning and governance.

Speaking on the occasion, Higher Education Secretary, R. Subrahmanyam said that the ARIIA will be effective in encourage institutions to create an environment for innovation to provide solutions to problems.

“Innovation is about how you use the existing knowledge to solve problems. Research is to create new knowledge”, he added.