Jammu, Jun 19: The Directorate of School Education Jammu successfully organised the Innovation Mashal 2026 Ceremony and a one-day workshop on the establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) at J.P. World School, Channi Himmat, Jammu, with the objective of promoting innovation, creativity, scientific temper and entrepreneurship among school students across Jammu & Kashmir.
The programme was conducted in collaboration with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, New Delhi and the University of Kashmir, the Nodal Agency for ATL in Jammu & Kashmir. The event witnessed participation from Principals, Headmasters, Deputy Chief Education Officers, educational administrators and representatives from government as well as private schools from across the Union Territory.
The workshop was graced by Chief Education Officer Jammu Ajeet Sharma. Distinguished experts and resource persons including Shubham Gupta, Innovation Lead AIM NITI Aayog; Prof Dr Javid Ahmed Sheikh; Prof Dr Manzoor Ahmed; Muneer Ahmed Wani and Dr Zaid Mohammad Shah conducted technical sessions for the participants.
During the workshop, the experts provided detailed guidance regarding the establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, including eligibility criteria, application procedures, infrastructure requirements, funding support and implementation strategies. Participants were encouraged to apply for ATL establishment and create innovation-driven learning environments in their institutions.
A major highlight of the programme was the Innovation Mashal Ceremony, symbolising the collective commitment towards promoting innovation and scientific temper among students. During the ceremony, Divisional Nodal Officer ATL Jammu Division Dr Jagdish Raj Panotra formally received the Innovation Mashal from the Vice Chancellor of the University of Kashmir, signifying the launch and expansion of the campaign across Jammu Division.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Education Officer Jammu Ajeet Sharma emphasised that innovation laboratories play a pivotal role in enhancing critical thinking, creativity, scientific temperament and problem-solving abilities among students. He informed the participants that several innovative learning facilities, including Science Centres, vSTEM Labs, the Astrophysics Lab AAGAZ and Atal Tinkering Labs, have already been established across Jammu & Kashmir to promote experiential and technology-enabled learning. He urged all Heads of Institutions to ensure optimum utilisation of these facilities and promote resource sharing among schools within their respective clusters so that the benefits of these advanced educational resources reach a larger number of students.
