Five-day bootcamp begins at JNNCE in Shivamogga

Ashish Tripathi, regional coordinator for the Innovation Cell of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Ministry of Education, has said that innovative thinking and its effective implementation are essential for the development of society.

He spoke after inaugurating a five-day Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship (IDE) bootcamp organised at JNN College of Engineering in Shivamogga on Monday (April 6).

Mr. Tripathi opined that innovation is not an option but a necessity in a rapidly evolving world. “Innovations provide solutions to real-world problems, besides driving economic growth. Hence, it is extremely important to inculcate an entrepreneurial mindset among the youth right from the college level,” he said.

The bootcamp, he said, had been designed by the Union government with the objective of bridging the gap between innovative ideas and their practical implementation. “Such platforms will inspire students to move from a job-seeking mindset to job-creators by boosting their confidence,” he stated.

Nivedan Nempe, founder of Areca Tea Pvt. Ltd., called upon students to develop mental strength to handle challenges. “Opportunities are always greater when they come with problems. Have a strong belief in your abilities and ideas,” he said.

National Education Society secretary S.N. Nagaraj said that India must move from a service-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. “When we talk about innovation, we normally think of creating something entirely new. However, it does not always have to be completely new. Even small improvements in the existing system can be significant innovations,” he said.

AICTE has been organising bootcamps at 30 centres across the country. In Karnataka, two colleges, including JNNCE, have been selected for the programme. More than 200 students from different colleges are attending the programme, according to K.L. Arun Kumar, programme coordinator at JNNCE.

Y. Vijayakumar, principal of the college; S.V. Satyanarayana, dean (research); M.H. Moinuddin Khan, coordinator AICTE-JNNCE Idea Lab, VTU Belagavi; and others were present. The programme was jointly organised by AICTE in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Wadhwani Foundation and SBI Foundation.