Tiruppur: The Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) initiative of the NITI Aayog, aimed at fostering innovation and research skills among school students, is being actively implemented across Tamil Nadu, with 79 schools in Tiruppur district and 118 schools in Coimbatore district hosting such labs.

The ATL scheme, launched by the Central Government, is currently functional in over 10,000 schools across the country. In Tamil Nadu, more than 1,800 schools have been approved under the scheme.

These labs are designed to provide hands-on experience in emerging technologies such as 3D printing, robotics, drone technology, and computer innovations, targeting students from Class VI to Class XII.

“This is a visionary initiative by the Central Government to nurture scientific temper and research abilities in students from a young age,” said Jaiprakash, Advisor for Atal Tinkering Labs in Tamil Nadu. “We are implementing this successfully across the state and are actively working to increase awareness about the programme.”

He added that more focus would be given to expanding ATL coverage in schools from the upcoming academic year.