early times report
Mandi Gobindgarh, Nov 20: A two-day Capacity Building Workshop on Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship (IDE) commenced today at Desh Bhagat University (DBU), Mandi Gobindgarh. The programme is being jointly organized by the Department of School Education & Literacy, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Ministry of Education Innovation Cell (MIC), with support from the Wadhwani Foundation.
The programme aims to equip District Education Officers and DIET members with skills in innovation, creativity, design thinking, and entrepreneurship, in alignment with NEP 2020.
This Phase-3 workshop follows the national inauguration held on 30 October 2025 by AICTE Chairman Prof. T. G. Sitharam, Additional Secretary Shri Dheeraj Sahu, and AICTE Vice Chairman Dr. Abhay Jere. The nationwide rollout covers 25 states and 2 Union Territories, marking a major push towards strengthening innovation culture in school education.
The state-level inaugural ceremony at Desh Bhagat University was graced by distinguished dignitaries including Dr. Zora Singh, Chancellor, DBU, and Dr. Tajinder Kaur, Pro-Chancellor, as special guests.
The event’s Chief Guest, Sh. Rajeev Kumar, Assistant Director, AQT SCERT Punjab, and Guests of Honour Sh. Raman Kumar, State Resource Person (Academics & Humanities), SCERT Punjab, and Sh. Ankush Gawri, Innovation Manager, Innovation Cell AICTE, also shared valuable insights on the importance of innovation-driven educational reforms. Senior officials from DBU were present, and over 60 DEO and DIET members participated.
Expert sessions were conducted by Sh. Vishal Nair, Dr. Shivani Gupta (Wadhwani Foundation), and Dr. Tulika Mehta (Kaizen Systems), who shared insights on the programme’s objectives. Closing the first day’s proceedings, Dr. Ajay Gupta, Director Research, DBU, extended gratitude to all dignitaries, trainers, and participants.
The workshop features hands-on activities and collaborative sessions designed to boost creative problem-solving and promote innovation-driven educational practices, preparing participants to foster future-ready learning ecosystems.
The workshop will conclude tomorrow with strategic discussions on integrating innovation practices into school education systems. |
