Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', on Tuesday launched an initiative 'YUKTI 2.0' to help systematically assimilate technologies having commercial potential and information related to incubated startups in our higher education institutions.
Minister of State for HRD, Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Additional Secretary (Higher Education), Rakesh Ranjan, Chairman, AICTE Prof. l Sahasrabudhe, Member Secretary, AICTE, Dr. Rajiv Kumar and Chief Innovation Officer, MHRD's Innovation Cell Dr. Abhay Jere were also present during the occasion through online medium.
Earlier, the Minister had launched the YUKTI (Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation) web portal on 11 April, 2020. Ministry of HRD prepared the portal in view of coronavirus.
The portal intends to cover the different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a very holistic and comprehensive way. Through this portal, the Ministry of Human Resource Development will endeavor to ensure that students, teachers and researchers in higher educational institutions are getting appropriate support to meet the requirements needed to advance their technologies and innovations.
While addressing the participants Pokhriyal said that YUKTI 2.0 is logical extension of earlier version of 'YUKTI', an initiative of MHRD, to identify ideas relevant in COVID pandemic. He also informed that all the outcomes of earlier version of 'YUKTI' will be released soon.
The minister appreciated the initiative and said that our Prime Minister has given us the mission of making Bharat 'Atmrbhar' and, YUKTI 2.0 initiative is a very important step in that direction.
"Our youngsters are very capable of thinking innovatively and we should make every possible effort to help them convert their ideas into enterprises," said Pokhriyal.
More importantly, initiative like YUKTI 2.0 will also help in fostering the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in our academic institutions".
The Minister expressed his happiness while launching the YUKTI portal. He also invited students, faculty members, startups and other stakeholders of higher education institutions to register on the YUKTI portal and share their technologies and innovations.
"This database will provide a clear picture of the state of the innovation ecosystem of our higher educational institutions. This will also help the government to identify bottlenecks and formulate appropriate policies to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in the country. Ministry will provide the best possible help to support creative innovations and technologies to help the society at large," he added.
The Minister hoped that this portal will prove to be a milestone towards promoting innovations and entrepreneurship culture in our higher education system and involving youth in nation building.
( With inputs from ANI )