New Delhi: With an ambition to empower innovators and entrepreneurs across the country, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog has come up with a first-of-its-kind Vernacular Innovation Program (VIP), which will provide innovators and entrepreneurs in the country in 22 scheduled languages of the Government of India. The innovation will enable access to the ecosystem.
The vernacular task force will get training
AIM will provide training to a Vernacular Task Force (VTF) after identification of each of the 22 scheduled languages, for capacity building required for VIPs. Each task force consists of local language teachers, subject experts, technical writers, and the leadership of the Regional Atal Incubation Center (AIC).
Commission to start train-the-trainer program
To kick-start the program, AIM NITI Aayog is launching a train-the-trainer program where it will collaborate with VTF’s Department of Design, IIT Delhi for Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship and adaptation of these disciplines in 22 languages and cultures.
Furthermore, industry stalwarts have joined hands to provide design thinking expertise and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sponsors have agreed to generously support the event.
The ecosystem will be opened up to local innovators when the task force is trained in the period from December 2021 to April 2022.
Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog said
Inaugurating the VIP, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog said that the diverse social and cultural fabric of India is its identity, in which regional languages are among the most prominent cultural resources.
He added that the Vernacular Innovation Program strengthens the design and innovation capabilities of our communities, helping local entrepreneurs, artisans and innovators gain that knowledge as well as technical content developed by AIM.
This will help India build a strong local network of design experts and practitioners of innovation.
VIP is an initiative to remove the problem of language
Speaking at the event, Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, NITI Aayog said that VIP is an initiative to remove the language barrier in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship, which will systematically separate the languages of creative expressions and transactions.
Local languages will get a boost
Dr. Chintan cited the 2011 Census to say that only 10.4 percent of Indians speak English, while most use it as their second, third, or fourth language. Why not create equal opportunities for local language innovators who represent 90 percent of our population, he said.
India is the first country to do this
Let us tell you that India may be the first country in the world to start such an initiative, where an innovative eco-system of 22 languages along with English is being created.