We Have Setup Labs In:

The purpose of IDEA Lab is to provide all facilities under one roof, for conversion of an idea into a prototype. With these facilities in the campus, more students and faculty will be encouraged to take up creative work and in the process, get training on creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration etc. which conventional labs are not able to. The focus will be on training students so that they become imaginative and creative and stay so at the workplaces they join. The whole idea is to transform engineering education with such a Lab in all colleges and for this they must proactively expose all students to the IDEA Lab, organize training sessions for interested students as well as support projects and by providing online learning materials.

Teachers must also get trained in these Labs to know their scope and opportunities in teaching learning processes as well as research and development projects. They should encourage the students to take up and themselves get involved in activities, projects, internships which involve utilization of such Labs. They must strive for creating problems/ projects/ internships in their own subjects/ disciplines and mentor the students.

IDEA Lab is meant for students and faculty of the college/ educational campus/ University who are not to be charged but must be registered as users. Students and faculty from other schools or colleges must also be encouraged to use the facilities. Usage by industry, entrepreneurs, start-ups, alumni etc will be encouraged to use it and can be charged to recover the cost of consumables and operations.

Institutions (including part of educational campuses or universities) more than 10 years old are eligible for applying and must have at least one course accredited by the NBA. In the first year of scheme, institutes located in places other than mega and metros [as defined in APH of AICTE: Greater Mumbai (UA), Delhi (UA) and Kolkata (UA), Chennai (UA), Bangalore (UA), Hyderabad (UA), Ahmedabad (UA), Pune (UA), Surat (UA)] will be given preference. So if you are not having an accredited course, you are strongly advised to go for it this year, to be eligible for applying against subsequent calls for proposal. Also, your association and IDEA Lab will be given weightage when you apply next year.

Ideally, a built up area of 5000 sq. ft. is required. But the institution must agree to provide a minimum built-up and furnished space of 2000 sq. ft. for the laboratory and an additional 1000 sq. ft. to facilitate activities under IDEA Lab. The installation of equipment has to be done taking into account all safety and environmental concerns.

The institution can shift permanently equipment/ tools they may be having with them to the IDEA Lab. However, they will not be included in the budget but reflected in the inventory.

The utilization of facilities for the purpose they are given, to the maximum extent, is of paramount concern for AICTE. Towards this, institutions can come together under a lead institution which is eligible to apply. The Lab has to be in the premises of the lead institution which will be responsible for executing the project and ensuring that participating institutions and industries are not a liability on IDEA Lab/ Institution.

Yes, the contribution can be from college but this is an excellent opportunity to reach out to industry inviting them for a national initiative. With gates opened for industry, the revenue generation and hence, prospects for sustenance of Lab enhance significantly. This is besides the live problems/ challenges they can offer to the colleges and technical experts as well.

The Head of Institute will be the ex-officio Chief Mentor (CM) of the AICTE IDEA Lab, responsible for overall implementation of the project. He/she has to identify a dynamic faculty in the proposal itself, to serve as Faculty Coordinator (FC) and also one Faculty Co-coordinator (FCC) for day-to-day running of the Lab. The identified faculty should be dynamic, creative and go-getter, having a background in Electrical/ Electronics/ CS/ IT/ Mechanical Engineering or related fields. Faculty Coordinator shall have to mandatorily attend the Bootcamps (of 6-10 days) which AICTE will organize, to understand the establishment and operations. Three AICTE IDEA Lab Student Ambassadors must be identified by CM to assist FC & FCC in day-to-day activities, on a rotation basis for 3 or 4 months.

Students from the 3rd/ 4th year of UG or any year of PG course who show keen interest in the activities and regularly participate in them, can be nominated. Institute can frame its own set of rules for this. Up to 3 Ambassadors can be there at a time and should be rotated, maintaining gender equity.

The Lab has to remain open for the students and faculty at least from 9am to 11pm. But this should not limit usage of facilities there-in and period should be extendable on the demand of students/ faculty. Certain activities/ events/ operations in the Lab may require keeping the Labs open 24x7 also.

IDEA Lab is as much to be used by faculty, as students, including for their research work. They can work on their ideas independently or by involving students. They can create internship projects or practical work which require significant use of IDEA Lab and also facilities in their own departments. Working on interdisciplinary projects involving IDEA Lab would be appreciated.