India's fifth Innovation Hub opens in Mumbai

By IANS | Tuesday, 25 February, 2014

The country's fifth Innovation Hub, aimed at fostering creativeness among students by stressing on inquiry-based learning, was started at the Nehru Science Centre here Monday.

Inaugurating the hub, R. Gopalakrishnan, National Innovation Council (NIC) member and Tata Sons executive director said innovations which benefit the entire society are the need of the hour.

"Despite an apparent chaos that India is known for, there are several grassroot innovations which are impacting the society. Innovation Hubs being set up by the NIC would motivate and excite young minds, and provide a proper ambience to promote grassroot innovations," Gopalakrishnan said.

The latest of the Innovation Hubs being developed by the National Council of Science Museums and the NIC, Gopalakrishnan said 100 such hubs should be set up across India in the next five years.

The hub includes a Hall of Fame, an Innovation Resource Centre, Innovative Laboratory, a Tech Lab for Robotics and Microprocessor Programming and Electronics.

The interesting features would be a 'Tod Fod Jod' section where students can creatively engage in learning to open gadgets and reassemble them independently, a 'Kabad Se Jugad' section where they can use low-cost materials to develop interesting models or science toys or perform investigative experiments, and an Idea Box.

The Tech Lab, with facility for experimentation in physics, chemistry, electronics, biology, robotics, etc., will give students an opportunity to work on innovative ideas and make working models and also carry out several investigative experiments before they succeed.

The other four Innovation Hubs are in New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Guwahati.