Guwahati, Oct 31: The Department of School Education and Literacy, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) jointly organized a two-day Capacity Building Workshop on Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship (IDE) for District Education Officers (DEOs) and DIET members at Assam down town University (AdtU) on October 30–31, 2025.
The workshop, part of the Phase-I IDE Bootcamp for PM SHRI schools, aimed to strengthen the capacity of district-level education leaders in innovation, creativity, design thinking, and entrepreneurship, in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The program was held in collaboration with the Wadhwani Foundation, known for its work in entrepreneurship education.
The national-level inauguration was led by Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE; Shri Dheeraj Sahu, Additional Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy; and Dr. Abhay Jere, Vice Chairman, AICTE. The workshop was launched simultaneously across 25 states and 2 Union Territories.
At the state level, the Assam event was inaugurated by Dr. (Prof.) N.C. Talukdar, Vice Chancellor of AdtU, in the presence of Khanindra Das, ACS, Officer on Special Duty, Samagra Shiksha Assam; Shri Akhilesh Kumar Singh, Senior Accounts Officer, AICTE, New Delhi; Shri Nitin Kumar, Startup Fellow, Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, AICTE, New Delhi; Ms. Anbumathi M, Founder of Resources Life Science and Master Trainer, Wadhwani Foundation; and Dr. Arvind Deshmukh, Consultant, Wadhwani Foundation, along with senior AdtU officials.
More than 60 District Education Officers and DIET members from across Assam actively participated in the sessions.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sunandan Baruah, Director of Innovation, Startup and Acceleration (DISA), AdtU, emphasized the importance of nurturing creativity among educators.
“Today’s students must be more than learners—they must be innovators. The challenges facing our regions and our world demand fresh ideas, bold thinking, and the courage to reimagine what’s possible. The bootcamp for DEOs and DIET lecturers organized by AICTE at AdtU is a major step towards achieving this goal,” he said.
Shri Nitin Kumar, Nodal Officer, Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, underlined the program’s role in shaping India’s self-reliant future.
“Empowering educators to think creatively is the first step toward building a nation that not only learns but innovates — the true spirit of Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he remarked.
The two-day bootcamp featured group activities, immersive working sessions, and interactive workshops designed to spark creativity, encourage collaboration, and enhance problem-solving abilities among participants. Sessions delved into the “why,” “what,” and “how” of innovation, offering practical strategies for integrating entrepreneurial thinking into the education ecosystem.
By the end of the workshop, participants gained valuable insights into the role of innovation in transforming education and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among both educators and students. The IDE Bootcamp at AdtU marked a significant step toward realizing the vision of a creative, forward-thinking, and innovation-driven education system in Assam and across India.
