Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday, 25 September 2026, said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places critical thinking, creativity, experimental learning, and problem-solving at the heart of India's education framework, while spotlighting a raft of government initiatives designed to nurture innovation from the school level upwards.

Addressing the Seva First Innovation Challenge at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, Joshi said the NEP's core objective was not simply to produce job-ready graduates, but to build a generation capable of independent thought, experimentation, and real-world problem-solving.

Sharp dig at Karnataka over NEP rollback

Joshi used the occasion to take aim at the Karnataka state government, alleging it had discontinued the implementation of NEP 2020. The state had initially moved to adopt the policy but the ruling Congress government subsequently chose to step back and develop a State Education Policy it says is better aligned with regional realities. Joshi's remarks signal the Centre's intent to keep the NEP debate in the national spotlight ahead of upcoming state-level discussions on curriculum reform.

Atal Tinkering Labs: reach, scale and a candid concern

The minister said more than 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs were currently active across the country, engaging over 1.1 crore students. Students working through these labs have collectively produced more than 16 lakh innovation projects, he noted. However, Joshi did not shy away from flagging a ground-level problem: during his own visits to schools, he had found several labs kept under lock and key because teachers feared students would damage the equipment. He urged that students be given uninhibited access to facilities, arguing that the freedom to experiment — even at the cost of broken components — was integral to the labs' very purpose. The government has announced 50,000 additional Atal Tinkering Labs over the next five years, he added. At the higher-education level, more than 17,300 Institution Innovation Councils have also been set up.

Innovations from the classroom to the world stage

Joshi cited several standout innovations emerging from Indian institutions. These included Homosap, a robotic septic tank cleaner developed at IIT-Madras, and an Electrolarynx designed to restore a voice to people who have lost the ability to speak. He also referenced an induction stove developed at NIT-Warangal for use with copper and aluminium utensils — describing such solutions as modest in appearance but significant in addressing everyday problems faced by ordinary citizens.

Referring to the Bharat Innovates showcase held in Nice, France, Joshi said India had presented 120 deep-tech startups emerging from higher-education institutions. He recounted that the French Head of State, who had initially scheduled only 20 minutes for the visit, stayed for more than an hour after engaging with the innovations on display. India has since received more than 20 requests to organise similar showcases in countries including Canada, which Joshi attributed to growing international confidence in Indian talent and the country's policy stability.

AI, 5G, 6G and the Viksit Bharat vision

On frontier technology, Joshi said four Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence had been established — in healthcare, sustainable cities, agriculture, and education — with a combined outlay of ₹1,490 crore. The Smart India Hackathon has drawn participation from more than 18 lakh students working on nearly 3,158 real-world problem statements submitted by government departments, industry bodies, and public institutions.

Joshi said 5G technology had been indigenously developed and that 6G would similarly be built using Indian technology. Noting that smartphones assembled in India are currently designed abroad, he said the ambition was to achieve end-to-end design and manufacture within the country. With more than 65% of India's population below the age of 35, he described the country's demographic dividend as its single greatest asset in driving innovation. 'Innovate in India, Make in India — not only for India, for the world also,' Joshi said. The goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, he concluded, was ultimately a promise made to this generation.