The Karnataka government has set up 20 New Age Incubation Centres (NAINs) in different engineering colleges in the State.

Inaugurating the 20th NAIN in the State at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management in Mangaluru on Wednesday, Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, Karnataka, said that students are encouraged to identify local problems and address them using the concepts of frugal innovation, and develop appropriate technology-based solutions and working prototypes.

Stating that these innovation centres should be able to solve the problems of society, he said these will be linked to other incubation centres across the State.

Gupta said the government has also launched grand challenges programme besides NAIN. Under this, solutions are sought for the problems by innovators and start-ups.

Highlighting the government’s efforts in promoting research and development activities, he said the government has sanctioned more than ₹100 crore as grants to institutions to encourage R&D in the last four years.

Such activities determine how progressive a society is. Just academic teaching won’t really make the right society. There is a need to have the connection with research, he said.

To encourage young girls to take up science and technology as their career, the government will select 400 girl students from government colleges based on merit. They will be enrolled for a two-week programme in science and technology in prestigious institutions in the state, he added.

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