Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 3: About two years after the directions from the Union Government, the State Government has finally constituted J&K State Innovation Council with an objective to harness the core competencies, boost growth and herald a change of mindsets. The constitution of Council was also imperative because of Planning Commission of India’s much emphasis on innovation during the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-17).
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that following the declaration of 2010-2020 as Decade of Innovation by the then President of India, Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, the Prime Minister approved setting up of a National Innovation Council in 2010 and subsequently formal communications were sent to the Chief Ministers of all the States across the country for setting up of State level Innovation Councils with the objective to harness the core competencies, local talent, resources and capabilities to create new opportunities.
During the past two years, 22 States and Union Territories of the country established their respective Innovation Councils but in Jammu and Kashmir the same was framed just few days back vide Government Order No.113 PD of 2012 issued by B B Vyas, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department.
When contacted, Mr Vyas, who is also Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, said, “the constitution of Innovation Council was also imperative as the Planning Commission of India has been laying much emphasis on innovation during the 12th Five Year Plan period as the innovation is the engine for the growth of prosperity and national competitiveness in the 21st Century”, adding “innovation is also being viewed as an important strategy for inclusive growth”.
To be headed by Chief Secretary, the Innovation Council would support the State Government to promote innovation and encourage young talent and local universities, colleges, medium and small-scale industries and R&D institutes.
As per the Terms of Reference, the Council will map opportunities for innovation in the State, identify and reward talent in innovation and disseminate success stories. The Council will organize seminars, lectures and workshops on innovations to educate public at large and help create innovation eco-systems.
It will also organize risk capital and prepare an innovation roadmap 2010-2020 for the State, recognize and leverage the pool of domain experts working in the area of innovations and provide a platform to scale existing innovative practices.
The Council would play vital role to enhance the productivity and efficiency of the State, create new employment opportunities, boost growth, reform institutional and organizational structures and herald a change of mindsets.
It will protect innovations/inventions under mechanism of IPRs, serve as a platform for exchange of information on innovation among concerned stakeholders, prepare a State register of innovations for helping individuals to replicate remarkable innovations in their own lives and convert them into viable business opportunities.
The Council, which would meet at least once in a quarter, would submit its recommendations to the Government for consideration and appropriate action.
Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department is the Member Secretary of the Council while as Administrative Secretaries of Technical Education, Health and Medical Education, Higher Education, PWD (R&B), Science and Technology, Tourism, Agriculture Production and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Departments, Vice-Chancellors of Jammu University, Kashmir University, SKUAST-J and SKUAST-K, Director Regional Research Laboratory, Jammu, Director NIT Srinagar, Presidents of Chamber of Commerce of Jammu and Srinagar, Vice Chancellor Shri Mata Vaishnodevi University, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship Development Institute and representative of Council for Scientific and Research are the members of the Council.
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