Nagaland University, Kohima Campus, hosted senior officials from the Innovation Cell (MIC) of the Government of India and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The visiting officials included Yogesh D. Brahmankar, Innovation Director, MIC; Dr. Hirak Ranjan Das, Indovation Manager, AICTE; and Ashish Tripathi, Regional Coordinator, AICTE Innovation Cell, Guwahati. Their visit provided valuable insights and inspiration to the university’s academic and innovation community.
At the outset, Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. N. Venuh, and Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology, Prof. Sujata Dash, welcomed the dignitaries and briefed them on the various innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship initiatives of the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) at Nagaland University. They highlighted student-led innovation challenges, awareness programmes on intellectual property rights, and the growing start-up culture within the campus.
The visiting officials commended the university’s efforts in fostering a vibrant innovation ecosystem and urged faculty and students to participate in national initiatives such as the Smart India Hackathon (SIH), KAPILA for Patent Awareness, the MIC–IIC–YUKTI Portal, AICTE’s IMPACT Program, and other AICTE schemes for funding, internships, and start-up support. They also recommended organizing boot camps, handholding programmes for schools, and promoting the use of the AICTE APNA Career Portal to enhance employability and industry exposure.
During the interaction, the AICTE–IIC officials explained various national schemes and opportunities available to higher educational institutions, especially in the North Eastern region. They elaborated on programmes like the AICTE Internship Portal, Student Start-up Policy, National Innovation and Start-up Policy (NISP), and the Mentor–Mentee Scheme, under which well-established institutions guide emerging universities. Initiatives such as SPICES, IDEA Lab, E-Learning Centers, and Atal Community Innovation Centers (ACIC) were also discussed.
The officials highlighted special provisions and financial incentives for North Eastern universities, including dedicated funding, capacity-building workshops, and priority mentoring through IIC Guwahati. The visit concluded with a vote of thanks by the Convener, who expressed gratitude for the guests’ commitment to supporting innovation and collaboration in Nagaland University and across the region.
