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Samvatsari

Context: PM greeted people on the occasion of Samvatsari.

About Samvatsari

• Samvatsari is a festival celebrated by the Jain community, especially the Shwetambara sect.
• It is the last day of an eight-day observance of prayers called Paryushana Parva or Paryushana.
• It falls on Shukla Panchami each year in the Jain calendar month of Bhadrapada.
• Samvatsari is also known as the Day of Forgiveness.
• On this day, people seek forgiveness from others for wrongs done knowingly or unknowingly. People say the words Michhami Dukkadam to seek forgiveness from others.

Vardhamana Mahavira – Life

Vardhamana Mahavira was born in 599 BCE in a village near Vaishali (Capital of Videha). He is considered to be a contemporary of the Buddha. His father was the head of a famous Kshatriya clan and his mother, a Lichchhavi princess. They were connected with the royal family of Magadha; high connections made it easy for Mahavira to approach princes and nobles in the course of his mission.
In the beginning, Mahavira led the life of a householder but in search of the truth, he abandoned the world at the age of 30 and became an ascetic. He wandered for 12 years practising severe austerities, fasting and meditation. At the age of 42, he attained perfect/infinite knowledge (kevalajnana), on the banks of the Rijupalika river. He propagated his religion for 30 years. Through kevalajnana, he conquered misery and happiness. Because of this conquest, he is known as ‘Mahavira’ or The Great Hero or ‘Jina’ i.e, the conqueror and his followers as ‘Jainas’. He passed away and became a Siddha (fully liberated) at the age of 72 in 527 BCE at Pavapuri near Patna.

Doctrines of Jainism

The Jaina doctrine is much older than Buddhism. In Jainism, ‘Tirthankara’ refers to 24 enlightened spiritual masters who are believed to have achieved perfect knowledge through asceticism. Jainas don’t see Mahavira as the founder of their religion but as the 24th Tirthankara in a long history of spiritual masters. The first Tirthankara Rishabhadeva (symbol-bull) is believed to be the first founder and has references in Rig Vega and Vayu Purana. Neminantha belonging to Saurashtra (Gujarat) is believed to be the 22nd Tirthankara, and the 23rd Tirthankara is believed to be Parshvanatha (of Banaras).
The core of Jaina doctrine is expressed in the principles given in the image below:
Anekantavada – According to this doctrine, the objects have infinite modes of existence and qualities so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. Only the Kevalins- the omniscient beings can comprehend objects in all aspects and manifestations; others are capable of only partial knowledge. Anekantavada is literally the doctrine of “non- onesidedness” or “manifoldness”, it is often translated as “non-absolutism”.

Syadavada– According to this doctrine, all judgements are conditional, holding good only in certain conditions, circumstances, or senses. As reality is complex no single proposition can express the nature of reality fully. Thus the term “syat” (meaning – maybe) should be prefixed before each proposition giving it a conditional point of view and thus removing any dogmatism.

Nayavada – Nayavada is the theory of partial standpoints or viewpoints. The doctrine of Nayavada signifies the system of describing reality from different points of view. “Naya” can be understood as partially true statements but they cannot lay claim to absolute validity. It can also be defined as a particular opinion framed with a viewpoint, a viewpoint which does not rule out other viewpoints and is, therefore, an expression of a partial truth about an object.
Triratna – The three jewels of Jaina ethics must be followed to achieve the liberation of the soul. These are:

1. Samyag Darshana (Right faith) – This means seeing (hearing, feeling, etc.) things properly, avoiding preconceptions and superstitions that get in the way of seeing clearly.
2. Samyag Jnana (Right knowledge) – This means having an accurate and sufficient knowledge of the real universe. This requires a true knowledge of the five substances and nine truths of the universe with the right mental attitude.
3. Samyag Charitra (Right conduct) – This means to avoid harming living beings and freeing oneself from the attachment and other impure thoughts and attitudes.

Pancha Mahavrata (five great vows) – In order to attain Triratna, one has to observe Pancha Mahavrata (five great vows).

1. Ahimsa (Non-violence) – Ahimsa parmo dharma – Non-violence is the supreme religion. Non-violence is the cornerstone of Jainism, no living being has the right to injure, harm or kill any other living being including animals, plants and even insects. There are four forms of existence in Jainism – gods (deva), humans (manushya), hell beings (naraki), and animals and plants (tiryancha). Tiryancha are further divided into ekendriyas (having only one sense) and nigodas (having only sense of touch, they occur in clusters). The general laity following Jainism should avoid harming organisms with two or more senses while monks/renunciants are supposed to refrain from harming even ekendriyas and sthavara (element bodies), who are slightly higher than nigodas. Jainism strictly preaches vegetarianism as it prohibits harming/killing animals with two or more senses. In Jainism, it is the intention to harm, the absence of compassion, unawareness and ignorance that makes a person violent. Non-violence is to be observed in action, speech as well as thought.
2. Satya (Truth) – There is no place for lies in Jainism, one should always speak up the truth and only those who have conquered greed, fear, jealousy, anger, ego and frivolity can speak the truth.
3. Achaurya or Asteya (Non-stealing) – Jainism is against stealing/grabbing property by unjust/immoral methods. Even while accepting help, aid, alms one should not take more than what is required.
4. Brahmacharya (Celibacy, Chastity – this vow was added by Mahavira) – Celibacy refers to the total refraining from sensual pleasures. Even the thought of sensual pleasure is prohibited in Jainism. Monks are required to observe this vow completely while the general laity following Jainism should not indulge in any physical relationship other than with one’s own spouse and that too of limited nature.
5. Aparigraha (Non-attachment/Non-possession) – One who seeks spiritual liberation should withdraw from all attachments to objects that please any of the five senses. Mahavira has said that “wants and desires have no end, and only the sky is the limit for them”. The wealth which a common man desires to attain creates attachment which will continuously result in greed, jealousy, selfishness, ego, hatred, violence, etc.

For a common man, to observe all the above five vows are difficult and they can practise them as far as their condition permits. The vows or “vratas” partially observed are called “Anuvratas” i.e, small or partial vow.

Buddhism and Jainism

Among Indian religions, Jainism and Buddhism are most related to each other. Jainism and Buddhism are alike in many aspects and have common features. Some of the similarities are:

• Both Buddhism and Jainism are atheistic, though Jainism believes in the existence of gods but places them lower than Jina (the conqueror).
• Both the religions revolted against the prevalent varna system, laid emphasis on renunciation and human efforts as a means to attain salvation. The people of all castes and social backgrounds were welcomed in Buddhism and Jainism. There are frequent mentions of a learned Jaina monk named Harikeshiya who belonged to a Chandala family.
• Buddha and Mahavira both belonged to the Kshatriya clan and gave it superiority over all other varnas including Brahmanas. They used the word “brahmana” in the sense of acknowledging a wise person who possesses true knowledge and lives an exemplary life.

Both the religions share so many similarities from outside, yet they are different upon deeper investigation into their details and teachings.

Spread of Jainism

Under this section, we will talk about the spread and influence of Jainism.
In order to spread the teachings of Jainism, Mahavira organized an order of his followers which admitted both men and women. Jainism gradually spread to western India where the Brahmanical religion was weak. Jainas adopted the Prakrit language of the masses to preach their doctrines and discarded the Sanskrit language which was patronized by the Brahmanas. The spread of Jainism in Karnataka is attributed to Chandragupta Maurya who became a Jaina and gave up his throne and spent the last years of his life in Karnataka as a Jaina ascetic. The second cause of the spread of Jainism in Southern India is said to be the great famine that took place in Magadha, 200 years after the death of Mahavira. The famine lasted for 12 years and in order to protect themselves many Jainas went to the south under the leadership of Bhadrabahu, but the rest stayed back in Magadha under the leadership of Sthulabahu. When the immigrants came back to Magadha, they developed differences with the local Jainas. The southerners began to be called Digambaras and the Magadhas as Shvetambaras.
Jainism spread to Kalinga in Odisha in the 4th century BCE and in the first century it enjoyed the patronage of the Kalinga King, Kharavela who had defeated the princes of Andhra & Magadha. In the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE, it reached the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. In later centuries, Jainism penetrated Malwa, Gujarat, and Rajasthan and even now, these areas have a good number of Jainas, mainly engaged in trade and commerce. Although Jainism didn’t win as much state patronage as Buddhism and did not spread very fast in early times, it still retains its hold in the areas where it spread. On the other hand, Buddhism has practically disappeared from the Indian subcontinent.

Different Schools of Jainism

The different schools of Jainism are discussed below.

1. Digambara
   • Major sub-sects:
     • Bisapantha
     • Terapanth
     • Taranapantha/Samaiyapantha
2. Shvetambara
   • Major sub-sects:
     • Murtipujaka
     • Sthanakvasi
     • Terapanthi

Minor sub-sects

1. Gumanapantha
2. Totapantha

Jainism Sub-sects
The division of the Jaina religion into two sects (Digambara & Shvetambara) was only the beginning of splitting the religious order into various sub-sects. Each of the two sects got divided into different major and minor sub-sects according to the differences in acknowledging or interpreting the religious texts and in the observance of religious practices.

(i) Digambara Sub-sects
(a) Major sub-sects

• Bisapantha
  • The followers of Bisapantha support the religious authorities known as Bhattarakas, the head of Jaina Mathas (Dharma Gurus).
  • The followers of this sect worship the idols of Tirthankaras and also the idols of Ksetrapala, Padmavati and other deities in their temples.
  • The idols are worshipped with saffron, flowers, sweets, fruits, agarbattis (scented incense sticks), etc. They remain standing while worshipping and perform “arati” i.e, waving of lights over the idol and distribute prasad (sweets offered to idols).
  • The Bisapantha, according to some, is the original form of the Digambara sect and today practically all Digambara Jainas from Maharashtra, Karnataka and South India, and a large number of Digambara Jainas from Rajasthan and Gujarat are followers of Bisapantha.
• Terapantha
  • Terapantha arose in India as a revolt against the domination and conduct of the Bhattarakas and consequently lost its importance in North India.
  • The followers of this sect worship the idols of Tirthankaras and not any other deity.
  • They worship the idols not with “sacchita” things which include flowers, fruits, and other green vegetables but with sacred rice called Aksata, cloves, sandal, almonds, dates, etc. Arati is not performed nor the prasada is distributed in the temples.
  • The followers of Terapantha are more in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• Taranapantha or Samaiyapantha
  • The followers worship Sarnaya i.e, sacred books and not the idols.
  • The three main traits of Taranapantha sect are:
    • The aversion to idol worship
    • The absence of outward religious practices
    • The ban on caste distinctions
• The followers worship sacred books in their temples and are against idolatry.
• The followers do not offer articles like fruits and flowers at the time of worship. More importance is given to spiritual values and the study of sacred literature.
• The Taranapanthis are few in number and are mostly confined to Bundelkhand, Malwa area of Madhya Pradesh, and Khandesh area of Maharashtra.

(b) Minor Sub-sects

• Gumanapantha
  • This sub-sect was started by Pandit Gumani Rai (son of Pandit Todarmal), resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan.
  • Its followers stress on the purity of conduct, self-discipline, and strict adherence to the precepts.
  • The followers are against the lighting of candles or lamps in the temples.
  • They only visit and view the image in the temples and do not make any offerings.
  • The followers are mostly in Jaipur district of Rajasthan.
• Totapantha
  • The Totapantha came into existence as a result of differences between Bisapantha and Terapantha sects. Many efforts were made to strike a compromise between Bisa (twenty) Pantha and Tera (thirteen) Pantha and the outcome was Tota (sixteen and a half) Pantha. That is why the followers of Totapantha believe to some extent in the doctrines of Bisapantha and to some extent in those of Terapantha.
  • The followers are extremely few in number and are found in some pockets in Madhya Pradesh.

(c) Shvetambara Sub-sects

• Murtipujaka
  • The followers are thorough worshipers of idols, offer flowers, fruits, etc. and adorn them with rich clothes and jewels.
  • They stay in temples or in the specially reserved buildings called “upasrayas”. They collect food in their bowls from householder’s houses and eat at their place of stay.
  • The Murtipujaka sub-sect is also known by terms like
    • Pujera (worshipers)
    • Deravasi (temple residents)
    • Chaityavasi (temple residents)
    • Mandira margi (temple goers)
    • They are largely found in Gujrat.
• Sthanakvasi
  • The Sthanakvasi do not believe in idol worship and do not have temples at all, instead, they have “Sthanakas”- prayer halls, where they carry on their religious fasts, festivals, prayers and discourses.
  • They have no faith in the places of pilgrimage and do not participate in the religious festivals of Murtipujaka Svetambaras.
  • They are also called by terms like
    • Dhundhiya (searchers)
    • Sadhumargi (followers of sadhus, ie, ascetics)
  • The followers are found mainly in Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
• Terapanthi
  • The followers are completely organised under the complete directions of one Acharya – the religious head, one code of conduct and one line of thought. All the monks and nuns follow the orders of their Acharya and carry out all the religious activities in accordance with his instructions. They also attach importance to the practice of meditation.
  • The Svetambara Terapanthis are considered reformists as they emphasise simplicity in religion. They do not even construct monasteries.
  • They are found in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Mewar areas of Rajasthan.

The Terapantha sub-sects appear both among the Digambara and the Svetambara sub-sects, but the two are entirely different from each other. The Digambara Terapanthis believe in nudity and idol worship while Svetambara Terapanthis are quite the opposite.

Jaina Councils

Some Important Terms in Jainism

100% first dose vaccination in Goa

Details

• Goa became the second state in India to complete 100% covid vaccination of the first dose for all its eligible residents.
• Himachal Pradesh was the first state to achieve this feat.
• As of Sept 11, the active case load in India stands at 3,91,516.
• In the past 24 hours, 308 people died due to the infection, taking the death toll to 4,42,317.
• The total tally is 3,32,08,330 according to the Union Health Ministry’s latest data.
• So far, 73.05 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered in the country.
• According to the union health ministry, around 58% of India’s adult population has received the first dose and nearly 18% both doses.
• High numbers of cases are being observed in Kerala and Maharashtra.

“Transport and Marketing Assistance” (TMA) Scheme

Context: Centre has revised the “Transport and Marketing Assistance” (TMA) scheme for Specified Agriculture Products.

Background

• In February 2019, the Department of Commerce had introduced ‘Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme’ with the objectives to:
  • Provide assistance for the international component of freight
  • Mitigate the disadvantage of higher freight costs faced by the Indian exporters of agriculture products
• The scheme was initially applicable for exports effected during 2019 – 2020 and was later expanded up to March 2021.

Details

• Now, the scheme has been notified for the period April 2021 to March 2022.
• In the revised scheme, the following changes have been made:
  • Dairy products, which were not covered under the earlier scheme, will be eligible for assistance under the revised scheme.
  • Rates of assistance have been increased, by 50% for exports by sea and by 100% for exports by air.
• Enhanced assistance under the revised scheme is expected to help Indian exporters of agricultural products to meet rising freight and logistics costs.

Rice Fortification

Context: To mark the ongoing 4th Rashtriya Poshan Maah, the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Ministry of Women and Child Development jointly organised a webinar on rice fortification.

Rice fortification

• Biofortification is the process by which the nutritional value of food crops is enhanced by various methods including plant breeding, agronomic practices and modern biotechnological techniques. 
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defines fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.
• In rice fortification, micronutrients are added to regular rice keeping in mind the dietary requirements.
• The cooking of fortified rice does not require any special procedure. After cooking, fortified rice retains the same physical properties and micronutrient levels as it had before cooking.
• Various technologies are available for rice fortification, such as coating and dusting. For rice fortification in India, ‘extrusion’ is considered to be the best technology.
  • This involves the production of fortified rice kernels (FRKs) from a mixture using an extruder machine.
  • The fortified rice kernels are then blended with regular rice to produce fortified rice.
  • FRK has a shelf life of at least 12 months.
• Why is rice fortification needed?
  • India has very high levels of malnutrition among women and children.
  • According to the Food Ministry, every second woman in the country is anaemic and every third child is stunted.
  • India ranks 94 out of 107 countries on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), which puts it in the ‘serious hunger’ category.
  • Fortification of food is considered to be one of the most suitable methods to combat malnutrition.
  • Rice is one of India’s staple foods, consumed by about two-thirds of the population.
  • Per capita rice consumption in India is 6.8 kg per month. Therefore, fortifying rice with micronutrients is an option to supplement the diet of the poor.
  • Milled rice generally is low in micronutrient content because its nutrient-rich superficial layer is removed during rice milling and polishing operations.
• Rice fortification in India:
  • Under the Ministry’s guidelines, 10 g of FRK must be blended with 1 kg of regular rice.
  • According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg of fortified rice will contain the following: iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram), and vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
  • Rice may also be fortified with zinc (10 mg-15 mg), vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), vitamin B-1 (1 mg-1.5 mg), vitamin B-2 (1.25 mg-1.75 mg), vitamin B-3 (12.5 mg-20 mg) and vitamin B-6 (1.5 mg-2.5 mg) per kg.

India’s capacity for fortification

• The current capacity for rice fortification is at 18 L metric tonnes in 15 states.
• 3100 rice mills have been installed with blending units.
• The yearly production of FRK has risen from 7250 MT in 2018 to around 60,000 MT yearly.
• The ‘Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under PDS’ scheme had been introduced in 2019-20 with a focus on 15 states.
• 7 states have already started the distribution of fortified rice.

KAZIND – 21

Context

• Closing ceremony of KAZIND – 21.
• Opening ceremony of Indo-Kazakhstan joint military exercise Kazind-21.

About Kazind-21

• This is the 5th edition of the annual bilateral joint exercise of the armies of India and Kazakhstan.
• This year, it is taking place at Training Node Aisha Bibi, Kazakhstan.
• The previous Kazind exercise was held in India in 2019.
• This exercise will provide an impetus to the ever growing military and diplomatic ties between the two nations.
• The joint exercise also reflects the strong resolve of both nations to counter terrorism and will to stand shoulder to shoulder to combat the same.

ATL Space Challenge 2021

Context: ATL Space Challenge 2021 launched by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) in collaboration with ISRO and CBSE.

Details

• The challenge has been designed for all school students, mentors and teachers across the country who not only are associated with schools having ATL labs but for all the non ATL schools as well.
• This is to ensure that students of classes 6 to 12 are given an open platform where they can innovate and enable themselves to solve digital age space technology problems.
• The ATL Space Challenge 2021 aligns with the World Space Week 2021 which is being observed from 4 to 10 October each year at the global level in order to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology.
• Students (from Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and Non-ATL schools) can submit their entries be it a solution or an innovation in teams of up to three members. Teams must be aligned to one of the Challenge Themes under which the problems can be identified.
• Students can create a solution that can be implemented and adopted leveraging technologies such as:
  • Explore space
  • Reach space
  • Inhabit space
  • Leverage space
• The application for the Space Challenge can be submitted on the AIM online portal. Each team based on their interest and understanding, must select one problem which falls under any one of the Space Challenge themes.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)

Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative launched to promote the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. The AIM, in partnership with the Railway Board, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has launched the Atal New India Challenge. The AIM, under the initiative, would invite potential innovators, start-ups and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises to innovate, create and design market-ready products with the help of cutting-edge technologies in 17 pre-identified focus areas.

Initiatives of AIM

1. Atal Tinkering Lab
2. Atal Incubation Center
3. Mentor India
4. Atal New India Challenge
5. Atal Community Innovation Centre
6. Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE – Atal New India Challenge (ANIC) Program

Pre-identified Focus Areas of AIM

There are 17 pre-identified focus areas for the AIM. They are listed below:

• Waste in public spaces and dissuading public littering
• Mixing blades for composting
• Decentralized composting
• Quality of compost
• Garbage composition devices
• Waste management recycling/reuse
• Affordable desalination/recycling technology
• Instant portable water quality testing
• Safe transport
• Electric mobility
• Smart mobility
• Alternate fuel-based transportation
• Predictive maintenance of rolling stock
• Prevention of rail failure using emerging technologies
• Fog vision system for road and rail
• Climate-smart agriculture

Atal New India Challenge – Details

The National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog has launched the Atal New India Challenge under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) with the aim of bringing in innovations and technologies, relevant to the masses.
The programme will be driven by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and four ministries:

• Ministry of Defence;
• Ministry of Food Processing Industries;
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Role of the ISRO in Atal New India Challenge – 

• ISRO is the leading organization to promote innovations and entrepreneurship across the length and breath of our country.
• ISRO has extensively supported MSMEs and has also set up R&D labs across India to promote innovation and research in space science and technology.
• ISRO is planning to adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs, 3 each in each state and UTs.
• Three thrust areas identified by ISRO:
  • Propulsion: Green propellants, electric propulsion, and advanced air-breathing.
  • Geo-spatial Information: Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for crop monitoring, weather forecasting and programme evaluation.
  • AI and Robotics: For supporting space exploration and outer space monitoring.

The Atal New India Challenge Program is in line with the mandate of:

• Make in India
• Startup India
• Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Atal New India Challenge Objective

• To proactively collaborate with Ministries and the associated industries to catalyze research, innovation and facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems.
• To provide a steady stream of innovative products & solutions where the Central Government Ministries/Departments will become the potential first buyers.

Features of ANIC – Atal New India Challenge

• The initiative will help promote technopreneurs who deserve to be supported because of their immense potential of taking India forward.
• A total of 15 sector-specific challenges will be selected where three challenges are kept for each ministry.
• A grant-of-aid of up to Rs. 50 lakh for a period of 9 to 12 months have been earmarked for startups to develop a minimum usable prototype.
• Innovators would also be attracted by using the Mahatma Gandhi Challenge method.

The initiative lays its focus on solving such problems in the core areas, which would directly impact the quality of life of the citizens and also generate employment.

• The applicant displaying the capability and intent to manufacture marketable products under the 17 pre-identified focus areas will be granted an award grant of up to 1 crore rupees.
• The winning grantees would be provided support in terms of technical support, go-to-market strategies by leading experts, accelerators and incubators, technical support, mentoring and others.
• In order to generate wider deployment, mentoring and support would be provided at various levels of commercialization.
• The challenge is open to all the Startups, companies registered under the Companies Act 1956 and the Companies Act 2013, R&D institutions, academicians, academic institutions and individual innovators.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) – Latest News

1. In order to promote innovation across schools, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with IT company CGI India. 
2. As a part of the SOI signed between AIM, NITI Aayog and CGI, over 100 schools from Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai having ATLs will be adopted by CGI to promote and train students. Under this initiative, CGI volunteers will coach and mentor students at the ATLs to boost their technical literacy. Along with this, the students will also be exposed to immersive learning experiences using hands-on experience via STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths) tools.

Strategic Campaigns of AIM

Some important strategic campaigns of AIM are listed and discussed below:

AIM-Prime Program

• Aim – To promote science based, deep technology ideas to market through training and guidance over a period of 9 months.
• Target Audience – Technology developers and incubations managers
• PRIME stands for Program for Researchers on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
• AIM has collaborated with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to launch this nationwide initiative, which will be implemented by Venture Centre – a non-profit technology business incubator.

AIM-iCREST

• iCREST stands for Incubator Capabilities enhancement for a Robust Ecosystem for high performing Startups.
• Aim – To enable the incubation ecosystem and act as a growth hack for AIM’s Atal and Established incubators across the country. 
• The core objective of AIM-iCREST program is:
  • To enable the incubators to design and implement world-class entrepreneurship programs, make their institution sustainable, and build credibility.
• Elements of AIM iCRESt are:
  • Incubator Structured Training
  • Startup Training
  • Incubation Success E-Handbook
  • Global Best Practices Study
• This program is aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. 
• This program is launched by AIM in collaboration with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation.