Gap year to promote start ups

 

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer chipset that can be plugged into a TV or a keyboard. Adruino is a single-board micro-controller that allows users to create robots or any hardware that can react to the environment, using sensors.

 

According to the government’s plan part of its innovation and start-up policy, from 2014-2020 the private sector will also be asked to help out with the process. “Annual Science Fairs will be held to identify and promote innovation and entrepreneurship at school level. A program would be conceptualised to have district level competitions for business ideas for student groups from 8th to 10th standards, with a maximum grant of Rs 25,000 per idea. A maximum of 50 ideas, each year, will be facilitated,” said the order issued by the department of information technology and electronics.

 

The policy also said a gap year for students, will be introduced. “Universities may introduce the concept of ‘student entrepreneur in residence’. Outstanding students,  who wish to pursue entrepreneurship can take a one-year break, after the first year, to pursue entrepreneurship, full time. This may be extended to two years. Our society is still not ready and having this as a scheme from the University would allow the parents to be comfortable and confident that this is a government-approved scheme their children are availing,” said the policy.

 

Also, all Universities in Andhra Pradesh may give five per cent ‘grace marks’ and 20 per cent attendance every semester for students involved in start-ups which have at least one woman as a co-founder.