Atal Innovation Mission’s Mega Tinkering Day creates records

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)’s Mega Tinkering Day, which mobilised more than 4 lakh students from across the country to build and innovate together in real-time, has entered the India Book and the Asia Book of Records, the NITI Aayog said on Monday.

The Mega Tinkering Day 2025, marked on August 12, was hosted virtually and simultaneously in schools from 35 states and union territories by AIM. The nationwide mega event created a new record for the maximum number of students participating in a tinkering activity in a single day.

A whopping “4,73,350 students from 9,467 Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) schools came together to design a solution for Swachh Bharat and built their own DIY vacuum cleaners through a live, step-by-step instructional session streamed online,” the Niti Aayog said.

The recognition by both the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records "stands as a testament to AIM’s mission of fostering innovation and scientific temperament among India’s youth at an unprecedented scale,” it said.

The students’ activity was guided by a step-by-step instructional session streamed online, enabling students to learn scientific concepts and collaborate in real time, no matter where they were.

“This initiative is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat, where innovation and youth power form the bedrock of India’s growth story. The future of India is being built in our classrooms, and through Atal Tinkering Labs, we are equipping students not only with technical skills but also with the mindset to dream big, think differently, and solve real-world challenges,” said Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission.