ATL Grant Related Queries

Question – What is the Utilization Breakdown for the ATL Grant?

Answer – The Grant Utilization Breakdown is as follows –

Out of the total funds – i.e. the Rs.12 lakhs that have been transferred to the schools under the ATL grant, Rs.10 lakhs are for capital expenses and Rs.2 lakhs are for Operational and Maintenance expenses for the financial year 2017-2018.

The guidelines for the Utilization of grant-in-aid are explained below:

1. Utilization of Grant-in-Aid towards Establishment Cost

One-time establishment cost of up to Rs. 10.0 lakh has been provided for each ATL. The establishment cost may be utilized for the following purpose:

Up to Rs.7 lakh may be utilized for procurement of ATL equipment as per the ATL equipment list, in the first 2-3 months after receiving the grant.
A maximum of Rs.1 lakh may be used for purchasing laptops and a projector, in case these are not already available in ATL/school.
Refurbishment of the ATL in terms of electrical fittings, internet facility, painting procurement of furniture like tables, chairs, storage boxes, the printing of banner/board, etc. can be undertaken by the schools. A maximum of Rs.1.5 lakhs from the grant-in-aid may be utilized for this purpose.
A maximum of up to Rs.50,000 can be used for advanced prototyping, based on ATL-specific requirements.

Utilization of Grant-in-Aid towards Operation and Maintenance

An amount of Rs.10.0 lakh has been provided for each ATL @ Rs. 2 lakh per year (for a period of 5 years). The O&M cost may be utilized for the following purpose:

Repair & Maintenance of ATL equipment
Purchase of consumables/spares
Travel reimbursement for ATL faculty/ ATL students to attend events/meetings/training programs organized by AIM
Organizing intra and inter-school ATL related events â ATL Tinkerfest, ATL Marathon, ATL mentor sessions, competitions, guest lectures, hands-on workshops for students, training workshops for teachers, and community outreach
Payment of token honorarium to one ATL-in-charge (only) up to a maximum of Rs. 5000 per month.
The grant-in-aid should not be used for the following purposes:

Payment of salaries to ATL-in-charge, any faculty, lab assistant, equipment vendors, mentors, etc.

Question – Does the ATL Grant cover the renovation of the lab?

Answer – A maximum of Rs.1.50 lakh from the grant-in-aid may be utilized for this purpose. As per the Grant Utilization guideline, Grant-in-aid can be utilized for Refurbishment of the ATL in terms of –

Electrical fittings
Internet facility
Painting and whitewashing
Procurement of furniture like tables, chairs, storage boxes, the printing of banner/board, etc.

Question – Are the following modifications allowed in the Atal Tinkering Lab – Installation of Air Conditioning; Soundproofing; Other cosmetic changes? Can funds from the grant be utilized from the same?

Answer – The schools are not allowed to use funds from the ATL grant for the installation of air conditioning, soundproofing, and other cosmetic changes. However, the schools can make the above modifications using their own resources.

Question – Can the schools use the ATL grant to construct the entire lab?

Answer – No, the schools cannot use the ATL grant to construct the lab and the school is expected to provide an existing space for the ATL