National Informatics Centre (NIC), MeitY and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Ministry of Education along with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, provided the CollabCAD Software and released a comprehensive e-book on CollabCAD 3D modeling here today. The virtual event was graced by the distinguished presence of Shri Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Dr. Neeta Verma, Director General, National Informatics Centre (NIC), Mr. Ramanan Ramanathan, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), Mr. Manoj Ahuja, Chairperson, CBSE, Dr. Antriksh Johri, Director (IT & Projects), CBSE,  Dr. Joseph Emmanuel, Director (Academics), CBSE, Dr. Savita Dawar, Deputy Director General, NIC and HoG, CollabCAD and other senior officers from NIC and CBSE.

NIC and CBSE also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for ‘CollabCAD Software Support and Training for Students and Faculty in Engineering Graphics Curriculum for Class X and XII across CBSE affiliated Schools’ for a period of 10 years.

During the virtual event, Shri Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) congratulated the entire team of NIC and CollabCAD for their efforts and said, “The team at NIC has created a fabulous product in collaboration with the eminent institutions of the country. This software has proved to be extremely useful in the hands of Atal Tinkering Lab students and now when it goes mainstream with the help of CBSE, the potential is tremendous.” He also mentioned that the use of this tool should be a part of playgroups, hobby groups, and vocational training.

CollabCAD is the first indigenous tool created by NIC in partnership with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). It is a collaborative network-enabled and desktop software system, providing a total engineering solution from 2D drafting & detailing to 3D product design for students and faculty of Engineering Graphics Curriculum.

Dr. Neeta Verma, Director General, National Informatics Centre, said, “We are glad to share this software with the CBSE students. It is a very simple software with industry features. This software is an innovative way for students to learn 3D Model designing and this knowledge will give them a competitive edge in their higher education. In our Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat when we are going to particularly promote industry and manufacturing in the country, this kind of initiative will contribute in a significant way.” 

Mr. Ramanan Ramanathan, Mission Director, AIM, NITI Ayog commented, “It is a great honor and privilege for Atal Innovation Mission and I convey deep gratitude to National Informatics Centre to collaborate with us closely and for supporting us through this tool and various other aspects. Atal Innovation Mission has been at the forefront of introducing problem-solving innovative mindset into young students. Atal Tinkering Labs provide an ideal training ground for students from schools to become entrepreneurial in their thinking. It is important to provide young students with the tools to shape their thinking and tools to design great products. This will usher a new era of design thinking in our students.” 

Mr. Manoj Ahuja, Chairperson, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said, “National Education Policy lays a lot of emphasis on vocationalization and CBSE has been the pioneering board to offer a wide range of vocational subjects to students. A product like CollabCAD along with the opportunities offered by Atal Tinkering Labs can help students to be at the frontier of knowledge. We look forward to working together closely with Atal Tinkering Labs and National Informatics Centre in the future.”

The comprehensive e-book on CollabCAD 3D modeling 1.0 is ready for public release through the CollabCAD portal for registered users and will guide CAD students, beginners, and professionals in understanding and using CollabCAD Software. It is designed and authored by the CollabCAD Group of NIC, New Delhi.

This initiative aims to provide a great platform to students across the country to create and modify 3D digital designs with a free flow of creativity and imagination. This software would also enable students to collaborate over designs across the network and concurrently access the same design data for storage and visualization.

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RNM/IA