Atal Innovation Mission is set up under the

The correct answer is C) NITI Aayog. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) was set up in 2016 as a flagship mission under NITI Aayog to build an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem across schools, universities, startups and industry. Its best-known programme is the Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, and its Atal Incubation Centres support startups.

Why the others are wrong:

• A) Department of Science and Technology: DST funds and runs its own schemes in science and research. It is not the parent body of AIM.
• B) Ministry of Labour and Employment: This ministry handles labour laws, EPFO and ESIC. It has no role in AIM.
• D) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship: This ministry runs Skill India, PMKVY and NSDC. AIM is a separate body, though the names look similar.

The core concept is that NITI Aayog acts as the think tank and also runs certain missions, and AIM is one of them. For Mains GS-III, this fits into the discussion on innovation, startups and the role of institutions in building a knowledge economy.

Trap: Aspirants pick the ministry that sounds most related to entrepreneurship or skilling. Always check the institutional home of a mission, not just its theme.