Vibration sensors to detect rash driving on highways, games for propagation of health knowledge, app to establish a link between farmers and retailers, were among the innovative products designed by engineering students at the ‘Smart India Hackathon’ in New Delhi.
The projects, including an e-toll, that provides fast and secure electronic payment, were among the 57 selected ones which were declared winners of the six-hour non-stop digital product development competition ‘Smart India Hackathon’ conducted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
“Over 42,000 engineering students from across the country participated in the hackathon which was one of the largest such exercise in the world. Fifty seven projects on problem areas suggested by various ministries, including the Ministry of Road and Transport, Defence, Steel, Science and Technology, Civil Aviation and ISRO, among others,” an HRD Ministry official said.
PURPOSE OF SMART-INDIA HACKATHON
The ‘Smart India Hackathon’ is a non-stop digital product development competition, where problems are posed to technology students for innovative solutions.
In order to engage the youth in coming up with digital solutions to common problems, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), under the aegis of the HRD Ministry, launched this hackathon in April.
Twenty-nine departments under various ministries presented 598 problem statements for which they do not have digital solutions and due to which there has been inefficiency, revenue loss and corruption.
NEXT EDITION ON CARDS
The HRD Ministry has already rolled out applications for the second edition of the hackathon. “It harnesses creativity and expertise of students, sparks institute-level hackathons, builds funnel for ‘Startup India’ campaign, crowd-sources solutions for improving governance and quality of life and provides opportunity to citizens to provide innovative solutions to India’s daunting problems,” the official said.
