- Today the world is saying that the strength of India is our youth power, our innovative youth, our tech power: PM
- IITGN is hosting 37 teams, comprising approximately 250 students, who are working on 7 challenging problem statements provided by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Govt of India and the Education Department of the Govt. of Gujarat
- Over 1,300 student teams are participating at the Grand Finale of SIH 2024 at 51 nodal centres across the country
- Gujarat Technical University team is working on ‘Chand Vadhani’
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
GANDHINAGAR, NEW DELHI, AHMEDABAD, DEC 11
Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the grand finale of the 7th edition of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) via videoconferencing on Wednesday, offering words of encouragement and inspiration to over 1,300 student teams competing to solve real-world problems.
The hackathon, which is taking place across 51 centres nationwide, has drawn participants from diverse sectors, including technology, health, and agriculture, to tackle challenges proposed by ministries, industries, and government departments.
In his address to the young innovators, PM Modi emphasised India’s potential to progress rapidly through collective efforts. He remarked,“You all will remember, I’ve always said from the Red Fort that India can progress rapidly with everyone’s efforts, and today is a testament to that.”
The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) is hosting the grand finale of the 7th edition of The Smart India Hackathon (Software Edition) on December 11- 12, 2024.
Today, the Grand Finale of SIH 2024 was virtually inaugurated by Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, GoI, in the august presence of Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State, Prof T.G. Sitharam, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Education GoI, and Sant Rajan, AVP & Head, R&D (Innovation), Godrej Appliances.
Typically, a team enters the competition with a problem statement, and comes out of it with a product in hand. In his virtual address to all the participating teams, Dharmendra Pradhan noted the importance of such initiatives in developing solutions for the coming decades, subsequently contributing to nation building. Sant Rajan stressed on the necessity of building sustainable solutions, and Sukanta Majumdar focussed on the role of such platforms in not only solving everyday problems, but transforming the very way in which problems are perceived.
“SIH is not an event, it is a movement. It is a celebration of ideas and a harbinger of change” noted Majumdar. Highlighting the latter, Sanjay Kumar said: “A crucial aspect of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is its emphasis on innovation. The SIH not only foregrounds this facet of the NEP, but also highlights the power of collective might. It unveils the efficacy of working together as a collective, and reinforces the potential of Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
IITGN is hosting 37 teams, comprising approximately 250 students, who are working on 7 challenging problem statements provided by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Govt of India and the Education Department of the Govt. of Gujarat. Here, the Hackathon was officially inaugurated by Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN who noted: “IIT Gandhinagar is delighted to host the Smart India Hackathon 2024 Finals (Software Edition), an event that exemplifies the spirit of creativity, innovation, and collaborative problem-solving among the brightest minds in the country. We congratulate all the participating students for making it to this stage and commend their dedication and ingenuity in addressing real-world challenges. We proudly provide a platform for showcasing exceptional talent and teamwork, contributing to the nation’s progress”.
All the teams assembled for the Prime Minister’s address and interaction at 4:30 pm where Narendra Modi expressed his delight in witnessing so many young innovators contribute to the society’s well being. He also interacted with some of the teams and reflected upon the novelty of their projects. Emphasising on the cultural diversity of the participants, he underlined how SIH 2024 embodies the values of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat, and stands as a beacon of hope, knowledge and innovation.
Gujarat Technical University team is working on ‘Chand Vadhani’
Team Code Bro from Gujarat Technical University informed the Prime Minister about working on the problem statement provided by ISRO – ‘Enhancing the darker images from the South Pole of the Moon. A team member explained the name of the solution as ‘Chand Vadhani’ which not only enhances images but also comprises a decision-making skill. It detects craters and boulders while also performing real-time site selection. The Prime Minister enquired if the participants got an opportunity to interact with those working in the space technology domain, especially in Ahmedabad which is home to a huge space center.
Upon the Prime Minister’s enquiry about getting a better understanding of the Moon’s geological and environmental conditions, a team member replied in the affirmative and said that it would aid the lunar exploration. Another team member further explained the use of a machine learning model consisting of two architectures namely dark net and photo net. The Prime Minister underlined that the world is looking at India’s space journey with hope and said that the inclusion of talented youth further strengthens the belief. He remarked that the young innovators are proof that India would expand its role in the global space technology power and conveyed his best wishes to all participants.
