IITGN Hosts Smart India Hackathon, 2024 

The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) is hosting the 7th edition of The Smart India Hackathon (Software Edition) on December 11- 12, 2024. The SIH is a nationwide initiative which aims to foster creativity and innovation, by encouraging students to solve real-world challenges. The Hackathon received more than 54000 submissions this year, which culminated in 1300 teams working on more than 250 problem statements. While the Software edition of the program is 36 hours long, the Hardware edition stretches for approximately 120 hours. Today, the Grand Finale of SIH 2024 was virtually inaugurated by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, GoI, in the august presence of Shri Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State, Prof T.G. Sitharam, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Education GoI, and Shri 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, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan noted the importance of such initiatives in developing solutions for the coming decades, subsequently contributing to nation building.  Shri Sant Rajan stressed on the necessity of building sustainable solutions, and Shri 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 Shri Majumdar. Highlighting the latter, Shri 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 of approximately 250 students, who are working on 7 challenging problems ranging from agriculture to cybersecurity. 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 speech at 4:30 PM where Shri 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.