Ahmedabad: Smart India Hackathon 2017 organised by union ministry of Human Resources Development and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) & hosted by Gujarat Technological University (GTU) and Gujarat University, was today started. The mega event tipped to get place in Guinness Book of World Records, was inaugurated by Shri Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, hon. Minister of education of Gujarat. Total 440 students from all over India are participating in the Hackathon for non-stop 36 hours to develop apps for solving problems of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Hon. Minister said on the occasion that, “our Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has planned this Hackathon by thinking that why we should not use our youth power for solving social problems. His vision is not only to run the country, but to transform our country in the form of New India. Among increasing competition, the Hackathon is a proof of transformation process for New India. Young entrepreneurs can create wonder with their innovation. I want to appeal our youth not to think only about self, but also think about society and of country as a whole. Our country is agriculture-dominated country. Agree to every culture means Agriculture. Please keep this slogan in your mind and try to develop innovative projects helpful to agriculture also. So that common man can be benefitted. Now it is the duty of Gujarat Technological University (GTU) and Gujarat University to continue the essence of innovation created by this Hackathon.” “For Smart India Hackathon 42,000 applications were received from students of 2183 colleges. Maximum applications came from Tamilnadu and Maharashtra, while Gujarat was on 5th place. Out of them 10,000 students were selected for the Hackathon. On the other hand 29 ministries identified their 598 problems. To solve the problems, the Hackathon is being organised in 26 cities,” said Prof. (Dr) Navin Sheth, Vice Chancellor of GTU. The Hackathon has participants from 13 states including Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Punjab, Telangana and Rajasthan. From Gujarat students from Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Mehsana and Bharuch are participating. I welcome all the students, said Dr. Himanshu Pandya, I/c Vice Chancellor of Gujarat University. ISRO Director Dr. Tapan Mishra said, “in this cyber-age, we feel it difficult to live without internet and software. The Hackathon is brain-storming event. So we have planned to give first prize of Rs. One Lakh and two other prizes will be of Rs. 75,000 and of Rs. 50,000 with a gold-plated trophy. There will also be two consolation prizes worth Rs. 10,000 each. 25 Jury members including ISRO scientists will decide about the applications which will be developed after completion of the Hackathon.” Mr. Hiranmay Mahanta, Hon. Director of GTU Innovation Council gave detail about the mega event. He appealed students to connect the element of sensitivity while finding the solution of a problem. He described the event as next stage of innovation. Dr. Bipin J. Bhatt, Registrar of GTU proposed Vote of Thanks.
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