Iit guwahati hosts smart india hackathon’s grand finale

GUWAHATI: The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) hosted the grand finale of the Smart India Hackathon 2024 on Wednesday and Thursday. IIT Guwahati, as a designated nodal

centre, facilitated the software edition of the hackathon, hosting student teams from across the country. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!

Participants from Maharashtra, Telangana, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh competed by addressing 186 problem statements with innovative solutions. This year’s

hackathon addressed a diverse range of themes, including space technology, heritage and culture, medtech, biotech, healthtech, agriculture, food and rural development, smart vehicles, and

transportation and logistics. The other themes include robotics and drones, clean and green technology, tourism, renewable and sustainable energy, blockchain and cybersecurity, smart

education, disaster management, games and toys, fintech, smart automation, and fitness and sports. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! The

National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) presented a challenging set of four problem statements for the competition, including few shot language agnostic keyword spotting system for

audio files, identification of algorithm from the given dataset using AI/ML techniques, centralised automated solution for price estimation and reasonability, and development of AI/ML based

solution for detection of face-swap based deep fake videos. Each problem statement offered a winning prize of Rs 1 lakh per nodal centre. The hackathon featured 20 teams, each comprising six

students and two mentors, with five teams working on each problem statement. Spanning a continuous 36 hours, the competition had three jury members evaluating each team’s solution. ALSO

READ: Assam: Gauhati University receives bomb threat, panic grips Director of IIT Guwahati Prof Devendra Jalihal said that hosting the event at the institute exemplifies the spirit of

innovation, collaboration and problem-solving among young minds from across the nation. “The diverse themes tackled by participants underscore the potential of technology to address critical

challenges while also serving as a platform for nurturing these transformative ideas and fostering a culture of creativity and innovation among our youth,” he added. Since its launch in

2017, the Smart India Hackathon has been a key initiative by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and AICTE, focused on addressing real-world challenges through technological

innovation. The grand finale brought together students, industry experts, mentors and evaluators, with participants working diligently to develop practical solutions under expert guidance.

The Smart India Hackathon fosters innovation among students to tackle national challenges. Following the event, the Ministry of Education will ensure the development and implementation of

winning ideas in collaboration with relevant ministries. These projects, initially prototypes, will require six to 12 months of further refinement. Ministries will work directly with the

winning teams to create detailed project plans, including necessary resources and expert support. To aid development, ministries are encouraged to provide stipends of Rs 5,000 per month for

team members. Regular progress reviews and quarterly reports will be submitted to the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and AICTE. This initiative aims to transform innovative ideas

into impactful solutions for India’s governance and quality of life.