The Grand Finale of the 36-hour Smart India Hackathon-2023, organized by the Ministry of Education, kicked off at Amity University, Noida. Dr. Navin Kumar Singh, Director General of the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), Government of India, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, lauding Amity University for its exceptional facilities and infrastructure provided to the participants.

Dr. Singh encouraged participants to give their best, address challenges faced by the country in various sectors, and actively contribute to solving government issues. Emphasizing the transformative role of hackathons, he highlighted their impact on aligning the educational system with real-world problems and channeling the energy of the youth.

In a statement, Dr. Saibal K Pal, Scientist G and Director at the Directorate of IT & Cyber Security & CISO at Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), the guest of honor, underscored the crucial role of coders in cybersecurity. He stressed the need to protect hardware, software, and users, emphasizing the significance of new technologies and AI in this context, including the potential of quantum computing.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Sajid Ali K Pathan, Nodal Center Head assigned by AICTE, shared that out of 44,000 submitted ideas, 1500 have been shortlisted, representing the top 2% of India’s talent. He expressed optimism about the innovative solutions developed during the hackathon, citing past successes where ministries adopted various solutions and several startups emerged.

The Smart India Hackathon commenced at Amity University at 8 am, merging with the Central Inauguration chaired by the AICTE Chairman. Coding activities began at 9:30 am and will continue until the evening of December 20, 2023. Teams from prominent institutions across the country, including VIT Andhra Pradesh, IIIT – Design and Manufacturing, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, Bhilai Institute of Technology, Durg, IIIT Kalyani, Amrita School of Arts and Science, Kochi, IIT Chennai, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering, Delhi, Maharaja Surajmal Institute, Delhi, and NIT Trichy, are actively participating at Amity Campus.

Expressing extreme pleasure in hosting the hackathon, Dr. Balvinder Shukla, Vice Chancellor of Amity University Uttar Pradesh, stated, “It is a great pride for Amity to be the Nodal Center for the prestigious Smart India Hackathon-2023 wherein the top 2% talent of the country is competing in this prestigious event. Today, the journey of learning starts for participants, building new networks, and becoming part of critical national problems, finding solutions through coding software. Amity University will provide its state-of-the-art infrastructure to the participants, including a 6 am Yoga Session tomorrow morning and a Cultural Programme to destress the coders, ensuring a comfortable stay and a joyful experience throughout the 36-hour event.”

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