Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday virtually engaged with participants at the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2023, where he highlighted the ingenious capabilities of Indian youth. Emphasizing the need for technological self-reliance, PM Modi stressed the importance of reducing dependence on tech imports.
During the interaction, the PM discussed ongoing transformations in Indian Railways and significant government investments in logistics. Acknowledging the importance of embracing technology, he cautioned against misuse, particularly highlighting concerns related to deepfake videos, urging vigilance before trusting visual content.
Interacting with the young innovators at the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2023. Their problem-solving capabilities & ingenuity to address complex challenges is remarkable. https://t.co/frHyct8OGe
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 19, 2023
PM Modi highlighted India’s remarkable progress in science and technology, positioning the nation as a powerhouse capable of providing cost-effective, quality, and sustainable solutions to global challenges.
Encouraging youth participation, the Prime Minister urged registration on the ‘MyGov’ portal and introduced “Mera Yuva Bharat,” an organization dedicated to guiding the youth. He called for collective efforts to make India self-reliant, especially in what he termed as the “Amritkal” of freedom, for the upcoming 25 years.
Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative to provide students with a platform to solve some of the pressing problems we face in our daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem-solving. The first four editions proved to be extremely successful in promoting innovative out-of-the-box thinking in young minds, especially engineering students from across India.
This year’s Grand Finale of SIH, from December 19 to 23, has seen an overwhelming response with over 50,000 ideas from 44,000 teams, a sevenfold increase from the first edition. With 1282 teams shortlisted, participants will provide solutions to 231 problem statements from 51 departments. The total prize for Smart India Hackathon 2023 exceeds Rs 2 crore, with each winning team receiving a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh per problem statement.