BENGALURU: More than 20,000 students are in the race to come up with the best solution for nine Union ministries and 40 private sector firms in the Smart India Hackathon. The second round of the marathon, a five-day challenge, began on Monday at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering and REVA University in Bengaluru, and will conclude on July 12.
The Smart India Hackathon 2019 – Hardware edition is being organised by Persistent Systems in association with MHRD, AICTE, MIC, and i4C. According to organisers, this year’s edition will build practical hardware-based solutions on problem statements. Dr Anand Deshpande, Chairman and MD, Persistent Systems, and Co-Chairman, Smart India Hackathon, said the event offers students the opportunity to work hands-on and build innovative prototypes that address real-world problems.
“It encourages students to think beyond what they learn in their classroom,” he added.
After the grand success of the first year’s Software Edition, Vivek Kulkarni, Chief Architect and Delivery Head, Persistent Systems, and Secretary, Executive Committee, Smart India Hackathon was confident of at least 1,500 finalists cracking the 198 complex problems given by more than 40 private organizations and
nine Union ministries. “This year, the student participation has exceeded a lakh, and the Hardware Edition is five times grander than its previous edition,” he said.
Students trained online
Students entering the competition were trained by Persistent. It was responsible for designing and creating online training sessions to help participants come up with solutions. The trainings are also available on MHRD’s Swayam portal, said officials from the firm.