Ministry of Education’s ‘Smart India Hackathon-2023’ concludes successfully at Lovely Professional University

* Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauds young innovators

* Teams of TechTitans (all-girls): Hydra; and VERE Error 404 won cash awards of Rs One Lakh each at LPU Nodal Centre

The Ministry of Education’s ‘Smart India Hackathon (SIH)-2023’ competition reached its grand finale at Lovely Professional University (LPU), where innovative hardware solutions were showcased to address water management-related problems identified by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The 5-day event, held from December 19th to 23rd, witnessed the participation of 36 teams from across the country.

Organized at LPU’s Innovation Studio, the SIH- 2023′ was dedicated to the development of cost-effective projects aimed at tackling water management challenges. The Ministry of Jal Shakti provided the problem statements for the competition, calling for innovative solutions from the participating teams.

The competition witnessed exceptional talent and creativity, with teams TechTitans’ Hydra and VERE Error 404 emerging as winners and receiving cash awards of Rs One Lakh each. The team ‘Mission Impossible’ and ‘TEAM VISSION’ shared the top honours in the “Call for Toilet Technology” category. Additionally, the team ‘TECH TITANS-6’ presented an outstanding solution for the safe disposal of menstrual waste, while team ‘VECE – ERROR 404’ proposed technological solutions for the early decomposition of faecal matter. In the “Call for low-cost desalination technology” category, ‘GREEN TECH WATER DISTILLER & Automation Achievers’ and teams ‘REVERATE & SAJAL’ were declared joint winners. Another remarkable project was the estimation of inflow to a reservoir from rainfall and automatic opening of reservoir gates, which was awarded to the team ‘HYDRA’. Lastly, the team ‘Barely Afloat’ won the competition with their solution for the automatic regulation of valves in an irrigation system based on soil moisture availability using artificial intelligence.

LPU was selected as one of the nodal centers for the competition, recognized by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and All India Council for Technical Education. Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the problem-solving capabilities and ingenuity of the young innovators during his interaction with them. The Smart India Hackathon has been expanding its scope since its inception in 2017, and LPU students have consistently demonstrated their potential in earlier editions. This year, too, LPU students’ team ‘Innovvortex 102’ is declared Joint-Winner at the Bhopal Nodal Centre.

The awards ceremony was graced by the presence of LPU Pro Vice Chancellors, Prof. Dr. Lovi Raj Gupta and Prof. Dr. Sanjay Modi, who presented the winning teams with cash awards of up to Rs 1 lakh along with certificates. The proceedings of the Hackathon were overseen by Abhishek Ranjan, Nodal Officer from the Ministry of Education (Government of India).

Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is celebrated as the world’s largest open innovation model, fostering a culture of product innovation and problem-solving among students. The competition is conducted annually in two editions: SIH Software and SIH Hardware, catering to higher education students.

The success of the ‘Smart India Hackathon-2023’ at Lovely Professional University marks another milestone in nurturing India’s young talent and encouraging them to find solutions to real-world challenges. The Ministry of Education, along with its partners, remains committed to fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students, driving the nation towards a brighter future.

The 6th edition of the event, exclusively in the Hardware Hackathon format, saw an overwhelming response, with 44,617 teams from across the country submitting 51,071 innovative ideas. Out of these, 1,305 teams were selected to participate, showcasing the enthusiasm and dedication of students from every corner of the nation. The inclusion of female students in each team highlights the commitment towards empowering girls and promoting innovation among them.