Smart India Hackathon announced as World’s biggest open innovation model is a platform for students to solve the pressing problems, we face in our day to day life. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) have collectively started the initiative. it inculcates a product innovation culture and problem-solving mindset amongst the students. In 2019, 2500 colleges participated in the SIH and 54000 team entries were received. Problem Statements were received from ministries as well as private organizations.
Students are given a Problem Statement and they must solve it with the best optimal solution. Participants take part in a group for this event and the winner is selected based on Novelty, innovation and uniqueness of the solution they provide to a Problem Statement. The first edition of the Hackathon was completely for Government sectors. From last year onwards SIH started including private sector companies and NGOs as well. Let’s know in detail about Smart India Hackathon its rules and Important points to remember.
- Who can participate?
Only engineering students who study in colleges approved by AICTE and UGC can participate. We also need to remember that only intra-college participation is accepted, meaning that the team participating in SIH should have members from within the college regardless of the department they are studying in or in which year. There should be at least six members in a team. Out of which compulsorily atleast one member needs to be a female participant.
- About Domain selection or Problem statement selection:
The question after participation is the selection of the domain or the problem statement. Smart India Hackathon has 8 to 9 domains this year in 2020 and each domain has a different set of problem statements. An e.g. Of problem statement is if the domain is from the Railway sector it would have problem statements regarding Platform cleanliness, Track maintenance etc. Participants can choose PS according to interest and skills they possess.
A tip to pick the right problem statement is that you can choose one, depending on its difficulty level. Yes, the problem statements are classified into three levels.
- Simple
- Complex
- Complicated
- Process of Smart India Hackathon:
There are two editions of Hackathon
- Software
Software Edition goes on for 36 hrs. and is conducted in the month of March. It has 4 stages.
Stage 1: – Team formation
Stage 2: – Your college spoke will give you approval
Stage 3: – Selection of Problem Statement
Stage 4: – Make a PPT
For SIH 2020 The internal hackathon will take place after these four stages. Teams must present their PPT to a college spokesperson. College spokesperson will be responsible for approval of the Idea presented by the students. After which spoke will submit the selected idea to the SIH portal. Entries approved and submitted through Spoke will only be excepted by SIH 2020. If your project is shortlisted, you will be called for the grand finale. The place where the Grand finale of Hackathon takes place is called as Nodle Center.
- Hardware
Hardware Edition goes on for 5days and is conducted in the month of July. It has one additional stage.
Stage 1: – Team formation
Stage 2: – Your college spoke will give you approval
Stage 3: – Choose Problem Statement
Stage 4: – Make a PPT
Stage 5: – In the Mid of May candidates will have to send short videos of the prototype which they are working on. Shortlisting will be done on basis of that, after which if your model is selected; you will be called at Nodle center for the Grand finale.
- Advantages of participating in Hackathon:
Participants get to implement practical knowledge as they will be working on a real model.
You meet new people and mentors which helps you to gain more knowledge and increases your networking.
Important points of SIH 2020:
- In 2020 Problem statements are from the government, central government, state governments, and industries as well.
- In Total SIH 2020 is expecting 300 Problem Statements out of which the first batch is already released. In the next few days, subsequent PS will be released.
- SIH 2020 is said to be unique in multiple ways as institutes are requested to conduct their own hackathons before sending Problem Statements to SIH.
- Only 5 teams in software and 2 in Hardware per institute are allowed this year.
- Only spokes will approve and submit the registration. No entries are accepted directly from students
- The deadline for the submissions is in the last week of January.
Hope after reading about Smart India Hackathon 2020 the information would make you to participate in it and encourage you to put forward your best ideas!
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