Smart India Hackathon 2022: 180 participants compete to solve innovative problems at NIT Silchar
Silchar, Aug 26: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) witnessed the conglomeration of the brightest young minds from different states of the country engaged in cracking innovative problems with innovative solutions at the national level software edition grand finale of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2022 which got underway on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the students taking part in the SIH event and said that social and institutional support will boost research and innovation. He also mentioned that by investing faith upon the youth of the country, India is taking significant leaps and the innovation index ranking is scaling up as well.
Prof Sivaji Bandyopadhyay, director of NIT Silchar expressed happiness at being the host of such an important national level event. Addressing the gathering at the local launch of the event at the institute moments before the event was nationally inaugurated, the director said, "NIT Silchar is the only NIT in the country to be entrusted with the responsibility to host the software edition of the SIH 2022. In the next 36 hours, the participants here who have great determination and engineering prowess will be engaged in solving six innovative problems with innovative solutions. The problem statements have been given by the International Council for Circular Economy in the domain of Clean and Green Technology. While a team from NIT Silchar has gone to participate in the SIH 2022 at Chennai, we are hopeful that as hosts here, we would be able to witness an exciting innovative exercise at the Hackathon."
The Director also informed that the institute lays thrust on research, innovation and entrepreneurship and maintains the greenery by taking up plantation drive during the visit of guests and dignitaries while every new and even outgoing batches plant saplings which has resulted into a campus covered with thick greenery.
Supriyo Paul, DGM (I/C) Powergrid Corporation of India Limited, in his speech at the event conveyed his wishes to the participants and said that doing things in an innovative manner is the crux of the SIH event. Dr Wasim Arif, faculty of NIT Silchar and coordinator for the SIH 2022, while delivering the welcome address said that NIT Silchar is elated to be one of the 75 nodal centres in the country for the grand finale of the SIH 2022. At our nodal centre, a total of 30 teams having 180 participants from various parts of the country are competing against six problem statements. While over the past two years, India has over 100 unicorns who have benchmarked India's Startup environment, the active participation by the students who have assembled here from various states of the country might bring to the fore the next unicorn of the country. Prof Swati Bandyopadhyay, faculty from Jadavpur University, Prof M Ali, Dean Planning and Development, Prof Pranjit Barman Dean Students Welfare, Prof KL Baishnab Registrar of the institute graced the event.