S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Guwahati hosted the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2024 Grand Finale on 11 and 12 December 2024.
As a designated nodal center, IIT Guwahati facilitated the software edition of the hackathon, hosting student teams from across the country.
Participants from Maharashtra, Telangana, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh competed by addressing 186 problem statements through innovative solutions.
Themes
This year’s hackathon addressed a diverse range of themes.
They included Space Technology, Heritage and Culture, Medtech/Biotech/Healthtech, Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Smart Vehicles, Transportation and Logistics.
Robotics and Drones, Clean and Green Technology, Tourism, Renewable/ Sustainable Energy, Blockchain/ Cybersecurity, Smart Education, Disaster Management, Games & Toys, Fintech, Smart Automation, and, Fitness and Sports were also among those themes.
Director of IIT Guwahati
Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati spoke about hosting SIH 2024 at IIT Guwahati.
Hosting the Smart India Hackathon 2024 at IIT Guwahati exemplifies the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving among young minds from across the nation, he said.
The diverse themes tackled by participants underscore the potential of technology to address critical challenges while also serving as a platform for nurturing these transformative ideas and fostering a culture of creativity and innovation among our youth, said IIT Guwahati director.
NTRO
The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) presented a challenging set of four problem statements for the competition at the IIT Guwahati center, including:
Ø Few Shot Language Agnostic Keyword Spotting (FSLAKWS) system for audio files
Ø Identification of algorithm from the given dataset using AI/ML Techniques
Ø Centralized Automated Solution for Price Estimation & Reasonability
Ø Development of AI/ML based solution for detection of face-swap based deep fake videos
Statement
Each problem statement offers a winning prize of Rs. 1 lakh per nodal center, say sources from IIT Guwahati.
The hackathon featured 20 teams, each comprising six students and two mentors, with five teams working on each problem statement.
Spanning a continuous 36 hours, the competition saw three jury members evaluating each team’s solutions, say sources from IIT Guwahati.
Key highlight
A key highlight of the Smart India Hackathon 2024 was the annual address by Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, who virtually interacted with participants.
He encouraged them to harness technology for solving real-world challenges and contributing to national progress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there was a need for new innovative solutions to tackle global challenges while making local innovations impactful on a global scale.
He further said through platforms like Smart India Hackathon, our talented youth are developing real-world solutions to complex problems, embodying the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.
Their out-of-the-box thinking and commitment to innovation are shaping a brighter and more prosperous future for the nation and contributing to solutions for global issues, he said.
Launch
Since its launch in 2017, the Smart India Hackathon has been a key initiative by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and AICTE, focused on addressing real-world challenges through technological innovation, say sources from IIT Guwahati.
The grand finale brought together students, industry experts, mentors, and evaluators, with participants working diligently to develop practical solutions under expert guidance.
Standout moment
A standout moment of the Hackathon at IIT Guwahati was the engaging session led by AICTE Chairperson, Prof. T.G. Sitharam, who personally interacted, inspired and motivated the participants with his words of encouragement.
Experience
Sharing her experience at IIT Guwahati for SIH 2024, Ms. Rajeshwari Mughilan, 2nd year B.Tech. student, Kongu Engineering College, Erode, said, “Coming from Erode, we are thoroughly enjoying the warm hospitality of the institute.
The support and guidance from both the faculty and students have been exceptionally welcoming.
‘In the Smart India Hackathon 2024, we are working on a project focused on data security and data transfer.’
Specifically, we are aiming to decode encryption from ciphertext using AI and ML, she said.
Mr. Pawan Sharma, 2nd year B.Tech. student, IIT Kharagpur, said he was excited to be a part of Smart India Hackathon 2024 and to be at IIT Guwahati.
In our problem statement, we are implementing AI, ML, and a deep learning model to identify various cryptographic algorithms, he said.
Our goal is to develop a scalable model that will be beneficial for forensic departments, scientists, and researchers working in this field, he said.
Ability
Prof. Bithiah Grace Jaganathan, Professor in-charge, IIT Guwahati Smart India Hackathon Nodal Centre, said, “The innovative solutions presented at Smart India Hackathon 2024 at IIT Guwahati highlights the remarkable ability of young minds from across the nation to address real-world challenges.
Such initiatives play a vital role in nurturing the next generation of problem-solvers and driving technological advancements indigenously, that have a meaningful impact on society, said Prof Bithiah.
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