New Delhi: Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister of External Affairs Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attended the award ceremony of ASEAN- India Hackathon 2021 along with Ministers and dignitaries from ASEAN countries. The Hackathon concluded with more than 300 students, mentors, and officials participating from 10 ASEAN countries and India.
Addressing the participants of Hackathon, Union Education Minister said, “I would like to first congratulate all, for successfully completing the first ASEAN-India Hackathon. I am very thankful to all ASEAN countries for participating in this first-of-its-kind initiative. For the last 3 days, all 54 teams have worked really very hard on 11 problem statements and I was informed by juries and mentors that they are very happy with the quality of work done by participants during this Hackathon. The ASEAN – India Hackathon is well aligned with the vision of ASEAN – plan of action on science, technology and innovation (APASTI) 2016-2025”.
Shri Pokhriyal applauded the focus of the Budget on innovation and entrepreneurship and stressed on boosting the research ecosystem through the Prime Minister Research Fellowship, SPARC, STRIDE, IMPRINT and other research schemes.
Shri Pokhriyal said under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the bond between India and ASEAN countries in the field of education, science and technology has strengthened. One of the main objectives of this hackathon has been to encourage working for sustainable development while creating employment to make our nations Atma Nirbhar. Today India and ASEAN countries have become perfect examples of energy, synergy and international collaboration for other countries to emulate. If the human resources and natural resources of India and ASEAN countries are properly utilized, then a new dimension will open for the betterment of humanity and the world, he added.
The Minister of External Affairs Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated that “ASEAN India Hackathon offers a unique platform for our youngsters to put their minds and energies together. It is an excellent means to inculcate cooperative spirit among the participants and also exposes them to diverse viewpoints, cultures and work ethics. cutting across national boundaries.”
Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman AICTE said, “It is a moment of pride for us to successfully conclude the first-ever edition of ASEAN-India Hackathon. In the last four days, we have seen how students developed solutions to address the challenges in the ‘Blue economy’ and the education sector. Students meticulously designed innovative solutions in the field of Blue Economy with the help of Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, AIS Data and Real-Time Data monitoring.”
The program concluded with the announcement of Prizes for the winning teams, runner ups and encouragement awards for other participating teams.