The week-long Festival of Innovations in Rashtrapati Bhavan concluded yesterday (March 19, 2016) with a 12 hour long coding competition to develop web and mobile applications in hackathon style (non-stop rapid development). The topics on which applications were developed were 1) teachers taking attendance after every class 2) examination authentication for students, 3) monitoring entry into public monuments and 4) monitoring of public toilets.
The President felicitated the winners of the completion in each category in presence of Shri Mohandas Pai and Shri Karl Mehta of Code for India and other dignitaries. Speaking on the occasion, the President said a country like India may have reached a certain level of technological advancement. It may have promoted the development of a scientific bent of mind and temperament amongst its citizens, especially the young ones.
However, unless young minds are sensitized to the need for finding creative solutions to top-ranging socio-economic problems of our country, the goal of inclusive development will remain elusive. Unless the young creative minds are driven by commitment, devotion, empathy and sensitivity, a just social order envisaged in our Constitution will remain evasive. If we are able to leverage ingenuity to address social needs, it will result in social innovations beneficial to the society. He expressed hope that the hackathon will inspire young talented individuals to contribute to social change. The President said the week-long Festival of Innovation that commenced last Saturday, had a number of Roundtable discussions relating to inclusive innovations in various social sectors. One of the Roundtables was on the theme of social innovations for large scale change. And the hackathon aimed at creating a digital system will take forward the mission of large scale change through social innovations. The agenda and the themes of the Festival of Innovation have attempted to build inter-linkages amongst various stakeholders essential for an inclusive society based on inclusive innovations and technologies.