Students to tackle water pollution, PM lauds efforts

Panipat attracted 168 students from across India to tackle water pollution issues at the Smart India Hackathon (SIH), 2024. Teams from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and other states are working on projects focused on water conservation and sanitation, with efforts continuing till December 15. Panipat Institute of Engineering and Technology (PIET) is Haryana’s only nodal centre for SIH 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed participants at 51 nodal centres, including PIET, via videoconference. Highlighting the significance of the hackathon, he lauded the energy and creativity of the students, stating, "Smart India Hackathon is solving critical issues and paving the way for a better future." The Prime Minister also announced the upcoming ‘Viksit Bharat’, ‘Young Leader Dialogue’, aiming to involve one lakh youth in politics by January 2025.

During the interaction, projects from other centres, including cyber-security at Kharagpur and river pollution monitoring in Bengaluru, were showcased. Karnataka’s team presented an app, ‘DOST’, designed to support specially-abled children.

Inaugurated virtually by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Haryana Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda will also visit the event on December 12 to interact with students.

PIET Vice-Chairman Rakesh Tayal expressed optimism about the hackathon's outcomes, emphasising its role in fostering solutions for pressing issues.