Rajasthan all set for the biggest coding carnival ever
Hackathon 4.0, a 36-hour, non-stop coding marathon, is all set to be an effective tool to promote the state government’s IT and e-governance initiatives.
Spurred by the success of previous editions, the Rajasthan government has announced Hackathon 4.0, a 36-hour, non-stop coding marathon from 19th to 21st March 2018 at University Rajasthan College in Jaipur. The hackathon is part of the Rajasthan IT Day celebrations, part of the government’s endeavour to provide a conducive environment to spur innovation and raise the technical prowess of the state’s young people.
Hackathon 4.0 will ambitioned to be the world’s largest software development jam at a single venue as the organizers has confirmed more than 5,000 participants. The state also wants it to be an effective tool to promote IT and e-governance initiatives. “Coders, developers and designers will have a prodigious platform [for] out-of-the-box thinking on Bhamashah, e-Mitra, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, AR/VR, Blockchain, Machine Learning, Bioinformatics, Data Warehouse and Data Mobility,” said a statement from the Department of Information Technology and Communication, Government of Rajasthan.
The three leading teams will earn a contract with the Department of Information Technology & Communication, Government of Rajasthan, worth Rs. 15 lakh, Rs.10 lakh and Rs. 7.5 lakh respectively. Participants will also be nominated for 10 other prize categories, which include giveaways like iPad, tablet, cell phones and the like.
The state government recognises the power of creative thinkers in wealth creation and empowerment of technology and has invited eminent IT leaders, members of Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund and influencers such as Mohandas Pai (Manipal Global), Rajendra K Pawar (NIIT) and many more. Also expected to participate are dignitaries from the Government of India and several senior state government officials.
Rajasthan IT Day 2018: A bird’s-eye view
This is a four-day event, with a marathon on March 18 setting the tempo. There are five prominent programmes for different groups of individuals: Hackathon 4.0, TecRush, Eduhack, Green-a-Thon and eMitra/ITGK.
TecRush
Innovation is all about winning in the race of technology. On March 18, tech startups in the state will take part in TecRush, a 5-km marathon to celebrate the technology acceleration in Rajasthan.
Hackathon 4.0
This takes place from March 19 to March 21, where the government will provide a platform for coders, developers and designers to use their solutions on numerous themes. Winners will take home prizes worth a total Rs. 32.5 lakh, along with an opportunity to work with the state government.
e-Mitra Connect
On March 20 and 21, the state government is holding e-Mitra Connect, a 24-hour activity where e-Mitra owners can pitch their innovative ideas on how to enhance and simplify the usage of e-Mitra services using electronic media. (e-Mitra is the service delivery platform of the Government of Rajasthan, through which people access over 200 government services via e-Mitra centres or self-service kiosks.)
EduHack
Recognising the fact that education plays a significant role in the balanced development of the state, the government plans to give a technological push to the education sector by introducing EduHack – The Teachers Hackathon, as part of Rajasthan IT Day 2018.
This 24-hour hackathon aims to provide a collaborative and competitive environment to teachers, professors, lecturers and educationists of the state to create path-breaking solutions, manufacture extraordinary solutions and implement innovative ideas to improve the education system.
Job Fair
The Rajasthan IT Day Job Fair will bring together recruiters, tech managers and candidates who are looking for the right company and opportunities. The platform will not only accelerate the hiring process but will also provide job seekers with insights on what leading companies are looking for.
Green-A-Thon
The Green-a-Thon is a series of coding events where students will showcase sustainable solutions to civic and environmental issues. This challenge is open to students across the country where they can freely share their innovative ideas.
Last year, the state government organised IT Hackathon 2017 on the theme, Promote & Serve Rajasthan Digitally.
Rajasthan launched its Startup Policy in late 2015, and the Department of Information Technology & Communication took over as the nodal agency for all related activities in mid-2017.
The first Rajasthan IT Day took place in 2016 and has been an annual event since then. The government also organized two DigiFest celebrations in Udaipur and Kota last year.
