By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 9: Union Minister of State (MoS) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, on Tuesday assured that the Centre is committed to supporting young talent through initiatives under the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of DoNER.
The assurance came during a live interaction with participants of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 Grand Finale, where he addressed thousands of student innovators connected across 60 nodal centres nationwide.
The Union MoS commended the participants for their interest in solving real-world challenges and noted that the Hackathon has grown into a national platform that promotes creativity, critical thinking and technological problem-solving.
Stating that Smart India Hackathon serves as more than a competition, he described it as a movement that enables students to work on issues raised by ministries, industries and citizens.
Dr. Majumdar also underlined the increasing role of institutions from the Northeast in the innovation ecosystem.
During the event, students from different nodal centres presented their prototypes and updates during the interaction. Teams working on technologies such as AI-enabled safety systems, digital governance tools, sustainable innovation models and mobility solutions shared how the Hackathon has helped develop their technical confidence.
The Union MoS urged them to continue refining their projects and to explore opportunities in research, entrepreneurship and long-term innovation pathways.
It may be mentioned that the Smart India Hackathon, conducted annually by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, brings together students from across the country to work collaboratively on problem statements requiring technology-driven solutions.
