‘We need old, new tech to improve govt. performance’

The complexity of administering society has increased exponentially in the last 75 years, said Information Technology and Digital Services Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan at Rajalakshmi Engineering College in Chennai on Thursday.

Speaking at the valedictory function of the Smart India Hackathon 2024 he said, “On average across India, the average vacancy in government sanctioned posts are roughly 40% and it has remained over 30% for the past 10-15 years, we cannot afford to take on more people financially and we need to deliver better services. We need to apply old and new technologies to profoundly improve the performance of the government and impact the lives of people. So I’m glad that all the problem statements are from some government and have to deal with an issue that they face real time.”

Urging students to not stop at just arriving at the solution here K.M Suceendran, head-global Academic Alliance, Tata Consultancy Services said “Each idea presented in this hackathon has the potential to create a ripple effect of change. You’re not just solving today’s problems but shaping tomorrow’s India.”

Participants were given four problem statements to tackle. Each statement allowed teams to demonstrate their problem-solving skills. Five teams won prizes in the finals. Winners from each area received ₹1 lakh per team.

The 36-hour software edition of the event at Rajalakshmi Engineering College witnessed the participation of 22 teams taking part in the finale supported by 25 experts who mentored and evaluated the innovative projects.

Abhay Meganathan, vice chairman Rajalakshmi Institutions, Thangam Meganathan, chairperson Rajalakshmi Institutions, S.N Murugesan, principal of Rajalakshmi Engineering college and Joel Andrews D, Nodal Head of Ministry of Education was also present at the event.

Published - December 12, 2024 11:20 pm IST