The national-level hackathon titled ‘STATATHON – A Data Journey for Viksit Bharat’, organised by NSO, India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, concluded successfully. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation noted that the hackathon brought together young innovators from across the country to develop data-driven solutions to challenges in official statistics. The Ministry noted that the Grand Finale witnessed participation from 25 teams. It noted that the participants worked on five challenges, representing different domains of official statistics.

Two prizes were awarded in each category. In the first category, a Start-Up Airavata Technologies from Maharashtra secured the top prize, followed by Sri Sairam Engineering College, Tamil Nadu. Bharat Institute of Engineering and Technology, Telangana, won the first prize, and Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science, Tamil Nadu, claimed the second prize, in the second category.

Secretary, MoSPI, Dr Saurabh Garg, interacted with the winners today. Dr Garg commended the dedication displayed by both the students and the evaluators throughout the competition. He noted that the present era offers unprecedented opportunities for young talent, with rapid digital transformation creating new avenues for innovation and societal progress. He further emphasised that the Ministry views hackathons as an effective means of engaging with young innovators and would continue to strengthen such interactions in the future.