About AICTE
Regulating the study norms is quite essential in the present age. Every nation has a specific body that looks after the educational system in the country. Maintaining and upgrading educational institutes ensures that the youth gets the right information. Since technical developments are growing day by day, the educational institutes need to step up accordingly. That is how they will be able to create a human resource that understands the market tendency. Certainly, with this viewpoint, every nation has its educational dynamics covered under the umbrella of monitoring entities. Some entities even help the educational institutes to develop. And even some offer ease plans, such as scholarships to the students of various institutes.
In India, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) sets such an example. AICTE works under the department of higher education India and human resource development ministry. Further, AICTE takes the responsibility to monitor the technical educational criteria in the country. Moreover, it analyzes the syllabus and helps educational institutes to upgrade it. In addition to that, there are numerous other operations that AICTE performs.In a way, it is one of the backbones of technical education in India. In addition to the efforts that AICTE has made so far, one of its notable initiatives includes Smart India Hackathon (SIH). It is a contest in which students from technical disciplines can participate and present their working on a project.
Here we are going to explain SIH, how it works, and how to participate in SIH contests.
SIH-Smart India Hackathon Key features/benefits
SIH is a process to groom the Indian technical students by helping the world. The contest brings worldly issues to discussion. And the students from various technology educational institutes form teams to work on those topics. Further, the process of SIH has plenty of benefits that every participating student can attain. Some benefits include:
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Resourcefulness:
The topics that are brought to the discussion help understand what issues are prevailing in the world. That makes the students learn how those problems come up and what could be the plausible solutions. It makes them resourceful over the universal platform. Certainly, when they move up to their professional life, they have enough experience that they can strategies the market plans with their learning.
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Team Engagement:
Students who work as a team have no trouble in their professional life. They can serve well in teams. As well as, they can create their teams. SIH lets pupils perform in the shape of a team. That allows them to learn the traits of team working, mutual understanding, and concept building as a team.
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Foresightedness:
When people work on global issues, they understand what may come next. There are numerous examples around the world. And even in India, there are plenty of examples. Banking reforms were set up in 1961, as some Indian bankers realized the future of the economy. Similarly, an IT hub was established in India based on the imminent progress channels. That all happened as the people behind those ideas worked on global issues of their times. Similarly, students who participate in SIH learn how to analyze the imminent issues. And they also learn the solutions to those problems.
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Mutual Learning:
This is one of the foremost benefits of SIH. The pupil that serve in teams has the chance to enhance their capability. For instance, every student working on Artificial Intelligence (AI) module may not have equal skills. Some might be good in design, while others may have the skills to align the scripts. But when they work together, they get the chance to observe and learn the skills they are not aware of.
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Empowerment:
Knowledge empowers youth! Making youth attain knowledge can enable them to reform their neighborhood. Indeed, every student attains certain skills that can empower them to enhance their living standards, along with the living standards of their neighbors. In a way, such actions may appear trivial. But when the effort is put by the entire country, a national reform takes place.
The main service of SIH is to organize a contest among students from technology institutes. It combines with various government and non-government organizations to set up the contest. Further, AICTE introduced SIH to promote technical awareness in the country. Testing the technical abilities makes the students keep about learning technology. And doing so, they enhance their skills. Indeed, that may not happen, if they just have to qualify their grades. To make the process lucrative, AICTE thought of a plan that can make the students develop their skills. Well, every human has a different mindset. Some prefer working just to get qualified, and they aim nothing. Some love to be distinctive. And for the remaining at the top is blissful. But some love winning to gain something. AICTE acknowledged all such mindsets an added attraction to SIH accordingly. Such as, the winners, runner-up, and the qualifiers are awarded.
The award types are not limited to certificates, deeds, trophies, or medals. It extends to money prizes that the winning members achieve. Along with that, there are various other attractions available for the participants.
SIH Eligibility
SIH is strictly a team competition. Individuals are not eligible to participate in this competition. The eligibility criteria rest on the institutions. The AICTE accredited institutions are allowed to participate in the SIH contest. They have to shortlist the teams and send over their selections to SIH. Further, the formation of teams should be versatile. Such as, if the contest is relevant to an industrial process, it should have 6 contestants, along with 1 female member. Additionally, contestants should not belong to a single discipline. Instead, there should be variations as per the requirement. Like for an industrial process, there should be electrical, automation, mechanical engineers along with software developers to help them computerize the process.
When it comes to software development projects, institutes can form teams based on skillset. Such as they can add in the members that have good knowledge of programming and implementation. Further, upon completion of the project, the college should submit the work to SIH. The date for submission is notified to the college administration. Also, it is available on the SIH website. Next comes the selection process. That rests with SIH. SIH has a dedicated team to examine and analyze the workings of the teams. They score the projects and update the scores with SIH.
How to download SIH applications?
There are no downloadable applications available for SIH. Any individual interested in participating in the SIH contest can create their account on their website. But to participate, they should inform their institute. The institute is required to form teams and send the participation request to SIH.
How to apply for SIH?
As SIH is a team contest, the applicants should inform their education institute to put them in a team. The educational institutes form teams and send the participation request ahead. The team criteria require variation. Each institute should put members of different disciplines in their teams. And the teams will move ahead to work on a project.
Documents needed
There are no specific documents required to participate in SIH. However, if there is any requirement set by the educational institute that has nothing to do with SIH. The only thing that SIH requires is the working notes and the project to create their analysis and score the working.
More about scheme
The history of SIH begins with AICTE. AICTE is one of the oldest organizations performing in India. It was formed back in 1945, in November. The reason to form this organization was to advise on technical knowledge in the country. For nearly 42 years AICTE advised the governments in India with technical knowledge in the country. However, in 1987, the Indian government realized the importance of such institutes. They promoted the rights of AICTE to a statutory level. The upgrades made AICTE responsible for planning, implementation, and coordination of technical and managerial education in the country.
AICTE has been working on various reforms of technical education in India. In doing so, AICTE introduced various reforms. Such as in 2016, AICTE began to solve issues with SWAYAM. Further, in the same year, AICTE introduced SIH. SIH was designed to help the youth of India to understand and implement the technology. Subsequently, in the next year, the first contest of SIH was held. Besides, AICTE has plenty of other reforms that are helping technical institutes in India to groom the students are per the prevailing trends.
Conclusion
SIH from AICTE is a splendid version to transform the youth of India towards technology. It is one of the finest solutions suggested by AICTE. We have seen similar programs introduced in various other countries. Such as the math contests and software development quiz in some Asian countries. Indeed, these contests are lucrative for all those who want prize monies. But for those who seek knowledge, it is still less. Hopefully, India will also introduce various other programs that will help the students of every age.
AICTE Official Website: https://www.aicte-india.org/
Smart India Hackathon (SIH) Official Website: https://www.sih.gov.in/