Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that Young India is a storehouse of talent and brimming with innovative and creative solutions to the country’s problems, and with a little guidance students would go a long way in taking India forward amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the new global scenario that would emerge once the health crisis is over.

“It was a huge challenge to conduct the Hackathon in the times of coronavirus. It is amazing to see it happening despite the severe challenges. I congratulate the participants and the organizers for rising to the occasion and making the event possible,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi praised the concept of a rainfall prediction model that was put forward by one of the finalists and said that he appreciated the step and encouraged the student saying that the innovation if successful, would be of immense help to the farmers.

The Prime Minister was addressing students at the Smart India Hackathon 2020 grand finale, through video conferencing. This year, around 10,000 students are participating in the hackathon. The grand finale of Smart India Hackathon 2020 (Software) will be held from August 1 to 3.

The hackathon is being organised by the HRD ministry’s All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Persistent Systems and i4c.

The hackathon is a nationwide initiative to provide students with a platform to solve some of the pressing problems people face in daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem-solving.