IT Ministry starts hackathon to find solutions for coronavirus

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) on Friday started a 'hackathon' to find working solutions for overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Aim of this hackathon is to strengthen fight against COVID19.The winning ideas from few top participating teams, as implementable solutions on corona crisis is expected to help India and global citizens," MeitY said in a statement.

Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Communications and Human Resource Development Sanjay Dhotre while inaugurating the program said coronavirus has thrown unprecedented challenges for the world and industries alike.

"While we continue to fight these challenges as a nation, amidst business disruptions and remote working scenarios, it is important for all including governments, industry and individuals to contribute with all its might to overcome the present and emerge stronger as humanity," Dhotre said.

The minister said he has strong conviction that in an era where social distancing has become the new normal, digital solutions and products will reconnect the human race and thereby contribute to the economic recovery.

Over 2,000 teams and over 15,000 participants are participating in the 48-hour hackathon with expert mentoring from India, Estonia and Finland.

Top teams from India will participate in 'Hack the Crisis - World' global hackathon in the coming weeks.