All conspiracies to weaken Congress will be defeated : Warring Reaffirms, party united; only alternative to incompetent AAP Says, AAP using people to divert attention from brutal abuse of power Chandigarh 9 December ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today asserted that all conspiracies aimed at weakening the Congress in Punjab will be defeated. “Current controversy has been created to divert the public attention and shift the discourse from the AAP’s brutal abuse of police force in the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections”, he noted while pointing out, the AAP was on defensive and such sensational but baseless claims may provide them a breather from public scrutiny. “When everyone was talking about the abuse of police force and the AAP was not having any answers, the attention was instantly diverted with sensational claims which have no base or truth in them”, he noted, while adding, “both the BJP and the AAP are masters ...
Smart India Hackathon 2025, World’s Largest Open Innovation Platform and Initiative by the Government of India, Begins at Manav Rachna, Haryana’s Only Nodal Centre
Smart India Hackathon 2025, World’s Largest Open Innovation Platform and Initiative by the Government of India, Begins at Manav Rachna, Haryana’s Only Nodal Centre
Chandigarh 8 December ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : The 8th Edition of India’s largest student-driven innovation movement, Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025, commenced today with an inspiring inauguration ceremony at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), the only nodal centre in Haryana for this prestigious national event.
Organised by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), this year’s Software Edition brings together 180 students in 30 teams from across the country, competing at MRIIRS on six agriculture-linked problem statements provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare:
• Real-time crop image analytics for PMFBY
• Millet value chain digitalisation
• Early detection of wheat diseases
• Yield estimation using high-resolution models
• Technology-enabled productivity enhancement
• Real-time monitoring of crop residue management machinery
The inauguration was graced by Shri Naresh Kumar Grover, Director of AICTE, who addressed the students on cultivating innovation and problem-solving skills. And the early morning inaugural session was also attended by Dr. Sudheer Kumar, Chief Operating Officer of the National Center for Flexible Electronics at IIT Kanpur, as Chief Guest and Ms. Dipakshi Mehandru, Director – India Government Affairs, Intel Corporation as Guest of Honour.
Dr. Sudheer Kumar said, “India’s AgriTech landscape is filled with opportunity, and it is young innovators like youwho will rewrite its future. With more than half of our population dependent on agriculture, real-time data, IoT-driven insights, and sustainable solutions are not just ideas, they are necessities. Every breakthrough begins with a thought that once seemed impossible. I hope this hackathon becomes the launchpad for the next big leap in India’s agricultural transformation.”
Dipakshi Mehandru added, “A hackathon is not just about code, it is about courage, clarity and collaboration. Over the next 36 hours, some ideas will work, and many won’t, but every attempt moves you closer to what truly matters. Be proud of trying and humble in learning. The faster you fail, the faster you discover your direction. Trust your team, align early, and focus deeply. Innovation is a mindset, and the fact that you are here already sets you apart.”
Dr. Sanjay Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, Manav RachnaInternational Institute of Research and Studies remarked, “For the next 36 hours, give your heart and mind to the work at hand. As the Bhagavad Gita teaches: you have control only over your actions, not the outcomes. Work with sincerity and dedication for agriculture, farmers, and the nation, and may this effort bring pride to yourselves, your families, and your institutions.”
Dr. Umesh Dutta, CEO, Manav Rachna Innovation and Incubation Foundation said “Plants sustain life, and agriculture sustains our nation. Supporting farmers means supporting innovation, sustainability, and a resilient future. When we strengthen agriculture, we strengthen India. This hackathon empowers young innovators to contribute to that mission with ideas that can make a real difference.”
Nationwide, SIH 2025 features 1,360 finalist teams, representing 8,160 students from 727 institutes, competing across Software and Hardware categories. While the Software Edition is being conducted on December 8–9 at nodal centresacross India, the Hardware Edition will continue until December 12, enabling teams to develop prototypes and refine their solutions.
In addition to hosting the hackathon, three teams from ManavRachna University are participating at other nodal centresacross the country. Their selected problem statements focus on areas such as environmental education, cultural-tech solutions for classical dance, and AI-enabled cyber safety tools for defence applications, reflecting the university’s emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and research-driven innovation.
Smart India Hackathon 2025 continues to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem by enabling young talent to work on real-world challenges across domains such as Space Technology, Renewable Energy, Cybersecurity, MedTech, Robotics & Drones, Smart Automation, DefenceTechnology, Smart Education, and AgriTech. The successful commencement at MRIIRS underscores Haryana’s pivotal role in nurturing future-ready innovators and advancing national technological progress.
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