CSIR’s EPIC Hackathon-2024: Sustainable solutions in health, clean & green energy

New Delhi: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched the EPIC (Empowering pupil innovation and creativity) Hackathon on January 5th, 2024 under the program Jigyasa.

The theme of this EPIC Hackathon event is “Vigyan Se Viksit Bharat” –which inculcate the culture of inquisitiveness, innovation and scientific temper among the school students to address the challenges to the country through Science and Technology.

During the online launching program, Dr. Geeta Vani Rayasam, Head of CSIR-HRDG, provided insights into the CSIR Jigyasa program, emphasizing its commitment to nurturing scientific curiosity among students. She said that more than 5 lakh students and teachers benefited with this CSIR Jigyasa program.

Prof. Rishikesha T Krishna, Director of IIM Bangalore, launched the portal and delivered the keynote address.  He highlighted the significance of the EPIC initiative in inspiring the next generation of scientists and innovators. He said innovation is not a one-time activity, you should cultivate it as an ability which can use throughout your life. He guided students for excellence innovation to choose the right problem of society and solve it in better way.

The program featured enlightening talks by Dr. Radha Rangarajan, Director CSIR-CDRI, focusing on the concept of One Health. She drew the attention of participants towards the Antimicrobial resistant (AMR), a silent pandemic throughout worldwide. She gave ideas to breakthrough AMR and told them to come up with new innovation.

Dr. Ramanujan Narayan, Director CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneshwar continued the discussion with a deep dive into Clean and Green Energy, encouraging students to explore sustainable solutions. He informed students about green energy, hydrogen as future fuel and many more. He said, students just need to observe our surrounding nature, feel the right problem and come up with your innovative ideas and CSIR helps you to scientifically validate your ideas.

EPIC serves as a platform for budding student scientists to pursue innovation and develop novel ideas under the mentorship and guidance of experienced scientists. CSIR invites enthusiastic students to embark on this exciting journey of ideation, scientific exploration, and innovation.

Application submissions for the EPIC Hackathon will be open from January 5th to February 5th, 2024. The top 100 applicants will have the opportunity to participate in a summer internship, and work on their ideas under the mentorship of esteemed scientists. The top 5 winners will be felicitated around September 26, 2023.

Projects submitted for the hackathon must focus on the theme of “Clean & Green Energy and One Health.” Submissions will be categorized into junior (class 7th to 9th) and senior (class 10th to 12th) levels.

CSIR encourages students to unleash their creativity and contribute innovative solutions that address societal issues and enhance the quality of life. By participating in EPIC, students become integral contributors to the scientific advancements necessary for a brighter and more sustainable future.