The Planning Commission concluded the Twelfth Plan Hackathon on 7th April, which is the first ever attempt of its kind by any Ministry in Government of India. This 32-hour marathon event was held in ten locations across the country and saw a total of 217 submissions from over a thousand participants in these locations. In addition, there was online participation, which will be judged over the coming week.
The competition was divided into three categories – applications, infographics and short films. The prize for the first place in the applications and short film categories was Rs 25,000, whereas for infographics it was Rs. 15,000. Second prizes and certificates of appreciation were also awarded. The list of winners in each of the locations can be found at https://data.gov.in/hackathon/winners.
Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and Adviser to Prime Minister, Sam Pitroda inaugurated the Hackathon on 6th April 2013. Thereafter, Member ArunMaira and sectoral advisers briefed the participants via webcast. In addition, Deputy Chairman, MoS Rajeev Shukla, and Secretary SindhushreeKhullar visited locations to encourage the participants. Mr.Ahluwalia commended the enthusiasm and energy of the participants, and invited feedback from the youth on the 12th Plan.
Participants prepared a variety of content focusing on health, rural development and agriculture, urban development, energy, water and environment, and the macroeconomic framework. Examples included health mappings, applications to compare Plan projections to actual performance, infographics on solid waste management, infant health and malnutrition, and short films on water management and government initiatives such as the National Health Mission.
The Hackathon was met with a great response from the participants and on the social media. During the event, #12thplan was trending among the top hashtags on Twitter in New Delhi. The event helped bridge the gap between the people and the plan. The event also generated significant content that will help further the cause of communicating the Plan to the people. Video briefings on each sector are available online for the public to view at www.youtube.com/PlanComIndia. Presentations on each sector are available on www.slideshare.com/PlanComIndia. Data sets from divisions of the Planning Commission are now available on http://www.data.gov.in. The Planning Commission actively used its recently launched Facebook (www.facebook.com/plancomindia) and Twitter (@PlanComIndia) platforms to generate interest and provide information to participants throughout the event. The Planning Commission will also use the content produced during the Hackathon to better communicate the 12th Plan to the people.
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