Cyber Security Hackathon concludes; KAVACH 2023 winners walk away with Rs 20 Lakhs in prizes
KAVACH-2023 Cyber Security Hackathon, jointly organized by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) of Ministry of Home Affairs successfully concluded on 10th August, 2023.
Shri Tapan Deka, IPS, Director, Intelligence Bureau attended the valedictory session as Chief Guest. The three-day hackathon which started on 8th August, 2023 with the virtual inauguration ceremony at BPR&D Headquarters in New Delhi concluded in the same way at North Block, MHA, New Delhi.
The valedictory session was graced by Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, IAS, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Smt Sundari Nanda, IPS, Special Secretary, Internal Security, Sh Balaji Srivastava, IPS, DG, BPR&D, Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE, Smt. Rekha Lohani, IPS , Director, Modernization, BPR&D, Smt Anupama Nilekar Chandra, IPS, ADG, BPR&D, Shri Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary, AICTE and other dignitaries from Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Education.
KAVACH ended with innovations and solutions emerging to address pressing cyber security challenges. Participants from 106 teams participated in the Hackathon as they showcased their expertise in tackling 20 distinct problem statements provided by the (BPR&D and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
Addressing the valedictory session of KAVACH Hackathon 2023, Sh Balaji Srivastava, IPS, DG, BPR&D said, “The engagement with winners and participants of KAVACH 2023 does not end with this hackathon. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India plans to actively engage with all participants through an easy and supportive mechanism and SOP is being worked out at the bureau, which will stimulate the roadmap for incubation and commercialization of the ideas proposed during the hackathon. This approach will enable transformation of prototypes into full-fledged viable software solutions that can directly address the real issues.”
The hackathon showcased an impressive collaboration between various stakeholders, including mentors, AICTE officials, representatives from Innovation Cell, I4C, BPR&D, and Startup India. A total of 60 evaluators from diverse industries and academia lent their expertise to assess the solutions presented by the participating teams. The event was spread across five nodal centers, fostering an atmosphere of collective innovation and problem-solving:
• Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
• IES College of Technology, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
• Pillai College of Engineering, New Panvel, Maharashtra
• AMC Engineering College, Bengaluru, Karnataka
• GL Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
The winners of KAVACH-2023 demonstrated exceptional creativity and insight in addressing cyber security challenges. A total of INR 20 lakhs was awarded to the winning teams, with each problem statement garnering a prize of INR 1 lakh. This recognition not only encourages innovative problem-solving but also reinforces the commitment to bolstering cyber security measures.
Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, IAS, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, highlighted the importance of mentorship and guidance from BPR&D for the winning teams, ultimately leading to improved solutions for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
As societies worldwide embrace advanced technologies, the critical issue of cyber security has taken center stage. The prevalence of cybercrime, encompassing threats such as ransomware, phishing, online scams, and hacking, underscores the urgency to address these challenges. In pursuit of combating cyber threats, the hackathon encouraged innovative thinking, ideation, and execution. “We must move forward with innovation, ideation, and execution to combat cybercrime and threats,” stated AICTE Chairman Prof. T.G. Sitharam while addressing the valedictory session.
Towards the end of the event, Shri Tapan Deka, IPS, Director, Intelligence Bureau also addressed the gathering and interacted with the winners of hackathon from all 5 nodal centres.
Visit kavach.mic.gov.in to view the complete list of winners and other details related to the hackathon.