Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Smart India Hackathon 2017?
- 1.It is a centrally sponsored scheme for developing every city of our country into Smart Cities in a decade.
- 2.It is an initiative to identify new digital technology innovations for solving the many problems faced by our country.
- 3.It is a programme aimed at making all the financial transactions in our country completely digital in a decade.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
Smart India Hackathon is a competition, not a scheme or a digitisation target: ministries post real problems and student teams build technology solutions to them. The first edition, SIH 2017, was held on 1–2 April 2017 with 598 problem statements from 29 ministries and departments.
- ✗ 1. The hackathon builds no cities. The centrally sponsored programme for urban renewal is the separate Smart Cities Mission, which covers 100 selected cities, not every city.
- ✓ 2. Its stated aim is to give students a platform to solve pressing everyday problems and to build a culture of product innovation, using problem statements set by government departments.
- ✗ 3. The hackathon sets no target for digital payments; promoting cashless transactions was the work of other initiatives such as Digital India and UPI-based payments.
Remember · Smart India Hackathon (first held 1–2 April 2017): students solve problem statements posted by ministries; a hunt for tech innovations, not a scheme.
Sources
- Smart India Hackathon (official site), What is SIH? ↗ “Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative to provide students with a platform to solve some of the pressing problems we face in our daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem-solving.”
- Smart India Hackathon, SIH 2017 edition page ↗ “Smart India Hackathon 2017 (1st to 2nd April 2017) SIH 2017 Impact SIH 2017 our Reach 598 Problem Statements 29 Ministries & Departments”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·