Ravangla, SIKKIM: September 8, 2025

The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Sikkim hosted its 3rd Internal Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025, organized by the Department of Computer Science & Engineering. The event, led by the student club DevCans, brought together the institute's top students to develop innovative solutions to some of India's most pressing problems.

The official inauguration ceremony, held on September 6, was a blend of tradition and future-forward thinking. The event began with a reverent Saraswati Vandana, followed by the institute’s Director, Prof. M. C. Govil’s powerful address. He connected the students’ efforts to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed India by 2047, emphasizing the critical role of future-ready skills, hands-on learning, and national initiatives like semiconductor development. He further highlighted how the Smart India Hackathon, under the aegis of the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, has become a flagship initiative to nurture creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship among students across the country.

This formal launch was preceded by a spirited induction session on August 29, which had set the stage for the intense competition. During the briefing given by Dr. Pratyay Kuila, President of DevCans, the prospective participants were informed about the hackathon’s rules—teams of six, including at least one female member, where the top-performing teams would earn a nomination for the national SIH finals. He also underscored the need to merge bold innovation with practical feasibility and cost-effectiveness. He acknowledged the constant support of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) in providing students with national-level platforms to showcase their skills.

The journey was further ignited by inspiring words from faculty mentors. Dr. Sangram Ray championed the hackathon as an “incubator for creativity and teamwork.” Other experts including Dr. Anjan Ray, Dr. Biswajit Roy, Dr. Varun Gupta, and Dr. Ankush Kumar spoke on specialized topics and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.

The guiding philosophy of the event was powerfully captured by Dr. Bam Bahadur Sinha, Vice President of DevCans, who urged students with a simple yet profound call to action: “Be innovative, be creative.”

This mantra clearly resonated, with a remarkable 45 teams registering to compete. Under the leadership of Dr. Pratyay Kuila (President, DevCans), Dr. Bam Bahadur Sinha (Vice President, DevCans) and mentorship from Dr. Diksha Rangwani, these teams engaged in intensive brainstorming and project-building sessions, aiming not just to win but to create solutions with tangible societal impact. The event also reflected the broader vision of the Ministry of Education, which continues to emphasize hackathons as a means of fostering design thinking, innovation, and problem-solving skills aligned with the goals of Digital India.

From campus to country, as the innovation engine at NIT Sikkim roared to life, the DevCans’ Internal SIH 2025 proved to be more than just a competition. It stood as a testament to the institute’s commitment to fostering a culture of problem-solving and leadership. For 24 hours, these 45 teams coded, designed, collaborated, innovated under pressure, and transformed their ideas into solutions that resonated with the heartbeat of the nation.

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MPS

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