Grand Finale of Vimarsh 2023 - A National Hackathon on 5G in joint collaboration with BPR&D, DoT and TCOE Marks Success at MHA, North Block

New Delhi : The Grand Finale of the highly anticipated Vimarsh 2023, a national hackathon focusing on 5G technology, culminated with resounding success at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), North Block, New Delhi. Organized in joint collaboration with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TCOE), the event showcased innovative solutions aimed at addressing the challenges faced by Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).

The event commenced with Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla, IAS, Union Home Secretary, gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest. Among the distinguished attendees were Shri Balaji Srivastava, IPS, Director General, BPR&D, Shri Tapan Kumar Deka, IPS, Director, Intelligence Bureau, Dr. Neeraj Mittal, IAS, Secretary (Telecom), Smt. Rekha Lohani, Director (Modernisation), BPR&D, along with officers from MHA, BPR&D, TCOE/Deptt of Telecom, and the esteemed winners and runners-up of the hackathon.

The objective of Vimarsh 2023 was to find innovative solutions for addressing the challenges being faced by Law Enforcement Agencies. Nine problem statements were formulated in consultation with LEAs, DoT, TCOE, I4 C and BPR&D. These problem statements, along with detailed descriptions in multimedia format, were made available on the dedicated website, www.vimarsh.tcoe.in.

The hackathon comprised three stages of idea screening, with Stages I and II conducted virtually, and Stage III held in a physical mode at the private 5G testbed at IIT Madras, Chennai, from 21st to 22nd February 2024. During this phase, Proof of Concepts (PoCs) corresponding to each problem statement were demonstrated, with the jury comprising members from academia, BPR&D, I4C, DoT, and industry.

The Grand Finale saw the announcement of eight winning teams, each addressing one problem statement, and seven runners-up. Each winning team was awarded Rs. 1.5 Lakhs, while the runners-up received certificates of appreciation. Notably, no team qualified as the winner for Problem Statement No. 1, and there was no runner-up for Problem Statement No. 3.

To further support innovation, Rs. 2.5 lakhs have been earmarked for each problem statement to facilitate the productization of PoCs in collaboration with LEAs, enabling the development of prototypes incorporating feedback and necessary customization. BPR&D, designated as MHA’s Centre of Excellence for 5G applications and use cases, spearheaded this endeavour and the successful execution of the hackathon.

The Union Home Secretary, in his interaction with the winners, commended the collaborative efforts of BPR&D and the Deptt of Telecom, underscoring the significance of the hackathon in fostering innovation in the realm of 5G technology.