PANAJI
The Goa Police’s annual hackathon witnessed a surge in registrations this year with 128 teams and 451 participants from 22 colleges including three institutions from another State competing for the top spot.
Abstract submissions also saw an impressive rise recording 102 entries, of which 32 teams were shortlisted for the final round. BITS Pilani, Goa, partnering with Goa Police in the initiative, has the largest participation of 12 teams.
Director General of Police Alok Kumar identified three key areas where policing faces major challenges -- national security, citizen engagement and data-driven efficiency while emphasizing the need for technological innovation to modernize police operations and enhance their effectiveness.
The hackathon is centred around nine problem statements set by Goa Police, focusing on improving operational efficiency, tackling cybercrime and utilizing technology for crime detection and prevention.
The 48-hour event, which began at 7 pm on Friday, September 27, will conclude at the same time on September 29. Teams will present their working prototypes to an expert panel for evaluation.
Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta (Cyber Crime) recognised Amarsh Chaturvedi, co-founder of ‘Productive AI’, for his contributions to smart city planning and AI-based data analysis; adding that hackathon follows recommendations made at the police higher-ups at the annual conference, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to harness technology in addressing policing challenges.
The organisers have announced cash prizes of Rs 50,000 for each problem in Set A and Rs 25,000 for each problem in Set B.
