Officials along with the participants during the closing ceremony of the SAMARTH Northeast Innovation Hackathon 2026 held at NIELIT, Kohima on April 11. (DIPR Photo)
Kohima, April 11(MExN): The closing ceremony of the SAMARTH Northeast Innovation Hackathon 2026 was held at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Kohima on April 11. The programme was organised by NIELIT Kohima.
Principal Director, School Education, Shashank Pratap Singh, IAS, who attended as the special guest, said the School Education Department would extend full support and cooperation to such initiatives.
He described the hackathon as a recognition of the efforts of NIELIT Kohima and emphasised that hackathons are more about collaboration than competition.
Singh appreciated the practical ideas presented by the participants and highlighted two key aspects—clarity of thought, stating that innovation must have a purpose and address real societal problems, and the need for energy-efficient solutions, noting that most modern models are energy-intensive.
He said collaborative efforts among young innovators would make their ideas more relevant to society and stressed that innovations should address local issues.
Concluding his address, he remarked that learning is a continuous process and knowledge must be shared among peers. He also referred to India’s target for 2047, stating that it can be achieved through innovation and collaboration.
Director, NIELIT Assam and Nagaland, L. Lanuwabang, in his address, said every innovation begins with a simple idea and small steps can eventually grow into significant products in the market.
He said the SAMARTH initiative starts at the school level, focusing on converting theoretical knowledge into practical solutions. In the current AI-driven era, he noted, there is an emphasis on developing compact innovations with maximum features.
Lanuwabang said the initiative was made possible through collaboration between NIELIT and the Northeastern states, with various experiments being developed in e-content. He added that SAMARTH aims to scale up at the national level and expressed satisfaction that it began in the Northeastern region.
He further said one of the key objectives of SAMARTH is to map each student’s potential by understanding their calibre, behaviour, strengths and analytical abilities, adding that with commitment and unity, nothing is impossible.
The event also saw the announcement of results of the Hackathon 2026, which witnessed participation from 13 teams.
PM Shri School, Mizoram, secured the first position, followed by PM Shri School, Thahekhu, Dimapur, in second place, while Jalukbari Higher Secondary School, Guwahati, bagged the third position. All other participants were awarded consolation prizes.
The programme began with a welcome address by Additional Director, NIELIT, Daniel Meren, followed by presentations from students highlighting their experiences under the SAMARTH programme, covering themes such as innovation, AIoT and robotics.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Joint Director, NIELIT Kohima, Dr Monita Wahengbam.
