By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Monday addressed the inaugural ceremony of the ASEAN India Hackathon. Addressing on the occasion, Pokhriyal said that taking further the India and ASEAN ties the Ministry of Education has today launched the ASEAN-INDIA Hackathon.
He recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Singapore India Hackathon in 2019 had expressed his feelings about holding a hackathon with ASEAN Countries. He said this Hackathon will provide a unique opportunity to India and ASEAN countries to solve their common identified challenges under two broad themes of “Blue Economy” and “Education” and thereby provide an opportunity to forward their economic and cultural ties through collaboration in education, science and technology. This Hackathon will be enactment of six fundamental virtues of our civilisation: respect, dialogue, cooperation, peace, prosperity and innovation, he added.
Pokhriyal said India-ASEAN relations have its foundation in shared beliefs, religions, and culture. He said India being the largest democratic & demographic country of the region has moral responsibility to lead the ASEAN community. In this context he mentioned that India has been extending support to ASEAN countries by providing Covid vaccines. Highlighting the strong academic and research ties, he said several Indian universities like IIT-Delhi and Tezpur University host students from our ASEAN partner countries. The Government of India has also launched 1000 ASEAN PhD Fellowships exclusively for ASEAN citizens.
On National Education Policy 2020, Union Minister said NEP 2020, which was introduced after 34 years, will bring opportunities not only for India but for the whole world. Pokhriyal concluded by saying that following its philosophy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, India is strongly committed to playing a positive role towards ASEAN region and the whole world.
The ASEAN-INDIA Hackathon is an initiative taken by Ministry of Education on the clarion call of Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. The ASEAN India Hackathon is being organized online from 1st -3rd February 2021 and prize distribution will take place on 4th February 2021. This unique hackathon offers opportunities for all the 10 ASEAN countries and India to forward their economic and cultural ties through collaboration in education, science and technology.
