On August 23, 2023, India became the first nation to execute a successful lunar landing on the Southern surface of the moon. India created history by becoming the fourth country to execute a lunar mission. To commemorate this auspicious day, India has planned to observe National Space day on August 23, every year. It is all set to celebrate the first National Space day on August 23, 2024 with the theme ‘Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga’. The government of India and the Indian Space Research Organisation have planned to conduct various competitions that resonate with this theme. The Department of Space will also be conducting extensive celebrations across the country. As one of the major events, ISRO has announced Bhartiya Antriksh Hackathon (BAH) 2024, an open hackathon for all Indian students. The hackathon is organised to gather innovative solutions to tackle space problems. ‘The hackathon will present 12 problem statements on Geo-Spatial Applications from various ISRO centres. Teams of three-four students from undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programmes are invited to participate,’ , said ISRO. There is a thorough two-level screening process in place for the hackathon. First, based on the originality and applicability of their ideas to the issue statements, 100 teams will be selected for further consideration. After assessing these submissions, a panel of experts will choose 30 teams to move on to the final round. On August 13, 2024, at 10:00 AM IST, the NRSC Outreach Facility in Jeedimetla, Hyderabad, will host this finale, a 30-hour marathon. A web portal designed specifically for this hackathon was launched on July 4,2024 at 10 30 IST, by the chief of ISRO, Dr. S. Somnath, followed by a sweet address on the official YouTube channel of ISRO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9Q2P0dHKHQ Eligibility: UG, PG, PHD students HOW TO PARTICIPATE ? The hackathon can be accessed through the designated web portal. Below are the deadlines for the initial processes. July 26, 2024 - Proposal Submission Deadline August 2, 2024 - Announcement of shortlisted teams August 13, 2024 - GRAND FINALE The topics majorly encompass global issues like climate change. In addition to that, it also includes remote sensing, geospatial imagery etc. Stay tuned for further updates. ( the portal is yet to be updated) https://twitter.com/isro/status/1808458170836418753?s=48&t=rEtuSWRfb2qTTTXSwkvfSg Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs) 1.What is BAH? The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have organised the Bhartiya Antariksh Hackathon as part of National Space Day 2024 (NSpD), featuring 12 problem statements on Geo-Spatial Applications from centres NRSC, PRL, NESAC, SPL, and SAC. 2. What is the eligibility to participate in BAH? To participate in the hackathon, you must be a current student of any undergraduate, postgraduate or doctorate student in a recognized institution.
