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Q10 (IAS/2017) Science & Technology › ICT, AI, Cybersecurity & Emerging Tech › Science and technology initiatives Official Key

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Smart India Hackathon 2017 ? 1. It is a centrally sponsored scheme for developing every city of our country into Smart Cities in a decade. 2. It is an initiative to identify new digital technology innovations for solving the many problems faced by our country. 3. It is a programme aimed at making all the financial transactions in our country completely digital in a decade. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Result
Your answer: —  Âˇ  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is option B (Statement 2 only).

Smart India Hackathon 2017 was an initiative by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to discover new, disruptive digital technologies that could solve India's most pressing problems through an open [2]innovation model[1]. It was a 36-hour non-stop digital product development competition[3] where the Prime Minister addressed students across 26 locations in India on April 1, 2017[4].

Statement 1 is incorrect because Smart India Hackathon was not a scheme for developing Smart Cities. It was specifically a hackathon competition focused on digital innovation solutions.

Statement 3 is also incorrect as the hackathon was not aimed at making financial transactions digital. While one document mentions digital financial transactions, this reference is unrelated to the Smart India Hackathon initiative itself.

Therefore, only statement 2 accurately describes the Smart India Hackathon 2017.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2019-20/economicsurvey/doc/echapter.pdf
  2. [2] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2019-20/economicsurvey/doc/echapter.pdf
  3. [3] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1485484
  4. [4] https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/02/34-1.pdf
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Q. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Smart India Hackathon 2017 ? 1. It is a centrally sponsored scheme for develop…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 ¡ 10/10
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This is a classic 'Term Definition' question disguised as a policy question. The key was not memorizing the event details, but understanding the English word 'Hackathon' (a coding marathon) versus a 'Scheme' (long-term policy). It punishes those who confuse similar-sounding names (Smart India Hackathon vs Smart Cities Mission).

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Was Smart India Hackathon 2017 a centrally sponsored scheme to develop every city in India into Smart Cities within a decade?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Shri Javadekar said that Smart India Hackathon 2017 will be 36 hrs non-stop digital product development competition during which teams of ..."
Why this source?
  • Describes Smart India Hackathon 2017 as a 36-hour nonstop digital product development competition.
  • Frames SIH as an event-focused, product-development contest rather than a centrally sponsored urban development scheme.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"To engage people meaningfully in solving problems, the Ministry of Human Resource Development recently initiated the Smart India Hackathon – an open innovation model to discover new, disruptive technologies that could solve India’s most pressing problems."
Why this source?
  • States SIH was initiated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development as an open innovation model to discover disruptive technologies.
  • Characterizes SIH as a product development competition to solve pressing problems, not as a centrally sponsored Smart Cities rollout program.
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi addressed (through VC) students of Smart India Hackathon 2017 simultaneously across 26 locations in India, which was held on 1st April, 2017."
Why this source?
  • Notes the Prime Minister addressed students of Smart India Hackathon 2017 across 26 locations, indicating a nationwide event format.
  • Emphasizes SIH as a student-centered national hackathon rather than a centrally sponsored decade-long city development scheme.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 14: Infrastructure and Investment Models > Financing of Smart Cities: > p. 435
Strength: 5/5
“The Smart City Mission is operated as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) where Central Government contribution is matched by States and Urban Local Bodies (ULB). But these funds meet only a part of the project cost. Balance funds are expected to be mobilized from: • States/ULBs own resources from collection of user fees, land monetization, loans etc• Additional resources transferred through Fourteenth Finance Commission• Innovative finance mechanisms such as municipal bonds• Borrowings from financial institutions, including bilateral and multilateral institutions• Private sector through PPPs”
Why relevant

States that the Smart City Mission is operated as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) with central and state/ULB matching contributions.

How to extend

A student could use this to check whether the named programme in the statement (if it refers to the Smart City Mission) is indeed a CSS and then compare programme scope/targets to the claim about 'every city'.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > SMART CITY MISSION > p. 464
Strength: 5/5
“• The aim is to develop 100 smart cities.• The mission is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. • Under this, the four key ingredients for a developing urban ecosystem are institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure.”
Why relevant

Explicitly gives the aim of the Smart City Mission: to develop 100 smart cities and names the implementing ministry.

How to extend

A student could contrast the official target of 100 cities with the statement's claim of 'every city' to judge plausibility.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 14: Infrastructure and Investment Models > 2. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) > p. 437
Strength: 4/5
“In AMRUT, States have been made equal partners in planning and implementation of projects, thus actualizing the spirit of cooperative federalism. Under this Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), government has selected 500 cities for up-gradation. Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT were simultaneously launched and are interlinked. AMRUT adopts a project approach to ensure basic infrastructure services in 500 cities and towns while Smart Cities Mission adopts an area-based development approach (develop areas step-by-step) to promote 100 cities that provide core infrastructure and then adding on layers of smartness. AMRUT follows a "project-based" approach focussing on: • Water Supply• Sewerage and septage management• Storm Water Drainage to reduce flooding• Non-motorized Urban Transport• Green space/parks”
Why relevant

Describes AMRUT as a separate Centrally Sponsored Scheme selecting 500 cities and notes Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT were launched simultaneously and are interlinked but have different approaches.

How to extend

A student could infer that multiple central schemes targeted different (and limited) city sets rather than a single scheme covering 'every city', and could map the numbers (100, 500) against the total number of Indian cities to assess the 'every city' claim.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 14: Infrastructure and Investment Models > Financing of Smart Cities: > p. 436
Strength: 4/5
“Smart Cities are implemented through the establishment of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) at the city level. The SPV plans, appraises, approve, release funds, implement, manage, operate, monitor and evaluate the Smart City development projects. Each smart city has a SPV which is headed by a full time CEO and have nominees of Central Government, State Government and ULB on its Board. The SPV is a limited company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 at the city-level, in which the State/UT and the ULB are the promoters having 50:50 equity shareholdings. The private sector or financial institutions could be considered for taking equity stake in the SPV, provided the shareholding pattern of 50:50 of the State/UT and the ULB is maintained and the State/UT and the ULB together have majority shareholding and control of the SPV.”
Why relevant

Shows institutional design of Smart Cities (city-level SPVs, joint state/ULB equity) implying project-level, city-specific arrangements rather than a one-size-fits-all nationwide programme covering all cities.

How to extend

A student could reason that the SPV model is suited to selected cities and therefore use that pattern to question whether a single 2017 event would be the CSS for all cities.

INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Human Settlements > Smart Cities Mission > p. 19
Strength: 4/5
“The objective of the Smart Cities Mission is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment and give a decent quality of life to its citizens. One of the features of Smart Cities is to apply smart solutions to infrastructure and services in order to make them better. For example, making areas less vulnerable to disasters, using fewer resources and providing cheaper services. The focus is on sustainble and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model, which will act like a lighthouse to other aspiring cities. List the urban agglomerations/cities state-wise and see the state-wise population under this category of cities.”
Why relevant

States the objective of Smart Cities Mission: promote cities that provide core infrastructure and be a replicable 'lighthouse' model focused on compact areas.

How to extend

A student could use the 'lighthouse/replicable model' concept to argue the Mission targets demonstrative pilot cities (limited number) rather than immediate development of every city within a decade.

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