Lok Sabha Question No. 5 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-02
Subject: Agri India Hackathon
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Kotagiri Sridhar, Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari, Kuruva Gorantla Madhav, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Chandra Sekhar Bellana, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02/02/2021

## AGRI INDIA HACKATHON

5. SHRI SRIDHAR KOTAGIRI:

SHRI N. REDDEPPA:

SHRI KURUVA GORANTLA MADHAV:

DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR S.:

DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR BELLANA:

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  had  organized  an  Agri  India  Hackathon  to  accelerate innovations in the field of agriculture recently, if so, the details thereof including the aims and objectives behind the move;
- (b) the advantages of organizing agri-hackathon and the achievements made out of it;
- (c) the number of applications received for Agri-India Hackathon and the criteria fixed for selecting the winner;
- (d) the details of the innovations that were selected under such initiative;
- (e) the other steps taken to bring in fast and frugal solutions to tackle the big questions being faced by the farming community; and
- (f)  whether  this  national  initiative  will  bring  all  the  stake  holders  from  Industry  and Government and if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) Yes, Sir.  The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has started organising KRITAGYA-  a  National  level  hackathon  in  the  month  of  August,  2020  to  promote innovation in agriculture and allied sectors in the country.

(b) Advantages  of  organising  Agri-Hackathon    are  to  give  opportunity  to  the  students along with faculties, innovators for showcasing their innovative approaches & technologies in agriculture and allied sectors.

(c) Total  number  of  applications  received  for  this  event  are  784.    Evaluation  criteria comprises of uniqueness of the idea, its suitability, value proposition and plan to scale-up technology.

(d) Several  innovations  selected  under  this  initiative  focused  on  robotic  harvesting  of coconut  /  oil  palm,  real  time  detection  of  plant  diseases  and  simultaneous  site-specific application  of  pesticides  and  Women  friendly  equipment  for  small  farm  operations especially for sericulture and fish cutting.

(e) Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  put  in  place  an  Institutional mechanism  through  Research  Institutes,  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  and  Agriculture Universities (AUs) to address the problems being faced by the farming sector.

(f) Yes,  Sir.  Selective  innovative  ideas  can  be    provided  for  scaling  up  under  various governement schemes and initiatives.

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