New Delhi, Oct 13 (NationPress) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan officially inaugurated the nation's largest school hackathon, 'Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025', on Monday, committing to foster global-level innovators within schools to contribute towards realizing Viksit Bharat by 2047.

“Achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 within the next 22 years is only possible through the innovations of today's schoolchildren,” he remarked.

He emphasized the need for new ideas across the country's economy, health services, education, agriculture, and environmental sectors, asserting that only the younger generation currently in school can offer these solutions.

The 'Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025', running from 10 AM to 11 PM on Monday, is designed to inspire the youth to become job creators, he stated.

“The resolve to become job creators is growing among the youth, which will bolster our economy,” he added.

This Buildathon marks the start of preparing the upcoming generation to embrace the responsibility of global innovation, aligning with the priorities set out in the New Education Policy 2025.

Described as India's largest student innovation initiative, this event is a significant step towards the vision of Viksit Bharat.

“This Buildathon represents an opportunity provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the youth to dream ambitiously about Viksit Bharat. I extend my gratitude to all students, mentor-teachers, parents, and education department officials for their roles in organizing this event,” he expressed.

The 'Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025' is a nationwide initiative inviting schools and teachers to empower students from classes 6 to 12 to exhibit their creativity and problem-solving abilities.

The event aims to enhance the culture of innovation at the school level by encouraging students to ideate or create prototypes based on four themes: Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, Vocal for Local, and Samriddh Bharat.

Jointly launched by the Ministry of Education and the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 has garnered enthusiastic participation from students across approximately 300,000 schools nationwide.

In a significant boost to the initiative, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a Test Pilot with the Indian Air Force and an ISRO Astronaut, who serves as the Brand Ambassador for the Viksit Bharat Buildathon, urged students via a video message to engage with the initiative and contribute to Atmanirbhar Bharat.

He encouraged students, emphasizing that the Buildathon provides a unique platform for students in Grades 6–12 to showcase their creativity. He stated that every idea, regardless of size, can contribute to shaping Viksit Bharat 2047. Students should think innovatively and create prototypes that tackle real-world challenges, including promoting Vocal for Local and harnessing the potential of Swadeshi.

The Buildathon features a prize pool of Rs 1 crore, which will be awarded to 10 national winners, 100 state winners, and 1,000 district winners.