The purpose of this article is to inform the reader about the annual military exercise, titled ‘Exercise Hand-in-Hand,’ carried out jointly between India and China, as well as the national challenge launched by the National e-Governance Division of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with Intel India for youths in India. The challenge is named ‘Ideate for India – Creative Solutions using Technology’.
Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018
The Exercise Hand-in-Hand is an annual military event hosted alternately by India and China, focusing on honing military skills and fostering close ties between both nations’ armies. This exercise is a testament to their commitment to maintain peace and tranquility near their border regions.
The Exercise Hand-in-Hand for 2018 was slated for December 10th to 23rd, held in Chengdu, China. The main objective of this annual venture is to enhance the joint exercise command’s ability to take under control the military contingents of both nations. Each year’s exercise seeks to solidify and build upon the relations between the two countries’ armies.
Ideate for India – Creative Solutions using Technology
Moving beyond military exercises, the Indian government is also committed to nurturing the creativity and problem-solving abilities of the nation’s youth. In a joint venture with Intel India, the National e-Governance Division of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has rolled out a National Challenge for Youths – “Ideate for India – Creative Solutions using Technology.”
The primary goal of the National Challenge is to provide a platform for school students across India to become solution creators for problems they observe in their surroundings and communities. This challenge is open to students from classes 6 through 12 from all 29 states and 7 Union Territories, aiming to reach at least a million youth over the following three months.
Eleven Core Theme Areas
The challenge is built around eleven core theme areas. Students are encouraged to generate and share their ideas on these diverse subjects such as healthcare services, education services, digital services, environment, women safety, traffic, infrastructure, agriculture, social welfare, disability, and tourism.
Facts About the Challenge
| Number of States | Number of Union Territories | Targeted Reach | Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 7 | 1 Million Youths | 6-12 |
Ideate for India: A Step Ahead
This challenge breaks new ground by encouraging the younger generation to be not just passive consumers of knowledge and technology but active contributors as well. By giving them an opportunity to come up with creative solutions to everyday problems using technology, the initiative aims to promote innovation and a problem-solving mindset among the youth, shaping them into the leaders of tomorrow.