The Smart Solutions Challenge and Inclusive Cities Awards 2022 recently made it to the news as they were presented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. These awards and challenges shed light on innovative technologies and solutions that aim to make urban life more convenient and accessible.
Key Highlights from the Event
The event was marked with several highlights, especially concerning the winners in different categories. One such winner was Glovatrix Pvt. Ltd., which received an award in the category of early-stage innovations for its product “Fifth Sense”. This wearable technology product uses sensors and artificial intelligence to transform sign language gestures into speech and text.
Next, Dextroware Devices Pvt. Ltd., received acknowledgment for their market-ready solution called Mouseware. It is a head-wearable device allowing users hands-free control over computers and smart gadgets.
In the category of implemented solutions, Belagavi Smarty City’s system was honored with the top prize. This system facilitates those with disabilities to access education and healthcare more conveniently.
About the Awards
The Smart Solutions Challenge is a notable initiative by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and the United Nations (UN)) in India. The goal is to find creative ideas, technologies, products, and business solutions to address city-level inclusion and accessibility challenges faced by persons with disabilities, women and girls, and the elderly.
These solutions are crucial in incorporating universal design, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals’ target 11.7, which aims at creating safe, inclusive, and accessible green public spaces for vulnerable communities.
National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
Located in New Delhi, India, NIUA is an institute dedicated to research, training, and information dissemination in urban development and management. Established in 1976 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, NIUA operates as an autonomous body supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, State Governments, urban and regional development authorities, and other urban issue-focused agencies.
Other Urban Development Initiatives
In addition to the awards and challenges, there are several other initiatives underway to foster urban development. These include Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs), Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework 2.0, India Smart Cities Fellowship Program, and TULIP-The Urban Learning Internship Program.
Smart India Hackathon 2017
The Smart India Hackathon 2017 was a digital product development competition that lasted for an uninterrupted 36-hour duration. Thousands of technology students teamed up to create digital innovations for various problems identified by 29 different Ministries/Departments of the Government of India. The winning teams received support to transform their ideas into startups along with cash prizes. The event marked the first time government departments interacted directly with students, challenging them to devise digital solutions to improve their efficiency and eliminate corruption.
