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:
Explanation
Option (b) is correct because the Smart India Hackathon 2017 was a nationwide initiative launched by the Ministry of HRD to harness the creativity of students to identify digital technology solutions for various governance and societal problems. Statement 1 is incorrect as it confuses the hackathon with the "Smart Cities Mission," while Statement 3 is wrong because the event's scope extends far beyond financial transactions to include sectors like health, agriculture, and education. The core concept tested is the distinction between infrastructure-led urban development schemes and innovation-led digital platforms for problem-solving.