Govt launches 'ToyCathon 2021' to make India a global hub for toy manufacturing

NewsBharati    06-Jan-2021 12:27:13 PM
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New Delhi, January 06: Moving in the direction to develop India as the global toy manufacturing hub, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani launched a virtual toy hackathon named ‘ToyCathon 2021’. Toycathon is aimed to conceptualize innovative toys based on the Indian value system which will inculcate positive behaviour and good value among the children.
 
While briefing the media in New Delhi, Irani stated that India imports 80 percent of toys and the government is working towards promoting the indigenous toy industry for making the country self-reliant in this sector.
 
 
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She added that the collaboration with the Ministry of Education paves the way for the participation of students, faculties from all schools, colleges, and universities of the country with regards to the needs of the MSME industry in our country.
 
 
 
“This is the first time when school children will innovate, design and conceptualise toys also for specially-abled ‘divyang children’,” said Irani. Students and faculty members participating in Toycathon can get prizes up to ₹50 lakh, she added.
 
During the launch, Pokhriyal said, "The ToyCathon2021 is being organised to create awareness among school students about the rich cultural heritage of our country. The toys market is Rs 7 lakh crores in the world. In our country, 80% of the toys are imported. I hope this would prove a milestone in the foundation of self-reliant India.”
 
Further adding he said, "Aligned with the goals of National Education Policy, the Toycathon aims to capture innovative prowess of 33 crores students across the country."
 
 
 
 
According to the government, this will be a giant lead in the path of becoming ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat.' This will greatly help India develop into a global hub for toys and games, it will also help our children to understand the ethos and values of Indian culture as envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020.
 
About Toycathon 2021:
This is a special kind of hackathon where students and teachers from schools and colleges, design experts, toy experts, and startups will get together to crowdsource ideas for developing toys and games that are based on Indian culture and ethos, local folklore, and heroes, and Indian value systems.
 
There will be two categories for the Toycathon, one is for online toys and another for physical toys. Toycathon is aimed to conceptualize innovative toys based on the Indian value system that will inculcate positive behaviour and good value among the children.
 
The Toycathon is based on nine themes and will have 3 variants of tracks of Junior Level, Senior Level, and Startup Levell that will allow the participation of students and teachers from schools, colleges, and universities apart from startups and toy experts.
 
Participants will have two options for idea submission, they can either submit ideas for the published problem statements or under novel toy concepts category.