**Executive Summary**
The National Statistics Office (NSO) is organizing the 36-hour Grand Finale of “STATATHON – A Data Journey for Viksit Bharat” on June 17–18, 2026, at MRIIRS, Faridabad. This national-level hackathon aims to modernize the official statistical ecosystem by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. The event concludes on June 18, 2026, with final presentations and the announcement of winners from 25 shortlisted teams.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Event Objectives and Organization**
* **Organizers:** Conducted by the NSO under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell.
* **Purpose:** To foster an innovation ecosystem involving academia, industry, and start-ups to build a future-ready statistical system for "Viksit Bharat."
* **Context:** This is the third hackathon in a series organized by the NSO to enhance intelligent analytics at scale.
**Technical Problem Statements**
* **Smart Survey Tools:** Development of AI-powered tools for intelligent questionnaire administration, real-time validation, and multilingual survey data collection.
* **Automation:** Creation of applications for automated data preparation, estimation, and analytical report writing to reduce processing time.
* **Data Security:** Enhancement of encryption and anonymization tools for NSS unit-level data to strengthen privacy while maintaining research utility.
* **Data Accessibility:** Development of API gateways to allow SQL queries on survey datasets with results retrieved in user-friendly formats like JSON.
* **Semantic Search:** Implementation of AI-enabled semantic search for the National Classification of Occupations (NCO) using natural language processing.
**Participation and Selection Process**
* **Initial Submissions:** The event received over 5,000 submissions from students and start-ups across India.
* **Shortlisting:** 50 teams were initially mentored by experts, which was narrowed down to 25 finalist teams (21 from academic institutions and four start-ups).
* **Grand Finale Structure:** Finalists will work for 36 hours under the guidance of mentors from the NSO, industry, and academia to develop scalable solutions.
**Impact Analysis**
**Finalist Teams (Academic Institutions and Start-ups)**
**Impact**
Teams gain access to expert mentorship from government and industry leaders to develop viable, impactful technological solutions.
**Action Required**
Participate in the 36-hour intensive Grand Finale on June 17–18, 2026, and deliver final presentations for evaluation.
**National Statistics Office (NSO) / MoSPI**
**Impact**
The NSO benefits from innovative solutions that improve the efficiency, accuracy, and security of the national statistical system.
**Action Required**
Provide technical guidance during the finale, evaluate the final presentations, and announce the winners on June 18, 2026.
**Official Statistical System / Researchers**
**Impact**
Stakeholders will eventually benefit from improved data discoverability, faster report generation, and enhanced data privacy protocols.
**Action Required**
No immediate action required, but they are the primary beneficiaries of the technologies developed during the STATATHON.
Key Entities Referenced
STATATHON – A Data Journey for Viksit Bharat: A national-level hackathon initiative aimed at modernizing India's statistical ecosystem through the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies.
National Statistics Office (NSO): The primary organizing body under MoSPI responsible for conducting the hackathon to enhance official statistical systems through innovation.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI): The central ministry responsible for building a future-ready statistical system and overseeing the integration of frontier technologies for intelligent analytics.
Innovation Cell, Ministry of Education: The collaborative government department that partnered with the NSO to organize the national-level STATATHON hackathon.
Faridabad: The central location hosting the 36-hour Grand Finale of the STATATHON at the Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies campus.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
NSO to Organise 36-Hour Grand Finale of
National-Level Hackathon “STATATHON – A Data
Journey for Viksit Bharat” on 17-18 June 2026
प्रव तथ: 16 JUN 2026 6:25PM by PIB Delhi
Modernising the national statistical ecosystem through the adoption of emerging technologies and
collaboration with academia, industry and start-ups has been one of the priority areas of the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). As an organisation committed to building a robust
and future-ready statistical system, MoSPI has been fostering an innovation ecosystem around frontier
technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enable intelligent analytics at scale.
The National Statistics Office (NSO), under MoSPI, in collaboration with the Innovation Cell of the
Ministry of Education, has organised the national-level hackathon, “STATATHON – A Data Journey for
Viksit Bharat”, with the 36-hour Grand Finale scheduled to be held on 17-18 June 2026 at the campus of
Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad. It is third in the
series of Hackathons organised by NSO, India.
For STATATHON, the following five problem statements have been identified in the areas of Artificial
Intelligence and modern digital technologies with direct relevance to the official statistical system:
I. AI-Powered Smart Survey Tool for Survey Data Collection
To enhance the efficiency, accuracy and quality of survey data collection through intelligent questionnaire
administration, real-time validation, automated monitoring and multilingual capabilities.
II. Application for Automated Data Preparation, Estimation and Report Writing
To reduce the time and effort involved in statistical processing of survey data while enabling faster
generation of reliable estimates and analytical reports.
III. Evaluation and Enhancement of Data Encryption/Anonymisation Adopted for NSS Unit-Level Data
and Development of an Encryption/Anonymisation Tool
To strengthen data privacy, confidentiality and secure dissemination while maximising the research utility
of unit-level data.
IV. Creating an API Gateway to Run SQL Queries on Survey Datasets and Retrieve Results in User-
Friendly Formats such as JSON
To facilitate customised access to official statistics, promote interoperability and support evidence-based
decision-making.
V. AI-Enabled Semantic Search for the National Classification of Occupations (NCO)
To enhance the discoverability and usability of occupational classifications through natural language-
based search.The hackathon has generated tremendous enthusiasm among students and start-ups across the country,
receiving over 5,000 submissions from innovators representing leading educational institutions and
emerging enterprises.
In the first phase of evaluation, 50 teams; ten teams for each problem statement were shortlisted and
mentored by domain & technical experts to help them develop viable and practical solutions.
Subsequently, based on a rigorous evaluation process involving experts from government and industry, 25
finalist teams, comprising five teams for each problem statement, have been selected to participate in the
36-hour Grand Finale. Of the 25 finalist teams, 21 teams represent academic institutions and four are start-
ups.
During the Grand Finale, participants will work intensively under the guidance of mentors and experts
from NSO, academia and industry to develop innovative, scalable and impactful solutions. The hackathon
will culminate on 18 June 2026 with presentations by the finalist teams and the announcement of winners.
Through STATATHON, NSO aims to foster innovation, strengthen collaboration among government,
academia and industry, and harness the power of emerging technologies to further strengthen India's
official statistical system in support of the vision of Viksit Bharat.
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Samrat
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