Overview

It is mandatory to download and use this idea submission template to submit your idea.

Click here for a guide on HOW TO FORM YOUR TEAM. Team of minimum 3 members is mandatory. Team size can be between 3-5 members.

Connect with us on our Discord to interact with team members and get the latest updates!

In the last few years the digital landscape in India has rapidly evolved to touch the lives of millions of citizens. Examples include revolutionary technologies and digital infrastructure like UPI for digital financial transactions making money transfers seamless and platform agnostic and ONDC for enabling an open ecosystem for e-commerce in India where every buyer and seller gets an opportunity to discover each other as per their preferences and service innovation thus providing equal opportunities to all. It is always such revolutionary ideas that open possibilities in not just one but multiple domains.

Now is the time to expand beyond what we’ve already achieved. India now needs lot more solutions based on Open Protocols, which can transform the landscape by providing equitable access to everyone across platforms. Solutions which not just eliminate monopolies, but also increase cross-platform interoperability and enable equitable and trustworthy discovery of opportunities.

With the vision to provide an equitable and seamless discovery of upskilling services, scholarships, mentorship & job opportunities across different platforms in a convenient, easy, quick and secure manner, EkStep Foundation and DSEP (Decentralized Skilling and Education protocols) community are thrilled to announce Skill-A-Thon 1.0 - a one-of-its-kind hackathon. Work on innovating today, for a better tomorrow!

We invite individuals/organizations/teams to participate in Skill-A-Thon 1.0 to develop and test various solutions, upskilling, learning, teaching, connecting mentors and mentees, hiring and finding jobs, and everything else you can imagine and create.

This hackathon is your opportunity to change India’s education and skilling landscape, one idea at a time!

About DSEP

DSEP, which stands for Decentralized Skilling and Education Protocol, is working to transform the country's skilling and livelihood sectors by following the principles laid out by NDEAR (National Digital Education Architecture) and leveraging open-source Beckn Protocols. DSEP is currently focused on developing open-source specs to enable the discovery of Jobs & Internships, Courses & Training, Tutors & Mentors, Scholarships & Grants and a lot more. Imagine a student, learner or job seeker being able to leverage an open ecosystem to discover a suitable job, mentor, course or any such opportunity all at one place. Such freedom of choice with trust and equitable discovery can provide them with the right opportunities at the right time to further their learning journey and career graph. This open ecosystem would not only make the search for a suitable service provider easy but also bring transparency in terms of pricing, and service offerings and facilitate the entire selection, booking and payment transaction flow in a unified user experience.

What makes Skill-A-Thon 1.0 one of its kind?

Skill-A-Thon 1.0 roots for a vision and an idea with the capability to transform lives. Apart from the prizes listed below, Skill-A-Thon offers participants an opportunity to:

Showcase skills to imagine and innovate to industry leaders and experts
Learn about open protocols and how it can be leveraged to establish cross-platform interoperability with minimum effort.
Develop and co-create solutions to solve some of the most pressing at hand problems the skilling and education sector faces today.
Make a difference because just one idea can transform sectors and lives and stand out.

Program Schedule

What’s in for you?

The winners stand a chance to win a lot more, should you be one of them, this is all that is up for grabs!

The thrill of winning prizes of up to INR 3 lakh in each category from a total prize pool of INR 16 lakh.
The chance to present your ideas to none other than Mr. Nandan Nilekani.
Verifiable digital credentials to not just strengthen your skills but also your resume.
And let’s not forget the ultimate bragging rights on social media!

Besides that, all the participants who submit ideas in Phase 1 will get digital certificates for participation and the best idea from Phase 1 would also get a special recognition and a chance to interact with the industry leader like Mr. Nandan Nilekani.

Announcement of Results

All results will be announced on the Skill-A-Thon 1.0 page and will also be communicated via emails.

A winning ceremony will be conducted for all the winners where they will get to present to Mr. Nandan Nilekani.

Connect with us on our Discord to get the latest updates!

For more information, connect us on innovate@sunbird.org.

Themes

It is mandatory to download and use this idea submission template to submit your idea.

User Personas

The following user journeys are articulated to help participants relate to the challenge statements better and are examples of some personas that can be found in the education and skilling ecosystem. Think of these user journeys as you look at the challenges. However, do not let these restrict you as there could be multiple such user journeys across varied personas and domains that you can choose to define as part of the hackathon.

Madhumita: An aspiring girl looking to build her career

Madhumita is an 18-year-old girl from a low-income family in Patna who has just completed her 12th Board. She aspires to get a computer job to support her family but is not sure how to proceed. Madhumita attempts to find mentors to guide her in achieving her goal. The mentor recommends certain courses related to computers for Madhumita to take up. Madhumita searches for those courses and enrolls in one of them. While enrolling, she discovers that there are scholarships available that can help her fund her training. She finds a scholarship that she is eligible for and applies for it. She completes the training. Furthermore, she then searches for computer jobs relevant to her skills. She applies to one or more of them by uploading her resume and other credentials. She receives a job offer and starts her career.

Srikrishna: A data analyst in a Bangalore startup

Srikrishna works as a data analyst for a startup in Bangalore. He has a natural interest in computers and is quite adept at Excel. He wants to give back to society and help those in need. He is always ready to offer mentorship and guidance to young students who are looking to start their careers.

Ramesh: Owner of a computer training institute in Patna

Ramesh owns a computer training institute in Patna. The institute has a range of computer courses from basic to advanced that constitutes physical and virtual training programs. The training program may vary from full-time campus-based training programs to online virtual or distant training programs as well as hybrid programs that may need a combination of physical and virtual training. He is always looking for ways to increase his outreach and expand his business seeking more student admissions and enrollments.

Deepika: Head of CSR at a leading Indian conglomerate

Deepika is the Head of CSR at a leading Indian Conglomerate based out of Jharkhand. She has multiple CSR programs offering training and livelihood support for young women, especially in Bihar and Jharkhand. She is always looking for ways to reach out to the right and deserving candidates who need financial support.

Partha: Head of HR at a data entry back office looking for interns and prospective employees

Partha is the Head of HR at a data entry back office based out of Kolkata. The company helps young talent earn a livelihood by doing data entry to turn raw information into high-quality structured data for machine learning and artificial intelligence applications. Partha is always looking to recruit sincere, dedicated young talent who are in need of a livelihood.

Robin: Contractor looking for workers for home improvement and construction services

Robin is a contractor who takes up projects around home improvement and construction services. Robin keeps looking for skilled workers/individuals like painters, carpenters, architects, electricians, plumbers, gardeners and wallpaper installation etc.

Ram: A skilled worker looking for relevant projects/jobs matching his skill set

Ram is a blue-collar skilled worker trained in multiple skills around home improvements, construction, and interior designing support work. Ram got himself registered on a BPP that helps in finding work opportunities /projects for GIG/blue-collar workers and is waiting for an appropriate contractor/employer.