Toycathon 2021

In News

Recently, the Prime Minister of India interacted with the participants of Toycathon-2021 via video conferencing.

•  A total of five teams presented their unique toy and gaming ideas during the live video conference.

Objectives and Significance

• India, despite being a home of many globally popular games like Chess, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, is not among leading developers and manufacturers of toys.
• Globally, toy-making is a $100 billion industry, with China, the USA, Germany and Japan as the key players.
•  India imports 80 to 85 percent of its annual $1.5-billion toy market.
  • Moreover, the majority of these toys do not represent Indian heritage, civilization and value systems.
• India’s domestic market, as well as the global toy market, offers a huge opportunity to our manufacturing sector. 
•  Toycathon 2021 is aimed at boosting the toy Industry in India to help it capture a wider share of the toy market.
• Toys can be an excellent medium to further the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’,
  • “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” was announced by the Prime Minister in 2015 to  enhance the understanding and bonding between the States, thereby strengthening the unity and integrity of India.

About Toycathon 2021

• It is a special kind of hackathon where students and teachers from schools and colleges, design experts, toy experts and start-ups will crowdsource ideas for developing toys and games.
• It will be based on Indian culture, ethos, folklores, heroes and value systems.
• It is an inter-ministerial initiative organized by 
  • the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell with support from All India Council for Technical Education.
  • Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
  • Ministry of MSME
  • Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 

• Focus of Toycathon 2021
  • Toy/Games concepts based on Indian civilization, heritage, culture, mythology,history, ethos, technology, ethnicity, national heroes and important events .
  • Inculcate positive behaviour and good values(‘Sanskaar’).
  • Toys for specially-abled/ Divyanga children.
  • Boosting physical and mental fitness.
  • Using eco-friendly, indigenous, non-hazardous or recycled material.
  • Focus on promoting Vedic Mathematics.
  • Encouraging national unity and respecting cultural diversity. 
  • Supporting missions like Swatch Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Environment Conservation, Climate Change, Digital India, Skill India, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. 
  • Toys for pedagogy (for teaching students difficult concepts in Math, Science, Languages, Social Sciences, etc.)  

Source :IE