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:

The correct answer is 2 only.

Let us analyze each statement regarding the Smart India Hackathon 2017:

1. Statement 1 is incorrect: Smart India Hackathon is not a centrally sponsored scheme for developing smart cities. The scheme dedicated to developing 100 smart cities in India is the Smart Cities Mission launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

2. Statement 2 is correct: Smart India Hackathon 2017 was a nationwide initiative launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD, now Ministry of Education) along with AICTE. It aimed to provide students with a platform to solve pressing real-world problems of government departments and ministries through innovative digital tech solutions.

3. Statement 3 is incorrect: The programme does not aim to make all financial transactions in India completely digital within a decade. While digital payments and financial inclusion are promoted under broader initiatives like Digital India, the Smart India Hackathon specifically focuses on digital technology innovations and problem-solving through hackathons.

Therefore, only statement 2 is correct.