AWANTIPORA: A team of students from the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), named ‘Team Passengers’ from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) has emerged as a national winner at the Grand Finale of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025.

Team Passengers, led by Mohammad Azeem Wani with team members Amaan Ehsan, Faisal Hussain, Sabha Mushtaq, Tafheem Ul Haq, and Uzair Riyaz, all third-year students, competed under the mentorship of Dr. Insha Altaf, Assistant Professor, CSE. The 8th edition of SIH, organized by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell in collaboration with AICTE, witnessed exceptional nationwide participation, receiving 72,165 idea submissions from 68,766 teams. From these, 1,360 teams, comprising over 8,000 students and 1,300+ mentors, qualified for the national finale held across 60 nodal centres in the country.

The team represented IUST at Graphic Era Deemed to be University, Dehradun, where 20 teams worked on four problem statements during an intense 36-hour hackathon. Following rigorous evaluation rounds and jury deliberations, Team Passengers was declared among the five winning teams at the centre.

The team addressed a problem statement issued by the Ministry of AYUSH titled “API to Bridge AYUSH NAMASTE and ICD-11 for EMR Compliance.” Their innovative solution successfully tackled the critical challenge of interoperability between traditional AYUSH healthcare systems and modern Electronic Medical Record (EMR) standards, enabling integration of Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha practices with international healthcare frameworks.

Congratulating the students, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shakil A. Romshoo, said that this achievement by our students reflects IUST’s strong emphasis on innovation, experiential learning, and problem-solving. Such national-level successes are a testament to the hard work of our students and faculty, and to the university’s sustained efforts in nurturing a culture of excellence and competitiveness.”

For their outstanding performance, the team was awarded a cash prize of ₹1.5 lakh, shared with Code Vaidyas (VIT Chennai), who also worked on the same problem statement. The achievement also opens avenues for internship opportunities for the winning teams.

It is noteworthy that through the Centre for Career Counselling and Placements (CCCP) and the School of Engineering and Technology (SOET), IUST has been consistently organizing internal hackathons and skill-based initiatives, which have played a crucial role in preparing students for such national competitions.

Your voice can reach the world: At JK Monitor, we firmly believe that every well-researched idea has the power to inspire change beyond geographical boundaries. We are delighted to share an encouraging message from one of our esteemed contributors, Dr. Rakesh Verma (J&K Forest Services). “His article, ‘When Trees Become Rights-Bearing Citizens: A Lesson from Canada for India’s Ecological Future,’ published on JK Monitor, received appreciation from La Compagnie des Papillons Bleus, the French non-profit organisation that founded and promotes the Universal Declaration of Tree Rights.”.  Read the message here
In loving memory of Dr. Priya Ranjan: A mentor who treated me like family
A Profound Loss: JK Monitor Mourns the Passing of Founding Chairman Dr. Priya Ranjan

We at JK Monitor are profoundly saddened by the sudden demise of our Founding Chairman, Dr. Priya Ranjan.IN LOVING MEMORY Dr Priya Ranjan

A brilliant mind who studied at Netarhat Residential School and graduated in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur before earning his PhD from the University of Maryland, Dr. Ranjan chose to return to India and dedicate his life to teaching, research and social good.

His pioneering work in networked systems, AI, robotics and biomedical applications—especially computer-vision tools for early detection of cancer and heart disease—reflected his deep belief that advanced technology must serve humanity.

For more than 15 years at JK Monitor, he remained a loyal friend, mentor and collaborator, marked by rare humility, intellectual integrity and quiet generosity. His passing leaves a void that cannot be filled. Priya, you will be deeply missed. Your life continues to remind us that knowledge finds its highest purpose in the service of others.

— Team JK Monitor

       LOOK_HERE.jpg Esteemed readers, for your convenience, we have categorized our news publishing into following 👇