Kolkata, Jun 30 (PTI) Students, researchers and innovators from diverse backgrounds came together to collaboratively develop innovative solutions and ideas, on the 110th Foundation Day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in a 110-Hour Hackathon on Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change.
ZSI Director Dhriti Banerjee on Monday said the event was aimed at arriving at ideas to address critical issues related to biodiversity preservation and the impacts of climate change.
In the days leading to the Foundation Day celebrations, 105 teams presented their innovative projects during the competition at the regional centre level.
Each of the teams from 16 regional centres – that ranked first – was chosen to compete in the National Level-1 competition, which was held in Pune. From this event, the top five teams were selected for the Grand Finale, she said.
On June 30, the Grand Finale of the Hackathon took place for 110 hours as five teams brainstormed.
A team selected from High Altitude Regional Centre, Solan, Himachal Pradesh got the first prize of Rs 1 lakh while a team from St Antony College, Shillong, Meghalaya, secured the second position having got a prize of Rs 75,000.
The initiative aimed to foster scientific thinking, technological innovation, and collaborative approaches to environmental conservation, aligning with ZSI’s long-standing mission of studying and protecting India’s rich zoological diversity, she said.
The ZSI also ‘formalized’ two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs): one with the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS), operating under the Army Training Command on behalf of the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence, she said.
The collaboration with CIJWS will focus on research concerning edible animals and medically important animals in Himalayan regions.
A second MoU was signed with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), a global leader in conservation efforts.
The ZSI also unveiled Version 2.0 of the Checklist of Fauna of India – building upon decades of research and the initial version released in July 2024 – meticulously detailing 105,244 species and subspecies.
Notably, insects, particularly beetles, moths, flies and bees, exhibit the highest diversity within the checklist, while fishes lead among vertebrates.
This initiative of developing a National Red Listing of Indian Flora and Fauna has been institutionalized with collaboration and synergy between IUCN Country Office in India, the Wildlife Trust of India and the BSI and ZSI, ZSI said in a statement.
ZSI also organised an ‘Animal Taxonomy Summit–2025’ – the third summit being organised in consequent years.- on issues like Taxonomy, Systematics, and Faunal Diversity, Conservation as more than 500 delegates from five countries, including Ghana, Denmark, United States of America, United Kingdom are taking part for three days. PTI SUS RG
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