Migrant labour issue get noticed in Blockathon

By Anonymous
By Anusha Sooriyan*
When CPPR had decided to conduct ‘Blockathon for Change’, I was clueless at first. Apart from being a student with a science background in higher secondary school, I had no relation to this field. I decided to scour the internet regarding hackathons. Searching keywords like hackathon, blockathon, blockchain, etc. added fuel to an already inquisitive mind. Being an intern at CPPR, I attended the blockathon with a basic understanding of hackathons and blockchain technology.
The event was based on blockchain technology to help interstate migrant labourers. Issues faced by migrant labourers were addressed by subject matter experts, helping me realise that these migrant labourers who drift from one place to another in search of a job or a livelihood have no real count. Their identity and size is something which is a cause of concern for the state. The inflow of migrant labourers has to be monitored, and CPPR, along with start-up incubators, took this event as an opportunity to call young technocrats to come up with an application which could monitor as well as cater to the needs of migrant labourers.
During the initial briefings on blockchain, we got to know many interesting aspects of the technology, like it doesn't require middlemen such as banks, governments or any centralized authority between consumers or suppliers. This enables them to connect directly with each other and ensure the proceedings thereafter. Simultaneously, the technology is as transparent as it gets since all users in a blockchain network can view proceedings between two parties.
There were eminent speakers and dignitaries present, such as the District Collector of Ernakulam, Spokesperson of US Consulate General, Chennai, etc. who looked forward to similar collaborations that could help the migrant community as a whole.
10 teams were selected for the final phase of the hackathon to present their solutions before a jury panel comprised of experts in migration and blockchain. The Q&A sessions that followed each presentation helped us know more about the functioning of these applications. As an intern at CPPR, the hackathon gave me an idea about how new technologies can be employed for a social cause.

The hackathon envisioned a sustainable solution for migrant labourers and reaching out to the public was the primary task. We took to various social media platforms to spread the word about the hackathon and the cause behind it. By generating hashtags and sharing the event developments on social media platforms, we could draw public attention to the ‘Blockathon for a change’ campaign.

 *This blog is written by Anusha Sooriyan Interning at CPPR and Pursuing Masters in Politics and International Relations. Views expressed by the author is personal and does not represent that of CPPR

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CPPR's social media presence on Blockathon makes a mark!

By Anonymous
Image
by Shonit Nayan US Consulate General, Chennai; with Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Maker Village and Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) organized 'Blockathon for Change' to address the societal issues of migrant labourers using blockchain technology. Migrant labourers are often a disadvantaged and vulnerable group because of associated socio-economic and cultural issues. In India, massive interstate migration of labourers poses serious predicaments warranting immediate attention both at the ground level and policy level. The first-of-its-kind hackathon in India was designed to beneficially employ the blockchain technology for offering comprehensive solutions to mitigate problems related to migrant labour. While interning at CPPR, I got an opportunity to be a part of my first hackathon. I learned how social media platforms were extensively used to create buzz for the Blockathon and blockchain technology. CPPR ...
Read more

Road Safety in India- Still in Coma

By Anonymous
 By  Pallavi Rachel George * “It’s Road Safety, Not Rocket Science” is the road safety program of the city of Philadelphia. The program provides extremely catchy phrases like “objects in the mirror appear only when looked at- its road safety not rocket science”, telling its citizens to be smart on the roads. The initiative has received a lot of attention. The reason why I began the article with this example is to quickly make the reader wonder about a ny such programs in their locality. If you were able to come up with one, kudos. If however, like the majority of the people, you weren’t able to find one, then we need to do some thinking. Every year, approximately 1.3 million people die as the result of road traffic collisions — more than 3,500 deaths per day. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), road traffic accidents kill more people around the world than malaria, and are the leading cause of death for young people aged five to 29 – especially in de...
Read more

Latin Catholic community of Kerala: Role in 2016 Assembly Elections

By Anonymous
Image
By Dr D Dhanuraj & Sambhavi Ganesh Latin Catholics (LC) in Kerala number about 20 lakhs with 2 Archdioceses (Verapoly and Trivandrum), and 9 Dioceses. They have a significant presence in Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alleppey, and Thrissur districts. This community is politically influential, which, through its socio-political wing Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA) and Christian Service Society (CSS), protects its interests. Traditionally, Christians in Kerala have supported the UDF alliance and same is the case with the LC also. The major reasons for support are- The professed atheism of the communist party-backed LDF. The involvement of the church in health and education sectors, which the LDF opposes due to its anti-commercialization view. The ‘abstinence’ stance taken by the LDF over alcohol prohibition unlike the clear pro-ban position of the Congress. Even though the LC continued to support UDF during the early yea...
Read more