13-01-2021 | 15:46 PM
Toycathon 2021
Context
Recently, the Union Education Minister and the Union Minister for Textiles and Women & Child Development jointly launched the Toycathon 2021 and Toycathon Portal.
Key Highlights
India, despite being a home of many globally popular games such as Chess, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders is not among leading developers and manufacturers of toys.
Currently, India’s toy market stands at around 1.5 Billion USD, which primarily is dominated by imported toys (mainly 70-80% from China).
Under the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ initiated by our Hon’ble PM, Toycathon-2021 is conceived to challenge India’s innovative minds to conceptualize novel Toy and Games.
It is a special kind of hackathon where students and teachers from schools and colleges, design experts, toy experts and start-ups will crowd source ideas for developing toys and games based on Indian culture, ethos, folklores, heroes and value systems.
Toycathon 2021 is an inter-ministerial initiative organized by Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell.
Toycathon 2021, will majorly focus on conceptualizing new and innovative toys using local material which is economical, affordable, safe and environment friendly.
It will focus on:
Boosting physical and mental fitness.
On promoting Vedic Mathematics.
Supporting missions like Swacch Bharat, BetiBachaoBetiPadhao, Environment Conservation, Climate Change, Digital India, Skill India, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
Rediscovering and redesigning traditional Indian toys.
Significance
The launch of Toycathon is an effort to create an ecosystem for the domestic toy industry and the local manufacturers which will promote indigenous toy industry and reduce imports.
It will also help our children to understand the ethos and values of Indian culture.
Toys can be an excellent medium to further the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.
It will help in promoting the use of educational toys in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
It will greatly help India develop into a global hub for toys and games.
