Dehradun, June 14: In a significant achievement for Meghalaya, the Pynthor Bhoilasa Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) has secured a place in the national finals of the Zoological Survey of India’s (ZSI) Hackathon on “Traditional Knowledge on Biodiversity Conservation.”
The semi-final round of the hackathon was held on June 14, 2026, at the auditorium of the Zoological Survey of India’s Northern Regional Centre in Dehradun as part of the celebrations marking the institution’s 111th anniversary. The event was organized under the guidance of Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director of the Zoological Survey of India.
Representing Meghalaya, the Pynthor Bhoilasa BMC team comprised Lurshai L. Rympei, Babuhnam Lyngdoh, and Meshwa-naki Rympei, with technical support from the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board. The team successfully advanced to the final round after competing against participants from across the country.
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The hackathon focused on exploring ways to integrate traditional knowledge systems with modern technology to address pressing challenges in biodiversity conservation. The competition brought together winning teams from 16 regional centres of the Zoological Survey of India, each presenting innovative solutions aimed at protecting and preserving biodiversity.
Following a rigorous evaluation process, only five teams were selected to advance to the national finals, which will be held at the Zoological Survey of India Headquarters in Kolkata on June 29, 2026.
The five teams that qualified for the final round are led by Dr. Javed, Mr. Devesh, Mr. Lurshai, Mr. Kamakeswaran, and Mr. Yash.
The presentations were evaluated by a distinguished panel of experts comprising Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Dr. C. Raghunathan, Dr. Gurupad Mandal, Dr. V.P. Uniyal, Dr. D.P. Uniyal, Dr. Bina Joshi Bhatt, Dr. Gaurav Sharma, and Dr. Narendra Sharma.
The qualification of the Pynthor Bhoilasa BMC team marks an important milestone for Meghalaya, highlighting the state’s rich traditional ecological knowledge and its growing contribution to biodiversity conservation efforts at the national level.
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