- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Tue, 28 Oct 2025 03:06 PM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
The Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) is developing an advanced AI-based chatbot named ‘Deepshiva’, aimed at presenting an accurate picture of India’s agriculture, tourism, and health sectors. The initiative follows a call by Uttarakhand Governor Lt. Gen. Gurmeet Singh (Retd) to create an open-source, India-centric chatbot that surpasses international standards and serves the national interest.
As part of the project, UTU has launched a national-level competition to engage the country’s brightest young minds. In the first phase, 152 teams comprising undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students from various engineering and technology institutions across India participated. Out of these, 46 teams have qualified for the second phase, with the final round scheduled for December.
ALSO READ: OpenAI Offers ChatGPT Go For Free In India For One Year: Here’s What You Need to Know
Participants are required to choose one sector, agriculture, tourism, or health services, and develop an AI-powered chatbot capable of communicating in Indian languages, including Hindi. The objective is to make information more accessible to the general public, students, and researchers, offering instant solutions to technical queries in simple, local languages.
UTU officials stated that the Deepshiva chatbot will not only facilitate easy access to vital information but also showcase India’s technological advancement on the global stage through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
Unlike traditional chatbots that provide pre-set answers, an AI-based chatbot can interpret language, tone, and context, delivering logical and human-like responses.
ALSO READ: Calicut University BTech, MSc, MA, MBA Results 2025 Declared At uoc.ac.in; Scorecard PDF Link Here
According to Prof Amit Agarwal, the competition’s Nodal Officer, the second-phase evaluations will take place in November, with experts from academia and industry assessing the shortlisted projects. The Governor will felicitate the top three teams during the final event in December, awarding Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, and Rs 2 lakh to the winners, respectively.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Onkar Singh and the nodal team have already reviewed all the projects submitted in the first phase, marking a significant step toward building India’s own intelligent communication system.