Orca Coders: Orcathon

Build. Compete. Create What's Next.

An Online Student Hackathon | Organised by Dev Harbour

Win exciting prizes, earn certificates, and showcase your project to the world! Compete for top honors, special awards, and recognition at ORCA CODERS: ORCATHON 2026 & Official website!!!

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Key Dates

• Registrations Opn: 11 October 2026
• Registration Deadline: 24 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST
• Hackathon Date: Sunday, 25 October 2026
• Opening & Doubt-Clearing Session: 11:00 AM–12:00 PM IST
• Problem Statement Release: 11:00 AM IST
• Build & Deployment Deadline: 3:30 PM IST
• Final Submission Deadline: 3:30 PM IST

Total Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes, including the opening session and final submission window.

Overview

Welcome to ORCATHON, a free online student hackathon organised by Dev Harbour under the ORCA CODERS initiative.

Build innovative solutions, experiment with new technologies, and showcase your skills through a hands-on coding challenge. Use any tech stack or development tools, including AI tools. Pre-built projects are welcome, provided existing work and contributions are clearly disclosed.

Build. Compete. Create What's Next.

Why Should You Participate?

• Gain Practical Experience: Apply your skills to real-world challenges.
• Build Your Portfolio: Showcase your live project, source code, and demo.
• Earn Recognition: Compete for winner, runner-up, and special awards.
• Get Certified: Every eligible participant receives a digital Participation Certificate.
• Get Featured: Top 20 projects get an opportunity to appear in the Dev Harbour Project Gallery.
• Explore Freely: Use any tech stack, framework, or AI tool.
• Challenge Yourself: Build and deliver within a fixed deadline.
• Boost Visibility: Strengthen your résumé, portfolio, and internship applications.

Team Structure

• Team Size: 1–3 participants.
• Individual Participation: Solo developers are welcome.
• Team Participation: Each team must designate a team leader and primary contact.
• Registration Fee: Completely free for individuals and teams.

Teams must include all contributors in their submission and represent each member's contribution honestly. Duplicate entries of the same project are not permitted.

What to Build & Tools to Use

The official problem statement will be released at 11:00 AM IST on 25 October 2026.

Possible project formats include:

• Web applications and full-stack platforms
• AI-powered tools and applications
• Productivity and automation solutions
• Educational technology products
• Mobile or desktop applications
• Developer tools and innovative digital solutions

Technology Stack

No mandatory technology stack.

Use any programming language, framework, library, API, database, hosting platform, or AI-assisted development tool. Examples include React, Next.js, Node.js, Python, Django, Flask, Java, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.

All tools and technologies used must be disclosed in the submission form.

Pre-Built Projects Allowed

Existing projects, templates, and previously developed code are permitted. Clearly disclose what existed before the hackathon and what you created, improved, or integrated for the challenge. Misrepresenting existing work as entirely new is prohibited.

Eligibility

• Open to school, college, and university students.
• Beginners and experienced developers are welcome.
• Participate individually or in teams of up to 3 members.
• Any technology stack or development tool is allowed.
• Submit accurate details, a working project, and all required materials before the deadline.
• All participants must follow the hackathon rules and guidelines.

Hackathon Process

• Register: By 24 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST.
• Prepare: Review instructions and set up your development environment.
• Join the opening session: 25 October, 11:00 AM IST.
• Review the challenge: Problem statement released at 11:00 AM IST.
• Build and deploy: Complete your project by 3:15 PM IST.
• Submit: Complete the submission form by 3:30 PM IST.
• Evaluation: Eligible projects are assessed using the published judging criteria.
• Results: Winners and selected projects are announced through official channels.

Monitor your registered email and the official event page for updates.

Submission Requirements

Each participant or team must provide:

• Project Name
• Live Project Link
• GitHub Repository Link
• Video Explanation: Demonstrate the project, its features, and how it works.
• Tools Used: Languages, frameworks, APIs, databases, AI tools, and deployment platforms.
• Participant/Team Details: Names of all contributors.
• Pre-Built Project Disclosure: Identify existing work and contributions made for the challenge.
• Ensure all links are functional and accessible to the judges. The video should demonstrate the actual project.

Late or incomplete submissions may be excluded from judging.

Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated on a 100-point scale.

Criterion

Points

Functionality and execution 25

Innovation and originality 20

Technical implementation 20

UI/UX and usability 15

Problem relevance 10

Presentation and explanation 10

Total

100

What Judges Look For

• Problem relevance and usefulness.
• Functionality and technical execution.
• Innovation, originality, and UI/UX.
• Clear project demonstration and explanation.

Projects are judged on quality, not the number of tools used. AI tools and pre-built projects are allowed, provided prior work and contributions are disclosed honestly.

Rules & Code of Conduct

• Follow the official problem statement and submission deadlines.
• Provide accurate registration and project details.
• Disclose pre-built code and your actual contributions.
• AI tools, APIs, templates, and open-source libraries are permitted, subject to their licences.
• Respect intellectual property, privacy, applicable laws, and platform policies.
• Plagiarism, fraud, impersonation, and misrepresentation are prohibited.
• Submit working project links and all required materials.
• The organiser may request clarification or evidence of contribution.
• Violations may result in disqualification. Judges' decisions are final, subject to correction of administrative errors.
• Significant event changes will be communicated through official channels.

Prizes, Certificates & Recognition

• 1st Place: Winner Certificate.
• 2nd Place: First Runner-Up Certificate.
• 3rd Place: Second Runner-Up Certificate.

Special Awards

Digital certificates may also be awarded for:

• Best UI/UX
• Most Innovative Solution
• ️ Best Technical Implementation
• Best Beginner Project
• Best Practical Impact

Top 20 Project Showcase on our Official Website!

• The top 20 eligible projects will have an opportunity to feature in the Project Gallery on the official Dev Harbour website.
• Benefits: Boost your portfolio, increase project visibility, showcase technical skills, and strengthen internship applications.
• Projects will be selected based on judging scores, quality, and suitability. Website features are subject to participant consent.

Participation Certificates

Every eligible participant who completes the submission requirements will receive a digital Participation Certificate.

Award certificates will be issued separately to winners and special-award recipients.

Dev Harbour is an emerging technology and education initiative focused on helping learners build practical skills, develop meaningful projects, and showcase their work.