Commit to Change: Hackathon

Commit to Change | Open Innovation Hackathon:

Commit to Change is the flagship Open Innovation Hackathon of IEEE DAY'26, organized by IEEE MAIT Student Branch.

The hackathon provides students with a platform to transform ideas into meaningful solutions addressing real-world challenges.

Rather than restricting innovation to a single problem statement, Commit to Change follows an Open Innovation format, allowing participants to work across a wide range of domains and bring forward solutions they genuinely understand, own and can demonstrate.

Whether it is an SIH project, academic project, personal prototype, startup idea, AI application, hardware solution or an entirely new concept, this is your platform to showcase it.

The idea is simple:

Identify a problem. Build a meaningful solution. Demonstrate its impact.

Official Participant Communication:

• All registered team members are required to join the official Commit to Change WhatsApp Group.
• Important updates regarding reporting time, venue details, presentation schedules, evaluation, submission instructions and event announcements will be communicated through the group.
• Join the Official Commit to Change WhatsApp Group

Event Details:

• Date: 14th October 2026
• Time: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Venue: Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, New Delhi
• Mode: Offline
• Format: Open Innovation Hackathon
• Team Size: 2–4 Members
• Expected Participation: Approximately 25 Teams
• Presentation Time: 5–7 Minutes per Team
• Open To: College Students
• Prize Pool: ₹10,000
• Registration Deadline: 13th October 2026, 11:59 PM

Hackathon Themes:

Participants may develop solutions under one or more of the following broad domains.

• AI, Digital Technologies & Cybersecurity:
• Covers:
• Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, Computer Vision, NLP, Agentic AI, AR/VR, Cybersecurity, Digital Safety, FinTech, Digital Commerce and other emerging technologies.
• Smart Infrastructure, Industry & Mobility:
• Covers:
• Smart India, Public Infrastructure, Smart Cities, Mobility, IoT, Robotics, Automation, Industry 4.0, Manufacturing, Logistics and connected systems.
• Healthcare, Education & Accessibility:
• Covers:
• Healthcare, Education, Assistive Technology, Accessibility, Inclusive Design and solutions improving quality of life and access to essential services.
• Sustainability, Agriculture & Environment:
• Covers:
• Climate Action, Clean Energy, Waste Management, Water Conservation, Sustainable Living, AgriTech, Rural Innovation, Crop Intelligence and environmental solutions.
• Social Impact, Sports & Open Innovation:
• Covers:
• Social Impact, Community Solutions, Sports & Technology, Livelihoods, Safety, Inclusion and any other innovative solution that does not fit directly into the above categories.

Problem Statement Approach:

Since Commit to Change is an Open Innovation Hackathon, participants are not restricted to a fixed list of problem statements.

• Participants are encouraged to identify a meaningful real-world problem within any of the listed themes and develop an innovative, practical and scalable solution addressing it.
• This means projects developed for initiatives such as Smart India Hackathon can also be presented.

Existing Projects Policy:

Existing projects are allowed.

Teams may present projects previously developed for:

• Smart India Hackathon
• Personal projects
• Startup prototypes
• Innovation competitions

However, teams must be able to clearly demonstrate:

• Ownership of the project
• Their contribution to the solution
• Understanding of the technical implementation
• Problem being addressed
• Current development status
• Innovation or improvements made
• Real-world applicability

Projects presented without sufficient understanding, ownership or contribution may receive lower evaluation scores or be disqualified in case of misrepresentation.

Suggested Project Presentation Structure:

Teams may structure their presentation/demo around:

• Problem Statement
• Why the Problem Matters
• Proposed Solution
• Target Users
• Technology Stack
• System Architecture / Workflow
• Working Prototype / Demo
• Innovation / USP
• Real-World Impact
• Scalability
• Future Scope

Evaluation Criteria:

Teams will be evaluated on:

• Innovation & Originality
• Problem Relevance
• Technical Implementation
• Feasibility
• Real-World Impact
• Scalability
• Prototype / Demo Quality
• Usability & User Experience
• Presentation Quality
• Team Understanding
• Performance during Q&A

Recommended Judging Weightage:

• Evaluation Parameter — Weight
• Innovation & Originality — 20%
• Technical Implementation — 20%
• Problem Relevance & Impact — 15%
• Prototype / Demo — 15%
• Feasibility — 10%
• Scalability — 10%
• Presentation & Q&A — 10%
• Total — 100%

Competition Flow:

• Team registration and verification
• Participant reporting and check-in
• Opening and hackathon briefing
• Project setup / development period
• Team-wise project demonstrations
• Presentation before the judging panel
• Technical and impact-based evaluation
• Q&A with judges
• Consolidation of scores
• Final result declaration

Presentation & Evaluation:

• Each team will be given 5–7 minutes to present their solution through a PPT before the judging panel.
• The presentation should clearly cover the problem statement, proposed solution, technical approach, innovation, impact, and future scope.
• Teams should also be prepared for a short Q&A session with the judges after their presentation.
• The hackathon will run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and teams should remain available throughout the event window.

Participant Guidelines:

• Each team must consist of 2–4 members.
• All team members must be registered through the official registration process.
• Inter-college and interdisciplinary teams are allowed.
• Projects should be software-based.
• Existing projects are permitted according to the event guidelines.
• Teams must demonstrate genuine ownership and understanding of their solution.
• Participants should be able to explain their architecture, technology stack, implementation and design choices.
• A working prototype or demonstrable solution is strongly encouraged.
• Plagiarism, false ownership, fabricated results or misrepresentation may result in disqualification.
• Teams must follow the reporting and presentation schedule shared by the organizers.
• Participants should remain available between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
• Participants must carry a valid college ID card.
• Teams must follow all instructions communicated by the organizing committee.
• The decision of the judging panel and organizing committee will be final.

Eligibility:

• Open to college students
• Students from different colleges may participate
• Inter-college teams are allowed
• Interdisciplinary teams are allowed
• Students from different technical and non-technical backgrounds may collaborate where relevant
• Valid college identification may be required during verification

Important Note: Accommodation will not be provided by the organizers. Participants are required to make their own stay arrangements, if needed.