Opportunity brief
About the Event
The Corrupted File is a team-based investigation and puzzle-solving event based on Indian technological history.
Each team will receive a sealed case file containing a corrupted account of a real event. The file will include true facts, false technical claims, anachronisms, contradictions and misleading information. Teams must examine the evidence, question witnesses, solve a technical challenge and reconstruct what actually happened.
At the end of the investigation, teams will present their reconstructed account, and will be validated against final answer account. Some portions may require teams to defend their answers using their reasoning.
Eligibility and Team Formation
- Eligibility: Undergraduate Students
- Each team must consist of exactly 4 members.
- Participants from different colleges may form a team: Allowed
- Each participant may be part of only one team.
Competition Format
- Mode: Offline
- Venue: Plaksha University
- Number of rounds: One investigation round followed by a final presentation
- Number of case files/problem statements: 1
- Total duration: 2 hours
Investigation Round
- Each team will receive one sealed case file based on Indian technological history.
- Supporting material will be provided within the file. No additional context will be given.
- Teams must identify false claims, technical inaccuracies, anachronisms and contradictions.
- Teams may question the witnesses, but not every statement made by a witness will be true.
- The investigation will run against a live clock.
- Evidence not flagged before a 15-minute checkpoint will be treated as accepted fact, even if identified later.
- Certain evidence will remain sealed until the team correctly solves a technical challenge.
- Some details in the case may not have a confirmed answer. Teams must support their conclusion with evidence and reasoning for such questions.
Final Presentation
Teams will present their reconstructed version of events and defend their conclusions towards any ambiguous questions.
Submissions will be evaluated against the answer account sheet, and the reasoning for ambiguous answers will be judged based on viability.
Rules
- Each team must consist of exactly 4 eligible participants.
- No phones, internet-enabled devices or external research may be used during the investigation.
- Teams may only use the case file and supporting material provided by the organisers.
- Evidence not flagged within the required time will be treated as accepted fact.
- Sealed evidence may only be accessed after completing the required technical challenge.
- Teams must support their conclusions with evidence.
- Any unfair practice, unauthorised assistance or misconduct may result in disqualification.
- The decisions of the judging panel and organisers will be final.
Prizes
- First Place: ₹10,000
- Second Place: ₹6,000
- Third Place: ₹4,000