The DevForge - Hackathon

Description:

The Devforge is a 24-hour coding marathon where teams of 2–4 developers brainstorm, design, and build innovative solutions to real-world problems under pressure. Collaborate with your squad, tackle challenges, and race against the clock as you turn bold ideas from concept into working solutions — a true test of creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and technical skill.

Eligibility:

• Open to college students across India
• Inter-college teams are allowed
• Inter-specialization teams are allowed
• Team size must be between 2 to 4 members

Rules & Regulations:

• Participants must bring their own laptops, chargers, and devices.
• Internet access will be provided.
• Pre-built projects are not allowed. All code must be written during the hackathon (libraries/frameworks permitted).
• Teams must present a working prototype at the end.
• Participants are required to stay on campus for the duration of the hackathon(Food will be provided in the campus)
• Teams must adhere to all guidelines and submission formats
• The judges' decision will be final.
• Code Freeze: Submission deadline for Day 1 code freeze (09:00 AM) is absolute; no further commits will be considered for Round 2 evaluation.

Registration Process:

Note:

• The hackathon will consist of 2 rounds.
• Round 1 problem statements will be released during the Round 1 registration period.
• Participants must select one of the provided problem statements and base their Round 1 submission on the selected problem statement.
• The Round 1 submission must demonstrate how the team intends to approach and solve the selected problem statement.
• Shortlisted teams will proceed to the 24-hour offline hackathon at the Scaler School of Technology (SST) campus.
• The final shortlisted teams will compete in the Grand Stage Finals through live presentations and working product demonstrations.

Round 1:

• Register online with team details through Unstop.
• Select one problem statement from the problem statements released for Round 1.
• Submit a Plain-text / Markdown / PDF document addressing the selected problem statement and covering:
• Proposed System Architecture
• Technical Implementation Strategy
• Chosen Tech Stack & Tooling
• Anticipated Challenges & Risk Mitigation
• Expected Deliverables
• Presentations/PPTs are not accepted for Round 1.
• Teams will be evaluated based on the quality, technical depth, feasibility, and clarity of their proposed solution to the selected problem statement.
• Selected teams will be notified on the registered email.

Round 2 (Final Round):

• Round 2 will be held completely offline on campus premises.
• Teams will develop their projects in a collaborative, energized environment, with access to mentorship, high-speed internet, and refreshments.
• Participants are advised to reach the venue 1 hour before the commencement time.
• This will be a 24 hour event (overnight hackathon).

Teams will develop their solutions and undergo desk-side judging on Day 1 morning, including a PPT walkthrough, live functional prototype demo, and codebase analysis.

• The Top 10 teams will qualify as finalists
• Finalist teams will present their solutions and working prototypes before the judges, and the final results will be based on these presentations and evaluations.

Disqualification Criteria:

• Plagiarism or code copying
• Submitting incomplete or non-functional prototypes
• Submitting pre-existing projects, cloning repositories without substantial original contributions, or fabricating Git history.
• Misconduct, offensive behavior, or disrupting the event flow
• Presenting mockups or pre-rendered videos as live working software during evaluation.
• Any form of harassment, destruction of venue facilities, or failure to follow event organizers and campus security directives.   Step-by-

Step Registration & Submission Guide:

• Step 1 (Join Community): Join the official Yugaantar WhatsApp announcement channel for real-time updates and mentorship support.
• Step 2 (Register Team): Register your team leader on Unstop and send invitation links to 1–3 team members (total team size: 2–4).
• Step 3 (Select Track): Choose your preferred problem statement from the 7 options (or Wildcard track specifying AI/ML or Open Source evaluation panel).
• Step 4 (Submit Document): Prepare your System Design Document adhering to the required structure and submit via Unstop prior to the Round 1 deadline.

Participant Advisory (What to Pack for Offline Rounds)

• Hardware & Electronics: Laptops, power adapters, extension cords, mouse/mousepads, and mobile hotspots (backup connectivity).
• Comfort Items: Light jacket or hoodie (halls are air-conditioned overnight), neck pillow, or compact travel blanket.
• Personal Essentials: Personal toiletries, medication, hygiene kit, and reusable water bottle.