ChronoForge

About the Hackathon ChronoForge is a 24-hour hackathon that brings together aspiring developers, creative thinkers, and technology enthusiasts to design and build innovative solutions to real-world problems. The event encourages participants to experiment with emerging technologies, push the boundaries of conventional problem-solving, and transform their ideas into functional prototypes. Whether you're passionate about artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, or software development, ChronoForge is an opportunity to put your skills to the test, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and turn ambitious ideas into practical solutions. Participants will submit proposals aligned with the hackathon theme and their chosen track. The strongest proposals will be shortlisted for the hacking round, where teams will develop, refine, and demonstrate their solutions. With dedicated tracks for Agentic AI and Cybersecurity, ChronoForge aims to encourage innovation across two exciting areas of technology. Total Prize Pool: ₹50,000 Tracks Agentic AI Build intelligent systems that go beyond generating responses to autonomously reason, plan, use tools, and execute tasks. Explore how AI agents can solve complex problems, automate workflows, and enable new forms of human-machine collaboration. Potential Areas Include Autonomous AI agents for real-world problem-solving. Multi-agent systems and collaborative intelligence. AI-powered workflow automation and productivity tools. Tool-using agents that interact with APIs, databases, and external systems. Research assistants, personal assistants, and intelligent task managers. Domain-specific agents for education, healthcare, finance, and other applications. AI systems capable of planning, decision-making, and adaptive problem-solving. Responsible, reliable, and human-centered agentic applications. Participants are encouraged to develop solutions that demonstrate meaningful autonomy, effective tool usage, and measurable value beyond a conventional chatbot. Cybersecurity Develop innovative solutions that strengthen digital security, protect user privacy, and address emerging cyber threats. Explore how technology can help identify vulnerabilities, detect suspicious activity, improve digital trust, and make systems more resilient. Potential Areas Include AI-assisted threat detection and security analysis. Network traffic analysis and anomaly detection. Phishing, scam, and malicious URL detection. Privacy-preserving applications and secure authentication. Security monitoring and incident analysis tools. IoT and connected-device security. Vulnerability assessment and defensive security automation. Security awareness, digital identity, and data protection. Threat intelligence and security tools for developers. Participants are encouraged to build practical, responsible security solutions that demonstrate clear technical value. Projects must operate within authorized environments and comply with applicable laws and ethical guidelines. Eligibility ChronoForge is open to students interested in technology, software development, and innovation. Students from any academic specialization or discipline are welcome to participate. Participants from different colleges and universities may form teams, subject to the event's team formation guidelines. NITK Surathkal students will participate in the hackathon offline at NITK Surathkal. Participants who are not NITK students will participate online. All participants must provide accurate information during registration. Each participant may be part of only one team. Team Formation Participants must register as teams of 2-4 members. Teams may comprise students from different academic years and specializations. Each team must designate one member as its team leader for registration, communication, and submission purposes. Teams must select one primary track: Agentic AI or Cybersecurity. The track chosen during the proposal stage will continue in throughout the hackathon and cannot be changed. Hackathon Format and Process ChronoForge will consist of a proposal screening round followed by a 24-hour hacking round for shortlisted teams. Round 1: Proposal Submission and Screening Teams must submit a project proposal aligned with their chosen track. The proposal should clearly communicate the problem being addressed, the proposed solution, its intended users, and its potential impact. Teams are encouraged to demonstrate originality, technical feasibility, and a clear implementation plan. The screening submission should include Problem statement and motivation. Selected track: Agentic AI or Cybersecurity. Proposed solution and key features. Target users and intended use cases. Proposed technology stack. Innovation and differentiation from existing solutions. Feasibility and implementation plan. Expected impact and potential for scalability. Prototype, wireframes, demo, or GitHub repository, if available. Selection Process The top 30 teams with the strongest proposals will advance to the hacking round. Proposals will be evaluated based on originality, relevance to the selected track, feasibility, technical depth, and potential impact. Round 2: The 24-Hour Hacking Round The shortlisted teams will participate in the 24-hour hacking round, where they will turn their proposals into working prototypes. Participation Format NITK Surathkal students will participate offline at NITK Surathkal. Participants from other institutions will participate online. Teams are expected to develop and demonstrate the core functionality of their proposed solutions within the allotted time. During the Hacking Round, Teams Will Be Expected To Build a functional prototype or proof of concept. Implement the core features of their proposed solution. Demonstrate the technical approach and appropriate use of technology. Document the implementation, architecture, and technology stack. Explain the problem, solution, and intended impact. Submit the final project within the communicated deadline. Further details regarding the schedule, venue, online participation procedure, final submission requirements, and judging format will be communicated through the official event channels. Prizes and Recognition ChronoForge features a total prize pool of ₹50,000, with recognition for outstanding projects at both the overall and track levels. Overall Awards Overall Winner Overall Runner-up Track-wise Awards Agentic AI — Track Winner Agentic AI — Track Runner-up Cybersecurity — Track Winner Cybersecurity — Track Runner-up Certificates Participation certificates will be provided to all eligible participants. Merit certificates will be awarded to the winners and runner-ups. Prize allocation among the award categories and any additional rewards will be communicated by the organizers. Evaluation Criteria Projects will be evaluated by the judging panel based on the following criteria: Problem Relevance: Clarity, importance, and significance of the problem being addressed. Innovation: Originality, creativity, and differentiation from existing solutions. Technical Implementation: Quality of implementation, technical depth, and effective use of the chosen technologies. Functionality: Completeness of the prototype and demonstration of its core features. Impact and Practicality: Potential to address real-world needs and deliver meaningful value. Scalability: Potential for the solution to evolve and serve a broader set of users. User Experience: Usability, accessibility, and quality of the overall experience. Track Alignment: Relevance to the selected track and effective application of its underlying concepts. For Agentic AI projects, judges may additionally consider meaningful autonomy, tool integration, planning, reliability, and outcome verification. For Cybersecurity projects, judges may additionally consider the quality of threat analysis, effectiveness of defensive measures, technical rigor, and responsible implementation. Rules and Guidelines All project proposals and final submissions must be the original work of the participating team. Each team must select one primary track for its submission. Teams are expected to build their final projects during the allotted hacking period, based on the proposal submitted during screening. Participants may use open-source libraries, frameworks, APIs, models, and publicly available datasets, subject to their applicable licenses and terms of service. Third-party assets, code, datasets, and models must be appropriately acknowledged. Previously developed projects may not be submitted as new work without substantial development during the hackathon. Plagiarism, unauthorized copying, impersonation, and misrepresentation of contributions are prohibited. Teams must comply with applicable laws, ethical standards, and platform policies. Cybersecurity projects must be developed and demonstrated only in authorized environments. Unauthorized access, testing against third-party systems, or malicious activity is strictly prohibited. AI-based projects should be developed responsibly, with appropriate consideration for privacy, security, reliability, and potential misuse. Teams must submit their final projects within the deadline announced by the organizers. Late submissions may not be considered. Teams must be prepared to demonstrate their solutions and explain their technical implementation to the judges. Participants attending offline must follow all venue and event-management instructions. Online participants must comply with the submission, communication, and participation procedures specified by the organizers. The organizers reserve the right to disqualify teams that violate the rules or provide misleading information. The decisions of the judging panel regarding rankings and awards will be final. Any changes to the schedule, rules, prizes, or participation requirements will be communicated through the official event channels. Important Information Hackathon: ChronoForge Format: 24-hour hackathon Total Prize Pool: ₹50,000 Tracks: Agentic AI and Cybersecurity Selection Process: Proposal screening followed by the hacking round Shortlisted Teams: Top 30 teams NITK Students: Offline participation at NITK Surathkal Non-NITK Participants: Online participation Awards: Overall Winner, Overall Runner-up, Track-wise Winners and Runner-ups Certificates: Participation certificates for all eligible participants; merit certificates for winners and runner-ups Participants are advised to regularly check the official Unstop listing and the organizers' communication channels for announcements, deadlines, participation instructions, and other updates. Have an idea worth building? Submit your proposal, make the cut, and forge something extraordinary.