Hack The Circle

Hack the Circle | Official Hackathon Guidelines 1. About the Hackathon Hack the Circle is an open-source-focused hackathon organised by Open Circle at Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology (MAIT). It brings together students who enjoy building, experimenting, solving real-world problems, and collaborating through technology. The hackathon consists of two rounds: an online project screening round followed by a six-hour offline finale at MAIT. Shortlisted teams will develop or improve their projects, submit their solutions, demonstrate their work, and pitch to the judges. Participants can compete in one of four tracks: AI/ML, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, and Open Innovation. Bring your ideas, build something meaningful, and make your mark in the circle! 2. Eligibility Rules The hackathon is open to college students interested in technology, software development, innovation, and problem-solving. Students from different colleges, academic years, and specialisations are welcome to participate. Participants should have an interest in technology and a willingness to learn and collaborate. All participants must complete the registration process and provide accurate information. Shortlisted teams must be available to attend the offline finale at MAIT. All participants must follow the official guidelines, deadlines, and instructions issued by the organisers. 3. Team Formation Rules Each team must consist of 1–4 members. Inter-college and inter-specialisation teams are permitted. Each participant may register with only one team. Teams must be finalised before the registration deadline. Any changes to team composition after registration require prior approval from the organisers. Each team must designate one member as its primary contact for official communication. All team members are collectively responsible for their submissions, conduct, and compliance with the rules. Teams must not exchange members or collaborate on implementation with other competing teams in a manner that violates the event rules. 4. Hackathon Tracks Each team must select one primary track during Round 1 registration. The selected track must be clearly mentioned in the project presentation. Track 1: AI/ML Projects involving artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics, intelligent automation, computer vision, natural language processing, or data-driven solutions. Track 2: Blockchain Projects involving decentralised applications, smart contracts, Web3, digital identity, blockchain-based verification, transparency, or decentralised systems. Track 3: Cybersecurity Projects involving digital security, privacy protection, threat detection, defensive security tools, secure software, vulnerability awareness, or security automation. Track 4: Open Innovation Creative, interdisciplinary, and technology-driven solutions addressing real-world problems in areas such as education, healthcare, sustainability, accessibility, productivity, and public services. Track selection rules: Teams must select their track during Round 1 registration. The selected track must be explicitly stated in the project presentation. The project should align with the selected track. Teams must continue in their selected track during Round 2. Any change requires prior approval from the organisers. 5. Hackathon Format Hack the Circle consists of two rounds. Round 1: Idea Drop | Online Screening Round 1 is an online screening round in which teams submit their project presentation in PDF format and their GitHub repository link for evaluation. Submission requirements 1. Project Presentation (PDF only) The presentation must explain: Problem statement Proposed solution Key features Target users Technology stack Expected impact and feasibility Selected hackathon track Current project status, including any significant pre-existing work 2. GitHub Repository Link Teams must provide a link to their existing project repository, starter project, or relevant source code, where available. Round 1 rules The project presentation must be submitted in PDF format only. PPT, PPTX, and other presentation formats will not be accepted. Both the PDF presentation and GitHub repository link must be submitted through the designated submission form before the announced deadline. The GitHub repository must be public and accessible to the organisers for evaluation. Teams may submit an existing project or a project at an early development stage. Teams submitting existing projects must accurately represent the current progress of their work and disclose significant pre-existing code or features. The selected track must be clearly mentioned in the PDF presentation. The presentation must communicate the idea, its usefulness, originality, feasibility, and proposed implementation. Only the PDF presentation and GitHub repository link are required for Round 1. No separate demo video is required. Submissions will be evaluated based on problem relevance, originality, feasibility, clarity of presentation, and technical potential. Incomplete, inaccessible, misleading, or late submissions may be rejected. Only shortlisted teams will qualify for Round 2. Submission does not guarantee shortlisting. Round 2: Build, Ship, Pitch | Six-Hour Offline Finale Round 2 is an offline finale conducted at MAIT. Shortlisted teams will develop or improve their solutions, submit their final work, demonstrate their projects, and pitch their solutions to the judges. The entire finale must be completed within six hours. This includes development, testing, submission preparation, final repository submission, project demonstrations, pitches, judging, and awards. No additional build or presentation period will be provided outside the six-hour window. Round 2 rules Only shortlisted teams may participate in the offline finale. Teams must work on the project shortlisted in Round 1. Major changes to the project or selected track require prior approval from the organisers. Teams may continue developing an existing project submitted during Round 1. They are not required to start from scratch. Teams must clearly distinguish pre-existing work from the features developed or improved during the finale. Teams should focus on implementing core features and demonstrating a functional prototype or minimum viable product (MVP). Participants may use suitable programming languages, frameworks, libraries, APIs, and development tools, subject to the event rules and applicable licences. Teams are encouraged to use Git and GitHub for version control and collaborative development. Mentors, if provided, may offer guidance, but teams remain responsible for their own implementation, decisions, and submissions. Teams must submit their final GitHub repository and any additional materials specified by the organisers before the announced submission cutoff. The final repository should contain the relevant code and documentation needed to understand and run the project, where applicable. Each team must demonstrate its project and pitch its solution to the judges within the six-hour event window. Teams should be prepared to explain the problem, implementation, technology choices, key features, practical impact, and future scope of their project. All development, testing, submissions, demonstrations, judging, and awards must fit within the six-hour window. Extensions will not be granted unless officially announced by the organisers. Finale schedule: The exact timings for development, submission, project demonstrations, pitches, judging, and awards will be communicated by the organisers on the day of the finale. All teams must follow the announced schedule. 6. Project and Submission Rules Projects must address a clearly defined problem and align with the team's selected track. Teams must have the right to use, modify, and submit all code, libraries, datasets, designs, and other materials included in their projects. Open-source libraries, frameworks, APIs, templates, and other permitted resources may be used in accordance with their applicable licences and terms. Existing projects and previously developed components are permitted, but teams must disclose significant pre-existing work and accurately represent their contributions during the hackathon. Teams must not present a previously completed project as entirely new work developed during the event. Significant third-party code, datasets, assets, and external contributions must be acknowledged where required. Copying another team's work, plagiarism, and misrepresenting someone else's work as one's own are prohibited. Each team must submit its own distinct entry. Duplicate or substantially identical submissions from different teams may be rejected. Repositories must not contain exposed passwords, API keys, access tokens, private credentials, confidential information, or sensitive personal data. Participants are responsible for ensuring that their projects do not violate intellectual property rights, privacy rights, applicable laws, or third-party terms of service. Teams must submit all required materials through the designated channels and before the announced deadlines. Teams are responsible for ensuring that submitted links work and that the organisers can access the required materials. 7. Use of AI and External Resources AI coding assistants, online documentation, tutorials, external APIs, libraries, and development tools are permitted unless the organisers announce a specific restriction. Teams remain responsible for the correctness, security, originality, and functionality of their submissions, including AI-generated code. Participants must understand the code and features they present and be able to explain their implementation to the judges. Teams must not use AI tools to fabricate results, misrepresent project capabilities, or claim that unimplemented features are functional. External code and AI-generated material must be attributed where required by applicable licences or event instructions. Participants must not use AI tools or external services to obtain another team's private work, access confidential information, or gain an unfair advantage. 8. Safety and Cybersecurity Rules These rules apply to every track, particularly Cybersecurity and Blockchain. Security testing must be limited to systems, applications, accounts, and infrastructure owned by the team or explicitly authorised for testing. Unauthorised access, credential theft, phishing, malware deployment, data exfiltration, denial-of-service attacks, and deliberate disruption are prohibited. Participants must not attack the event network, organisers' systems, judges' devices, other participants' projects, or third-party services. Demonstrations must use authorised test environments, synthetic data, or appropriately anonymised data. Teams must not collect, expose, or distribute personal or confidential information without proper authorisation. Security demonstrations must be conducted safely and within the scope permitted by the organisers. Participants must immediately follow any safety-related instructions issued by the organisers. Violations may result in removal from the event and disqualification. 9. Judging Criteria Round 2 projects will be evaluated on a 100-point scale. Evaluation criterion Points Assessment Innovation and Problem Relevance 20 Originality, importance of the problem, and relevance of the solution Technical Implementation 30 Code quality, architecture, technical decisions, and implementation Functionality and Execution 20 Working features, prototype completeness, and execution Practical Impact and Feasibility 15 Usefulness, feasibility, and potential for further development Pitch and Demonstration 15 Presentation clarity, demo quality, and responses to judges Total 100   Judging rules All teams will be evaluated using the published criteria. Judges may ask teams to explain or demonstrate their code, features, and implementation. Teams must not misrepresent functionality, authorship, development progress, or results. Judges' decisions are final, subject to the organisers' procedures for correcting administrative errors or addressing rule violations. In the event of a tie, the organisers may prioritise technical implementation and functionality, followed by innovation and problem relevance. A submission may be disqualified if a material violation of the rules is established. 10. Code of Conduct All participants must treat fellow participants, organisers, mentors, judges, volunteers, and faculty with respect. Harassment, discrimination, intimidation, abusive behaviour, cheating, plagiarism, sabotage, and deliberate disruption are prohibited. Participants must follow venue rules, faculty instructions, safety requirements, and event announcements. Teams must respect other participants' intellectual property, equipment, data, and work. Participants must not interfere with another team's development environment, repository, presentation, or submission. Teams must maintain professional conduct throughout the event, including online communication related to the hackathon. Participants should promptly report serious rule violations or safety concerns to the organisers. Participants must cooperate with organisers when clarification or investigation of a suspected violation is necessary. 11. Disqualification Rules The organisers reserve the right to investigate suspected violations and disqualify a participant or team, as appropriate, for: Plagiarism, cheating, or misrepresentation of project ownership. Submission of another team's work as their own. False registration details, duplicate team membership, or unauthorised team changes. Unauthorised access, malicious activity, security violations, or deliberate sabotage. Breach of intellectual property rights, software licences, privacy, or applicable laws. Fabrication of project results or deliberate misrepresentation of implemented features. Submission of materially incomplete, inaccessible, or late work where the published rules make it ineligible. Serious or repeated violations of the code of conduct or organiser instructions. Attempts to obtain an unfair advantage over other participants. Failure to comply with essential event requirements after instructions from the organisers. Depending on the severity of the violation, the organisers may issue a warning, reject a submission, remove a participant, or disqualify the entire team. 12. Important Event Information Round 1 is conducted online; Round 2 is conducted offline at MAIT. Only shortlisted teams may participate in the offline finale. Shortlisted teams must confirm their participation and follow the reporting instructions provided by the organisers. Participants must bring their own laptops, chargers, and any other equipment required for development. Teams should install and test their development tools, software, and dependencies before arriving. Participants are responsible for maintaining backups of their work and ensuring their final submissions are accessible. The entire offline finale, including development, submission, final pitches, judging, and awards, will be completed within six hours. The detailed schedule, including reporting time, development period, submission cutoff, pitch timings, judging, and awards, will be communicated on the day of the finale. Teams must manage their time according to the announced schedule. The organisers will communicate the venue details, deadlines, reporting instructions, and any additional requirements to shortlisted teams. The organisers reserve the right to make reasonable operational changes and will communicate any such changes to participants. 13. Agreement to the Rules By registering for Hack the Circle, participants confirm that they have read, understood, and agreed to follow these guidelines. Each team is responsible for ensuring that all its members understand and comply with the rules. Failure to comply may result in rejection of a submission, removal from the event, or disqualification, depending on the nature and severity of the violation. The organisers' decisions regarding eligibility, submissions, conduct, and event operations will be communicated through official channels. Bring the idea. Build the thing. Pitch the impact. Hack the Circle!