Introduction

HackPrix 2026 was a one day hackathon organized by the FOSS Club of SRM University, Sonepat, in association with Github and CoreIntern, as a platform for student developers to design, build, and present innovative technology solutions within a single day. The event brought together 56 student developers who worked in teams to translate ideas into working prototypes under time-bound, competitive conditions.

The hackathon combined structured phases of ideation, hands-on development, mentorship, and live judging, enabling participants to move from concept to a demonstrable product while strengthening their technical, collaborative, and presentation skills.

Objectives

• To provide student developers a platform to build innovative, real-world technology solutions.
• To encourage rapid prototyping and hands-on software development within a fixed time window.
• To promote teamwork and collaborative problem-solving among participants.
• To connect participants with industry mentors and partners for guidance during development.
• To evaluate projects on innovation, practical utility, technical execution, and presentation.
• To foster a culture of originality, ethical coding practices, and academic integrity.
• To help participants gain confidence in pitching and presenting technical work to a judging panel.

Key Highlights of the Session

The one-day hackathon was conducted from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with 59 student developers participating in teams of one to two members. The event featured two structured hacking phases with dedicated mentor support, along with a lunch and networking break that facilitated interaction with sponsors. A strict GitHub repository submission deadline was enforced to ensure the originality of the work. The hackathon concluded with live team presentations, followed by the judging process and closing ceremony. The event was organised in official partnership with GitHub and CoreIntern, alongside the FOSS Club.

HACKATHON PROCEEDINGS

EVENT SCHEDULE AND FLOW

The day began with reporting, check-in, and team setup, followed by an opening ceremony that included a welcome speech, an overview of rules, and a partner spotlight for GitHub & CoreIntern. Hacking Phase 1 ran from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, during which teams began core development with mentors available for guidance. A lunch and networking break followed, giving participants an opportunity to interact with sponsors. Hacking Phase 2 continued from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, during which teams finalized their code and prepared their pitches, with the GitHub commit cutoff enforced sharply at 4:00 PM. The event concluded with team demos, judging, and a closing ceremony where the winners and special award recipients were announced.

MENTORSHIP AND GUIDANCE

Throughout both hacking phases, mentors were available to guide participants, helping teams troubleshoot technical challenges and refine their project direction. This support enabled teams to move efficiently from idea to working prototype within the compressed timeframe.

PARTICIPATION

Around 59 student developers from SRM University took part, organized into teams of 1 to 2 members. Teams engaged actively across ideation, coding, and pitching, demonstrating enthusiasm and commitment to producing original, functional prototypes within the hackathon's strict one-day originality window.

JUDGING AND FUTURE SCOPE

Projects were evaluated by a judging panel out of a total of 70 points across seven criteria: Innovation & Creativity, Impact & Relevance, Technical Implementation, Pitch & Presentation, User Experience & Design, Feasibility & Scalability, and an Optional Bonus Point, with each criterion carrying 10 points. Each team was given 3 minutes to present their prototype, followed by a 2-minute question-and-answer session. The judges' decisions were treated as final and binding.

The competition recognized a Top 3 among the participating teams. In addition to the top three positions, two special awards were presented for Best Technical Implementation and Best Innovation, recognizing teams that demonstrated notable technical execution and innovative problem-solving respectively. All five winning teams received gaming keyboards, certificates, and additional goodies as recognition of their performance and contribution to the event. And along with this three more winners for the small competition “Octacat” given by the mentor Ms. Bhawna received the prizes.

The event highlighted the growing enthusiasm among students for hackathon- style, project-based learning and its potential to support future academic and professional pursuits.

Conclusion

HackPrix 2026, organized by the FOSS Club of SRM University, Sonepat, in association with GitHub & CoreIntern, proved to be an engaging and high-energy platform for student developers to apply their technical skills to real-world problem statements within a single day. The structured schedule, combination of mentorship, competitive judging, and collaborative team-based development enabled participants to strengthen their coding, teamwork, problem-solving, and presentation abilities.

The active participation and enthusiasm shown by 59 student developers contributed significantly to the success of the event. The recognition of the Top 3 teams, along with special awards for Best Technical Implementation and Best Innovation, further celebrated the diverse strengths demonstrated by participants. The winning teams were awarded gaming keyboards, certificates, and additional goodies, providing tangible recognition for their efforts and achievements.

Overall, HackPrix 2026 served as an effective platform for innovation and skill-building, encouraging participants to further explore project-based development and apply their learning to future academic projects, competitions, and professional opportunities.