Official Rules

About SNH’26

SpectoV National Hackathon (SNH’26) is a national-level individual hackathon designed to provide students and emerging developers with a platform to build innovative technology solutions and demonstrate their technical, creative, and problem-solving capabilities.

Participants can compete in one of the following tracks:

• AI
• App Development
• Web Development

Eligibility

SNH’26 is open to students enrolled in one of the following programs:

• B.Tech
• BCA
• B.E.
• B.Sc.
• MCA
• M.Sc.
• MBA
• Others

Participants may be required to provide valid academic or identification details during registration or verification.

SpectoV reserves the right to verify eligibility at any stage of the hackathon.

Individual Participation Only

SNH’26 is an individual participation hackathon.

• Each registration represents one participant.
• Team participation is not permitted.
• Participants may not submit a project jointly with another registered participant.
• Sharing substantial project work, code, or deliverables between participants may result in disqualification.

Registration

• Registration is available on a first-come, first-registered basis.
• Registration opens on 5 October 2026 and closes on 30 November 2026.
• A maximum of 250 successful registrations will be accepted.
• The registration fee is ₹149 per participant.
• A participant's seat is considered confirmed only after successful registration and payment verification.
• Incomplete forms, failed payments, duplicate registrations, or registrations that cannot be verified may not be counted toward the 250-participant limit.
• SpectoV reserves the right to close registration once the maximum capacity is reached, including before the published closing date.

Participants should retain their registration confirmation and Registration ID for future communication.

The hackathon kick-off is 1 December 2026. The build phase runs 1–6 December 2026.

Track Selection

Participants must select one track during registration:

AI

Projects involving Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, NLP, Computer Vision, AI Agents, Multimodal AI, or related technologies.

App Development

Projects involving Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native, cross-platform applications, or other mobile application technologies.

Web Development

Projects involving frontend, backend, full-stack applications, SaaS platforms, web-based tools, portals, developer platforms, or related web technologies.

Participants are expected to submit their project under the track selected during registration.

Project Requirements

Participants must build and submit an original technology project relevant to their selected track.

A submission should clearly demonstrate:

• The problem being addressed
• Target users or stakeholders
• Proposed solution
• Key features
• Technical implementation
• Technologies/frameworks used
• Working demonstration, wherever applicable
• Potential impact, use case, or practical value

Projects should demonstrate meaningful development effort. Merely presenting an idea without a functional implementation may receive limited consideration during evaluation.

Use of AI and Third-Party Tools

Participants may use publicly available:

• APIs
• SDKs
• Open-source libraries
• Frameworks
• Cloud services
• AI/ML models
• Generative AI tools
• Developer tools

However, participants remain responsible for their submission and must disclose significant third-party technologies, APIs, models, datasets, or services used in their project.

Use of AI-assisted development does not exempt participants from understanding and being able to explain their implementation.

Originality and Plagiarism

All submissions must be the participant's original work.

The following may lead to disqualification:

• Plagiarized projects
• Copying another participant's project
• Submitting previously developed work without meaningful modification or disclosure
• Misrepresenting third-party work as original work
• Unauthorized use of copyrighted material
• Fabricated project results or demonstrations
• Any attempt to manipulate the evaluation process

SpectoV may conduct technical, code, documentation, or other verification checks where necessary.

Project Submission

Participants must submit their project through the designated SNH’26 submission platform before the submission deadline on 6 December 2026.

A submission may require:

• Participant and Registration ID
• Selected track
• Project title
• Problem statement
• Solution overview
• Key features
• Technology stack
• Technical architecture or workflow
• GitHub/source repository, where applicable
• Live demo, where applicable
• Demo video
• Project documentation
• AI/model/dataset details, where applicable

Once 6 December 2026 has passed, modifications may not be permitted unless explicitly announced by SpectoV.

Submission Responsibility

Participants are solely responsible for:

• Completing their submission correctly
• Uploading the required materials
• Providing working links
• Ensuring repositories and demonstrations are accessible to evaluators
• Meeting all deadlines
• Maintaining backups of their project and supporting files

SpectoV is not responsible for submissions lost or rendered inaccessible due to incorrect links, technical issues on the participant's side, or failure to complete the submission process before 6 December 2026.

Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated using a combination of technical and qualitative criteria.

• Technical Implementation25%
• Innovation & Originality20%
• Problem Solving & Impact20%
• User Experience15%
• Scalability & Feasibility10%
• Presentation & Demonstration10%
• Total100%

Evaluation runs from 7–13 December 2026. The judging process may include submission review, technical evaluation, project demonstration, presentation, or other assessment methods communicated by SpectoV. Winners are announced on 14 December 2026.

Judges' decisions based on the published evaluation criteria will be final for the hackathon.

Prizes

SNH’26 will feature the following prize structure:

Winner

₹2,00,000

+ 6-Month Paid Internship

Full-Time Career Opportunity*

1st Runner-Up

₹1,00,000

+ 6-Month Paid Internship

Full-Time Career Opportunity*

2nd Runner-Up

₹50,000

+ 6-Month Paid Internship

Full-Time Career Opportunity*

Top 10 Performers in Each Track

₹10,000 each

+ 6-Month Paid Internship

Full-Time Career Opportunity*

This results in 30 Top Track Performers across the three tracks.

The total announced cash prize pool is ₹5,50,000.

*Career opportunities are subject to applicable eligibility criteria, organizational requirements, interview/selection processes, role availability, and applicable employment terms. Participation or winning the hackathon does not by itself constitute an unconditional guarantee of employment.

Internship Opportunity

Eligible winners and selected top performers may receive an opportunity for a 6-month paid internship with SpectoV, subject to applicable organizational requirements and internship terms.

The internship may involve technical projects, learning activities, mentorship, evaluations, and professional responsibilities.

Detailed internship terms will be communicated separately to eligible participants.

Intellectual Property

Participants retain ownership of their original project and intellectual property, subject to the rights and licenses associated with third-party components used in their project.

Participants must ensure that they have the necessary rights or permissions to use any third-party code, datasets, APIs, models, media, or other resources incorporated into their project.

By participating, participants grant SpectoV permission to use publicly shared project information, participant names, project titles, screenshots, demonstrations, and non-confidential project descriptions for legitimate hackathon-related communication, publicity, documentation, and promotional purposes.

Participants should not submit confidential information that they do not wish to be publicly disclosed.

Code of Conduct

All participants are expected to maintain professional and respectful conduct throughout SNH’26.

The following are prohibited:

• Harassment or discrimination
• Abusive, threatening, or inappropriate behaviour
• Impersonation
• Fraudulent activity
• Attempting to compromise hackathon systems
• Unauthorized access to another participant's data or account
• Manipulation of registrations, submissions, votes, or evaluation
• Any activity that disrupts the fair operation of the hackathon

SpectoV may take appropriate action, including disqualification, in response to violations.

Fair Play and Security

Participants must not attempt to:

• Exploit vulnerabilities in SNH’26 systems
• Access restricted administrative information
• Manipulate registration counters or payment systems
• Interfere with other participants' submissions
• Circumvent platform restrictions
• Introduce malicious code intended to harm systems or users

Responsible disclosure of genuine technical vulnerabilities to the designated SpectoV team is encouraged.

Disqualification

SpectoV reserves the right to disqualify a participant if the participant:

• Violates these Official Rules
• Provides false or misleading information
• Submits plagiarized or fraudulent work
• Engages in unfair practices
• Fails eligibility verification
• Manipulates or interferes with the hackathon process
• Engages in inappropriate or prohibited conduct
• Fails to meet mandatory submission requirements

A disqualified participant may become ineligible for prizes, certificates, internship opportunities, or other hackathon benefits.

Registration Fee and Refunds

The SNH’26 registration fee is ₹149.

Participants should review all registration details carefully before completing payment.

Unless otherwise communicated by SpectoV in writing, registration fees are non-refundable after successful registration.

Duplicate, unsuccessful, or technically failed transactions will be handled according to the applicable payment process.

Certificates

All participants may receive certificates based on their participation and achievement level.

Certificate categories may include:

• Participant
• Finalist
• Top Track Performer
• Runner-Up
• Winner

Certificate eligibility may depend on successful participation and compliance with the hackathon rules.

Communication

Official SNH’26 announcements will be communicated through designated SpectoV channels, including official email and other officially announced communication platforms.

Participants are responsible for:

• Providing a valid email address and mobile number
• Checking official communications regularly
• Following announced deadlines
• Keeping their registration information up to date

SpectoV will not be responsible for missed communication caused by incorrect participant information or failure to check official channels.

Changes to the Hackathon

SpectoV reserves the right to modify, extend, postpone, suspend, or cancel any part of SNH’26 where reasonably necessary due to technical, operational, security, legal, or other circumstances.

Where material changes occur, participants will be informed through official communication channels wherever reasonably practicable.

Limitation of Responsibility

Participants are responsible for their own equipment, software, internet connectivity, development environment, project files, accounts, and third-party services used during the hackathon.

SpectoV is not responsible for issues arising from:

• Participant hardware or software
• Internet connectivity
• Third-party platforms or APIs
• Loss of participant data due to failure to maintain backups
• Incorrect information submitted by participants

Privacy and Data Usage

Information collected during registration and participation may be used for purposes including:

• Registration and participant verification
• Hackathon administration
• Communication and announcements
• Judging and evaluation
• Certificate generation
• Prize and internship administration
• Event documentation and legitimate promotional activities

Participant information will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and SpectoV's applicable privacy practices.

Acceptance of Rules

By completing registration for SNH’26, the participant confirms that:

• The information provided is accurate and complete.
• They meet the applicable eligibility requirements.
• They agree to participate individually.
• Their project complies with the originality and submission requirements.
• They agree to the judging and evaluation process.
• They agree to comply with the Official Rules and Code of Conduct.
• They understand the terms associated with prizes and internship opportunities.
• They accept that violations may result in disqualification.

Participation in SNH’26 constitutes acceptance of these Official Rules.