Official Rulebook
CIT-RANKATHON 2026 Participant Rules & Guidelines
Event Flow
Phase 1 — Challenge Release
06 August 2026 | 03:00 PM
- 14 Official Problem Statements will be released (7 AI + Full Stack, 7 Cybersecurity).
- Teams select one problem statement.
- Teams understand the problem, do the required research, design the solution and prepare the proposal, then Start Building
Note: teams are encoraged to start building the prototype /solutions. In the hackathon day you can only make changes in the prototype that are related to the feedback received from the judges.
Phase 2 —Proposal Submission
07 August 2026 | Deadline: 6:00 PM
Each team must submit a Solution Proposal (PPT/PDF) containing:
- Team Introduction
- Problem Understanding
- Proposed Solution
- System Architecture
- Technology Stack
- Existing Solution vs Proposed Solution
Note: Sending proposal is mandatory for all the teams. Not sending team will disqualified. This proposal is not evaluated for elimination. It is used for feedback and guidance.
Phase 3 — Hackathon Day
08 August 2026
Round 1 — Proposal Review
Every team will meet the judges for 5–10 Minutes to discuss their approach, feasibility, architecture, and innovation. No team will be eliminated in this round.
Round 2 — Prototype Development & Mentoring
Teams develop their solution. Teams may request mentors for technical guidance. Teams may refine their solution based on feedback.
Round 3 — Final Evaluation
All teams submit their final project. Judges evaluate all submissions and shortlist the Top 10 Teams for the final presentation (5 Min Demo + 3 Min Q&A).
Prize Pool
AI + Full Stack Track
- Winner: ₹10,000
- Runner-up: ₹5,000
Cybersecurity Track
- Winner: ₹10,000
- Runner-up: ₹5,000
Internship & Placement Opportunities · Special Recognition Awards
Team Rules
- Team Size: 2–4 Members
- One participant can belong to only one team
- One project per team
- One problem statement per team
- Selected problem statement is final and cannot be changed on hackathon day
- Cross-college and cross-disciplinary teams are allowed
Innovation Policy
The problem statements describe real-world problems only. There is no predefined implementation.
Teams are free to decide:
- Solution approach
- Features
- Architecture
- Technology stack
- AI models
- Deployment strategy
AI & Technology Policy
The following are allowed:
- AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, etc.)
- Open-source libraries & Public APIs
- Public datasets & Cloud platforms
- Any programming language or framework
- Any AI frameworks
- Any IDE
Teams must be able to explain every part of their implementation during evaluation.
Submission Requirements
Each team must submit:
- Working Prototype (Local or Deployed)
- Final Presentation (PPT/PDF)
- Architecture Diagram
- README Documentation
- AI Usage Declaration
Code of Conduct
- Maintain professionalism
- Respect judges, mentors, organizers, and fellow participants
- Present original work
- Follow ethical coding practices
- Adhere to the event schedule
Disqualification
A team may be disqualified for:
- Plagiarism or copied work
- Fake demonstrations
- Misrepresentation of work
- Violation of event rules
- Unsportsmanlike behaviour
- Disrupting other teams
- Failure to follow organizer instructions
Important Notes
- Join and remain active in the official WhatsApp group
- Arrive on time for all scheduled rounds
- Keep your presentation and prototype ready before judges arrive
- Do not argue with judges or organizers regarding scores or decisions
- For assistance, contact the organizing team via the provided phone number or WhatsApp
- The organizing committee may modify the schedule if required
- The decision of the judges and organizing committee will be final