Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra, successfully organised its Internal Hackathon for Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2026 on 24th and 25th August 2026 at LT-3, SMVDU, under the aegis of the Board of Professional Activities (BPA), with the School of Computer Science & Engineering (SoCSE) playing a key role in organising and coordinating the event.
Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is one of India’s largest innovation and problem-solving initiatives, providing students with a national platform to develop technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges identified by government organisations, industries and other institutions. The SIH 2026 initiative continues to encourage students across the country to apply creativity, technology and interdisciplinary collaboration towards solving contemporary challenges.
The two-day Internal Hackathon at SMVDU witnessed enthusiastic participation from students across different academic years, Schools, departments, streams and programmes of the University, with more than 150 students and attendees participating in and witnessing the event.
The Internal Hackathon provided students with a structured platform to work on official SIH 2026 problem statements, understand the challenges involved, develop innovative and technically feasible solutions, and present their ideas before an expert jury. Students from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years participated in the event, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, teamwork and practical problem-solving.
Throughout the event, participating teams presented their proposed solutions, explaining their understanding of the selected problem statements, proposed approaches, technical architecture, implementation strategy, feasibility and potential impact. The presentations provided students with an opportunity to demonstrate their technical knowledge as well as their ability to convert real-world challenges into practical technology-based solutions.
The participating teams were evaluated by an expert jury comprising Mr. Swastik Gupta (SoECE), Dr. Vipal Sharma (SoCSE), Dr. Rohit Tanwar (SoCSE), Dr. Yati Agarwal (SoCE), Dr. Naveen Gondhi (SoCSE), Dr. Kamaldeep (SoEE), Dr. Yathesht Anand (SoME) and Dr. Pooja Sharma (SoCSE).
The evaluation focused on key parameters including problem understanding, innovation, technical approach, feasibility, presentation quality and overall potential of the proposed solution. The jury also interacted with the teams, raised questions regarding their proposed implementations and provided valuable feedback to help students strengthen their ideas and presentations for the subsequent stages of SIH 2026.
Special Thanks and Acknowledgement
Special thanks are extended to Dr. Ankush Raina, President, Board of Professional Activities (BPA), SMVDU, and Dr. Sunanda, Head, School of Computer Science & Engineering (SoCSE), SMVDU, for their valuable guidance, encouragement and support in facilitating the successful organisation of the Internal Hackathon.
Special appreciation is also extended to Dr. Sonika Gupta (SoCSE), who led the entire Internal Hackathon and played a central role in its planning, coordination and execution. Her leadership and continuous involvement were instrumental in bringing together the faculty, jury members, student organisers and volunteers for the successful conduct of the two-day event.
The event was further supported by Dr. Shashi Bhushan Kotwal (SoECE), Dr. Sakshi Arora (SoCSE) and Dr. Sunny Kumar Sharma (SoMathematics), whose active support contributed to the smooth coordination and execution of the Internal Hackathon.
The event was supported by the student organising team comprising Shubham Saini (SoCSE), Naresh Kumar (SoCSE), Maneesh Kumar (SoCSE) and Mukti Porwal (SoCSE), who contributed to the planning, coordination and execution of the Internal Hackathon.
Special appreciation is extended to the dedicated student volunteers Ashok Kumar (SoME), Tanvi (SoCSE), Harsh (SoCSE), Rittu (SoMathematics), Rimjhim (SoCSE), Priti (SoMathematics), Srishti (SoCSE), Sarwotam (SoMathematics) and Murshid (SoCSE) for their valuable contributions towards the smooth conduct of the event.
The student volunteers assisted throughout the two-day Internal Hackathon in various responsibilities, including venue management, participant coordination, technical assistance, anchoring, team movement and other logistical activities. Their commitment, teamwork and willingness to take responsibility played an important role in maintaining the flow of the event and ensuring a positive experience for participating students, faculty members and jury members.
The Internal Hackathon also reflected the collaborative spirit of SMVDU, bringing together students and faculty members from different academic disciplines and Schools. The participation of students from diverse backgrounds highlighted the University’s emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and the practical application of technology to address real-world challenges.
Through the successful organisation of the SIH 2026 Internal Hackathon, SMVDU continues to strengthen its culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary collaboration, technical excellence and problem-solving, while providing its students with opportunities to develop meaningful technology-driven solutions and participate in one of India’s prominent student innovation initiatives.
