Terms and Conditions

1. Event Overview

Event Name: Smart Horizon: 48-Hour International Hackathon 2026

Organizer: New Horizon College of Engineering (NHCE), Bangalore

Date: September 3rd, 4th & 5th, 2026

Venue: New Horizon Knowledge Park, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Duration: 48 hours continuous

1. Eligibility & Team Composition

• 1.1. The hackathon is open to Engineering Undergraduate (UG) students aged 18 years and above from India and other countries, subject to applicable local and international laws.
• 1.2. Participants must belong to the same college/university, from the same state and country. Cross-college, cross-state, or cross-country teams are strictly not allowed.
• 1.3. Teams may consist of students from the same or different departments of the same institution.
• 1.4. Each team must have 4 to 5 members, preferably with at least one female participant.
• 1.5. All participants must possess valid college/university ID cards and government-issued identity proof (Aadhaar for Indian participants / Passport for international participants).
• 1.6. The Organizer reserves the right to verify identity, eligibility, and institutional affiliation at any stage of the event. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.

2. Registration & Fees

2.1 Registration Process

• 2.1. All registrations must be completed exclusively through the official NHCE college website.
• 2.1.1. Registrations made through any other platform or mode shall be considered invalid.

2.2 Two-Stage Registration

2.3 Mode and Currency of Payment

• 2.3.1. Indian participants must make all payments only in INR.
• 2.3.2. International participants may pay in USD or INR equivalent, as enabled on the website.
• 2.3.3. All currency conversion charges, international transaction fees, payment gateway charges, bank charges, or taxes shall be borne solely by the participant/team.

2.4 Refund Policy

2.5 Failure to Complete Final Registration

• 2.5.1. Teams that fail to complete the final registration payment within the specified deadline shall forfeit their participation slot.
• 2.5.2. Any fees already paid shall stand forfeited without exception.

2.6 Confirmation of Participation

• 2.6.1. Participation shall be deemed confirmed only after successful completion of both stages of payment and verification of eligibility by the Organizer.

Theme Selection

• Teams must select one of the five available themes during registration
• Maximum 100 teams per theme (first-come, first-served basis)
• Theme selection cannot be changed after registration confirmation
• Available themes:
  • Agriculture and Rural Development
  • Health Tech
  • SpaceTech
  • Smart City, Vehicles and Automation
  • FinTech

3. Hackathon Duration & Attendance

• 3.1. The hackathon will run continuously for 48 hours in offline mode.
• 3.2. All team members must be present throughout the hackathon duration.
• 3.3. Teams are not permitted to change members once the offline hackathon begins.
• 3.4. If a team's allocated table/workstation is found unattended or empty, the team will be immediately disqualified.
• 3.5. Participants are not allowed to leave the campus once the hackathon has commenced, except in case of a verified medical emergency with organizer approval.

4. Facilities & Support

4.1 Facilities Provided by Organizer

• 24x7 Wi-Fi and power supply
• Food and beverages
• Designated resting and sleeping areas
• Access to mentors for technical troubleshooting
• Emergency medical support

4.2 Participant Responsibilities

• Their own laptops, chargers, peripherals, hardware, and software tools
• Carrying necessities for 48 hours (warm clothing, blankets, medicines, toiletries, etc.)

5. Code of Conduct & Ethics

• 5.1. Participants must maintain professional, respectful, and ethical behaviour at all times.
• 5.2. Any form of plagiarism, offensive, discriminatory, abusive, or unlawful content is strictly prohibited.
• 5.3. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
• 5.4. Participants must:
  • Respect venue rules and institutional property
  • Collaborate ethically
  • Maintain discipline and cleanliness on campus
• 5.5. Alcohol, drugs, narcotics, tobacco, or any banned substances/items are strictly prohibited within the campus.
• 5.6. Participants must adhere to the semi-formal dress code (Polo T-shirts, Jeans, Formal Shirts, and Dresses) throughout the event.
• 5.7. Any damage to property or facilities will be the sole responsibility of the concerned participant/team, and recovery costs may be imposed.
• 5.8. The Organizing Committee holds sole authority to disqualify participants involved in misconduct or misbehaviour of any kind.

6. Project Development & Submission Rules

• 6.1. All solutions must be developed during the hackathon duration only and any updates insisted by the jury members must be incorporated fully.
• 6.2. Reuse of previously developed projects, codebases, or prototypes is not allowed unless explicitly permitted.
• 6.3. Submissions must be original and must not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights.
• 6.4. Teams must submit:
  • Complete Source code with all supporting files clearly mentioning tools used
  • Documentation
  • Presentation/demo as specified by the Organizer
• 6.5. Late or incomplete submissions may lead to disqualification.

7. Use of Third-Party Tools & Data

• 7.1. Participants may use third-party APIs, SDKs, frameworks, and datasets, provided they:
  • Comply fully with respective licenses and terms of use
  • Do not violate any applicable code of conduct
  • Are used in a lawful and legally compliant manner
• 7.2. NHCE and its Partners shall not be held liable for any violation of third-party licensing terms by participants.

8. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) (Subject to approval)

• 8.1. All solutions developed during the hackathon shall be jointly owned by NHCE and the Participant(s) in equal proportion.
• 8.2. Both parties may use, publish, modify, or commercialize the solution with due acknowledgment.
• 8.3. Sponsors/Partners are granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license for academic, research, and promotional purposes.
• 8.4. Participants may file for patents, unless otherwise agreed in writing. NHCE/Partners may assist under mutual agreement.
• 8.5. Submissions must not infringe copyrights, patents, trademarks, or trade secrets of any third party.

9. Confidentiality

• 9.1. Any proprietary or confidential information shared by NHCE, sponsors, or partners must not be disclosed or misused.
• 9.2. Participants must delete confidential data post-event if instructed by the Organizer or Partner.

10. Judging & Prize Distribution

10.1 Prize Structure

• 1st Place: ₹2,50,000 per theme (5 themes = ₹12,50,000)
• 2nd Place: ₹1,50,000 per theme (5 themes = ₹7,50,000)
• 3rd Place: ₹75,000 per theme (5 themes = ₹3,75,000)
• Total Prize Pool: ₹23,75,000

10.2 Prize Conditions

• 10.1. Winners will be decided based on jury evaluation criteria communicated during the event.
• 10.2. Decisions of the jury and organizers shall be final and binding.
• 10.3. Prizes are non-transferable.
• 10.4. NHCE reserves the right to modify, substitute, or withhold prizes due to legal, regulatory, or technical constraints.
• Prize distribution ceremony will be held on September 5, 2026
• Tax deductions as per Indian Income Tax regulations will apply
• Prize money will be transferred to team lead's bank account

11. Travel Allowance (TA)

• 11.1. On completion of the hackathon, the participants are eligible to claim travel allowance as per the policy given below:
• 11.2. Indian Participants: TA reimbursement capped at ₹10,000 per team, subject to submission of original valid bills.
• 11.3. International Participants: Partial reimbursement based on international airfare, subject to submission of original valid bills and Organizer approval.
• TA will be provided only to confirmed participating teams
• Original receipts and tickets required for reimbursement
• TA processing may take 30-45 days post-event

12. Publicity & Media Rights

• 12.1. By participating, participants grant NHCE the right to use:
  • Names
  • Photographs
  • Videos
  • Project details for marketing, academic, documentation, and promotional purposes, without any compensation.

13. Data Protection & Privacy

• 13.1. NHCE will process personal data in compliance with:
  • Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India)
  • GDPR, where applicable
• 13.2. Data will be used solely for event management and communication and retained for a limited duration.
• Personal information collected will be used only for event-related purposes
• Participant data will not be shared with third parties without consent
• Photos and videos taken during the event may be used for promotional purposes
• Participants can request data deletion post-event completion

14. Liability Disclaimer

• 14.1. The Organizer, Sponsors, and Partners shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, theft, injury, or accident arising during participation.
• 14.2. Participants are solely responsible for ensuring legal compliance of their projects.
• 14.3. NHCE reserves the right to modify, postpone, or cancel the event due to unforeseen circumstances.
• Participants are responsible for their personal belongings
• NHCE is not responsible for travel delays, visa issues, or accommodation problems
• Technical issues or internet connectivity problems are not grounds for compensation
• Jury decisions are final and binding

15. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

• 15.1. These rules shall be governed by the laws of India.
• 15.2. Any disputes shall fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Any disputes will be resolved through mutual discussion first
• Unresolved disputes will be subject to arbitration in Bangalore, India
• Indian law will govern all aspects of the event and these terms

16. Amendments

• 16.1. The Organizer reserves the right to amend, modify, or update these rules at any time.
• 16.2. All updates will be communicated through official channels and shall be binding upon participants.
• All official communications will be sent to registered email addresses
• Participants must regularly check their email for updates
• WhatsApp groups may be created for real-time communication
• Official website will be updated with latest information
• Social media channels will share event updates and announcements

17. Abbreviations Used

• 17.1. Aadhaar - Aadhaar (Unique Identification Number issued by the Government of India)
• 17.2. API - Application Programming Interface
• 17.3. DPDP Act, 2023 - Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
• 17.4. GDPR - General Data Protection Regulation
• 17.5. INR - Indian Rupee
• 17.6. IP - Intellectual Property
• 17.7. IPR - Intellectual Property Rights
• 17.8. NHCE - New Horizon College of Engineering
• 17.9. SDK - Software Development Kit
• 17.10. TA - Travel Allowance
• 17.11. UG - Undergraduate
• 17.12. USD - United States Dollar