CyberAIthon
"Securing Viksit Bharat with Artificial Intelligence"
Organized by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) in association with the CAWACH Kendra, initiative of the Government of Gujarat under the Education Department, in collaboration with the Home Department.
Register
Overview
CyberAIthon – "Securing Viksit Bharat with Artificial Intelligence" is a national-level hackathon organized by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) in association with the CAWACH Kendra, a flagship initiative of the Government of Gujarat under the Education Department, in collaboration with the Home Department.
The event aims to foster innovation at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security, encouraging participants to develop technology-driven solutions for national security and digital resilience. CyberAIthon provides a collaborative platform for students, researchers, and innovators to address emerging cyber threats using AI-led approaches.
The hackathon aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat, promoting secure digital infrastructure and responsible use of advanced technologies. Through mentorship and competitive problem-solving, CyberAIthon seeks to nurture future-ready talent for a safe and empowered digital India.
Important Dates
Mark your calendar so you don’t miss any key milestone.
Registration Period
09 February – 23 March 2026
Shortlisting
24 March 2026
Grand Finale
28 – 30 March 2026
Award Function
30 March 2026
Problem Statement
Innovation / Prototype Development
The hackathon is an innovation-driven, prototype-development challenge designed to evaluate participants' ability to conceptualize and build cutting-edge technological solutions addressing real-world security challenges. This 36-hour intensive event will focus on the following five critical problem statements:
Public Awareness, Citizen Vigilance & Cybercrime Reporting
Design a cyber-safe, AI-enabled public awareness and reporting platform to improve cyber safety for citizens in a progressive India.
AI-Powered Privileged Access Threat Detection for Public Digital Infrastructure
Designing AI-enabled solutions for early detection and prevention of online fraud, phishing, and identity theft.
IoT Device Security
Prepare a intelligent AI powered solution that monitors IoT Devices for malwares, analyses it, reverse engineer it and [provide a report. Use automation to handle repetitive tasks
Early Prediction of Malicious Domains Using Multi-Modal Intelligence
Build a proactive defensive system powered by AI capable of predicting whether a newly observed domain is likely to be malicious by leveraging multi-modal signals
Agentic AI Problem Statement: Deepfake Detection & Call/ User Authenticity Verification
Design an agentic AI-driven system to detect deepfake audio/video and verify real-time call authenticity, enabling proactive identification and prevention of impersonation-based fraud and misinformation.
Cyber Threat detection and defense system
AI Powered early detection of cyber threats, phishing and Zero day detection system powered with Risk scoring engine to prioritize critical alerts and handle low risk detections
LLM Guardrail Engine for Prompt Injection, Jailbreak & Role-Play Attack Detection
Design a security-focused guardrail engine to detect and prevent prompt injection, jailbreak, and role-play attacks in Large Language Model (LLM) systems. The solution should enable real-time threat detection, policy enforcement, and secure enterprise deployment, minimizing risks such as data leakage, unauthorized actions, and system manipulation.
Real-Time Novel URL Detection and Database Management System for Squid Proxy Logs.
Develop an open-source (GNU GPL v3) real-time URL intelligence system that continuously monitors Squid proxy logs, maintains a comprehensive historical database of all observed URLs/domains, and generates immediate alerts when users access previously unseen URLs. The system must efficiently handle high-volume log streams, provide fast lookups, and offer mechanisms for database updates, whitelisting, and threat intelligence enrichment.
Anomaly-Based User Behavior Profiling System for Squid Proxy Logs
Develop an open-source (GNU GPL v3) AI-powered system that continuously learns and profiles individual user browsing behavior from Squid proxy logs, and generates real-time alerts when users exhibit anomalous browsing patterns that deviate from their established baseline profile. This system aims to detect potential security incidents such as account compromise, insider threats, malware infections, or policy violations.
Autonomous SOC Deception Agent
Design an agentic AI powered SOC system that monitors threat signals (failed logins, suspicious PowerShell, privilege escalation) and dynamically deploys deception artifacts such as fake credentials, honey files, and decoy API keys.When attackers interact with these planted decoys, the system generates high-confidence intrusion alerts. By adaptively increasing decoy deployment based on risk levels, the solution shifts enterprise security from reactive detection to proactive, autonomous defense aligned with Zero Trust and active cyber defense principles.
Targeted Participants
CyberAIthon welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds in technology and innovation.
IT and Cyber Security Professionals
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students (Engineering, Computer Science, IT, Data Science, AI/ML, Cyber Security, and allied disciplines)
Research Scholars and Doctoral Students
Faculty Members and Academic Researchers
Early-stage Startups and Innovation-driven Entrepreneurs
Technology Enthusiasts, Developers, and Independent Innovators
Members of Incubation Centres, Innovation Cells, and Startup Ecosystems
How CyberAIthon 2026 Works
Registration, Shortlisting, and Grand Finale – everything you need to know.
Registration for CyberAIthon – 2026, themed "Securing Viksit Bharat with Artificial Intelligence," will commence on 09 February 2026.
Participants are required to register in teams comprising 4 to 5 members, with at least one female member mandatory in each team. Participation Fees: ₹ 500/- per participant
Registered teams must submit an abstract in PPT or PDF format detailing their proposed solution to the challenge. The abstract should clearly describe the problem statement, the proposed methodology, the technology stack to be used, and any relevant prior experience or work in the chosen domain.
Participants/teams will be evaluated based on the submitted concept note/document, the quality and originality of their idea, and the PowerPoint presentation provided at the time of registration, in accordance with the prescribed judging criteria.
The top 30 teams will be shortlisted for the Final Round.
The Inauguration of the Hackathon will take place on 28th March 2026 at the "Gautam Hall", Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University.
The Grand Finale is scheduled from 28 March to 30 March 2026, at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University, Ahmedabad.
The Award Function will be held on 30th March 2026 at "Gautam Hall", Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University.
Food & Accommodation
Stay refreshed and rest well throughout CyberAIthon 2026.
All registered participants will be provided complimentary breakfast, lunch, dinner, and refreshments throughout the duration of CyberAIthon. Special care will be taken to ensure quality, hygiene, and a variety of nutritious meal options for all attendees.
Comfortable accommodation will be arranged for participants in air-conditioned rooms for the entire duration of the event. The organizing team will ensure a pleasant and secure stay, along with warm hospitality, to provide a seamless and enriching experience for all participants.
Awards & Prize Money
Win recognition and cash prizes. Every participant gets a certificate; top teams take home the trophy and prize money.
| Rank | Award Title | Prize Money (₹) | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Winner | ₹1,00,000 | Certificate of Achievement |
| 2nd | First Runner-Up | ₹50,000 | Certificate of Achievement |
| 3rd | Second Runner-Up | ₹25,000 | Certificate of Achievement |
| Special (02) | — | ₹10,000 | Certificate of Achievement |
Judging Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated across these four key dimensions.
Innovation & Creativity
Assessing originality, inventiveness, and the potential to disrupt traditional approaches. The solution must align well with the competition's theme and directly address the selected problem statement. The idea should demonstrate uniqueness, creativity, or innovation in its approach.
Technical Depth & Illustration
The idea must be clearly presented, highlighting its key features, workflows, and functionality through effective use of visual aids such as diagrams, flowcharts, or lifecycle visualizations. Additionally, participants should demonstrate the technical depth of their solution by detailing the coding, technologies, frameworks, or libraries used. Any code samples provided should be well-commented and easy to understand, clearly explaining the purpose and usability of each component.
Impact on Security
Measuring how effectively the solution enhances surveillance capabilities and fortifies cybersecurity measures.
Presentation & Clarity
Examining the clarity of the project presentation, the ability to articulate the problem-solving approach, and the overall persuasive power of the demonstration. The PowerPoint presentation should be clear, organized, and comprehensive. It must effectively convey the idea using a balanced mix of visuals, text, and explanations to ensure the audience understands the solution.
Patron, Convenor & Committee
The people behind CyberAIthon 2026
Prof. (Dr.) Ami Upadhyay
Vice Chancellor
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University
Prof. (Dr.) Nilesh K Modi
Director, School of Computer Science
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University
Dr. Shivang Patel
Associate Professor, SCS
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University
Dr. Aditya Joshi
Research Analyst, RDC
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University
Technical Advisory Committee
Mr Nilesh Vaghela
Founder and CEO, Electromech Cloudtech Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad
Shri Jaydeep Ruparelia
Founder and CEO, Infopercept Consulting Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad
Prof. (Dr.) Digvijaysinh Rathod
Professor and Associate Dean, School of Cyber Security & Digital Forensics, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar
Shri Sameer Kulkarni
Senior Vice President, Decimal Point Analytics, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Mr. Ankur Patel
Director, Hackberry Softech Private Limited, Ahmedabad
Raval Jigarbhai Ashokbhai
Scientist/Engineer-SG, Head, CNIT Division, Information Security Officer (ISO), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad
Dr. Hiren Joshi
Professor & Head, Department of Computer Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
Mr Girish Padia
Section Head, Cyber and Information Security, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad
Mr. Ashay Doshi
Senior Cyber Security Risk Engineer, SOPHOS, Ahmedabad
Dr. Abhilasha Vyas
Director, Learning and Innovation, PureID
Dr. Hardik Joshi
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
Dr. Chetan Sindhi
Engineering Manager, Nividous, Ahmedabad
Dr. Madhavi Dave
Project Manager, DRDO Industry Academia Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Center of Excellence, Ahmedabad
Dr. Ajay Patel
Head, Department of Computer Science, Ganpat University
Pandya Aric Philipkumar
Open-Source Contributor, Information and Communication Technology Department, Ganpat University
Sponsors & Partners
Thanks to our incredible partners: BAOU, CAWACH Kendra (Government of Gujarat), and the Home Department, who make CyberAIthon possible.
