Apply: ysoc.in (for feedback and building the projects with community)
🚀 The Challenge

The Y-SoC Hackathon is not just about writing code — it’s about solving meaningful problems with open-source collaboration. Inspired by Dr. Soma Dhavala’s mentorship and Y-SoC’s vision, the challenge is to: 

🔹 Build open-source solutions that empower communities, not just corporations.
🔹 Think beyond the specify–verify loop — experiment, prototype fast, and iterate.
🔹 Create technology with a clear beneficiary — every problem must have a real “customer” (farmer, student, healthcare worker, local entrepreneur, etc.).
🔹 Focus on sustainability and decentralization — solutions should be scalable, resilient, and community-driven.
🔹 Grow local, go local — identify challenges in your local context and design tools that can scale globally.

Your hackathon journey is about:
✨ Coding with purpose.
✨ Collaborating with peers and mentors.
✨ Creating impact-first technology.

Winning solutions may go beyond the hackathon — with a chance to be integrated into the Youth Season of Code (Y-SoC) cycle (Nov 2025 – Apr 2026), where teams can continue developing their projects with global mentorship, visibility, and recognition.

The projects submitted will be used for open source contributions in youth season of code

Requirements

🛠️ What to Build

Participants are expected to build open-source prototypes or solutions that:

  • Address real-world problems (community, local, or global).

  • Have a clear customer/beneficiary (farmer, student, NGO, startup, government, etc.).

  • Follow the principles of sustainability, decentralization, and inclusivity.

  • Can be scaled and improved during the Y-SoC program cycle (Nov 2025 – Apr 2026).

Your project can be:

  • 🌐 Web / Mobile Applications

  • 🤖 AI/ML-based Solutions (with focus on agriculture, healthcare, education, governance, or local innovation)

  • 🛠️ Open-Source Tools / Frameworks

  • 📊 Data-driven Insights or Dashboards

  • ⚡ Hardware + Software Integrations (IoT, edge devices, sensors for social good)

Tip: Projects should not just be “cool tech” — they must show impact, usability, and long-term value.

📦 What to Submit

Each team must submit:

  1. Project Repository (GitHub/GitLab link)

    • Source code (well-structured, commented, and open-source license).

    • Clear README with setup instructions.

  2. Demo Video (3–5 minutes)

    • Show the problem you’re solving, your solution, and a quick walkthrough of the prototype.

  3. Documentation

    • Problem Statement & Target Beneficiary.

    • Solution Overview (features, architecture, technologies used).

    • Future Scope (how it can be scaled or continued in Y-SoC).

  4. Pitch Deck (Optional but encouraged)

    • A concise presentation covering problem, solution, impact, and roadmap.

  5. Team Details

    • Names, roles (developer, designer, researcher, etc.), and contact info.

 

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

₹ 10,000 in prizes
Grand Prize
₹ 10,000 in cash
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Punya Mittal

Punya Mittal
Founder,Youth Season of Code

Ashwini Joshi

Ashwini Joshi
Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Warner Bros Discovery

Judging Criteria

  • Impact & Relevance (20%)
    Does the solution address a real-world problem? Is the beneficiary/customer clearly defined (farmer, student, NGO, etc.)? What is the potential for positive social or community impact?
  • Innovation & Creativity (20%)
    Is the approach unique or original? Does it bring fresh ideas or combine existing ones in a creative way? Does it go beyond corporate/standard use cases to focus on public good?
  • Technical Implementation (20%)
    Quality, scalability, and robustness of the code. Effective use of chosen tools, frameworks, and technologies. Adherence to open-source best practices (clean repo, README, documentation).
  • Sustainability & Continuation (15%)
    Can the project grow beyond the hackathon (into Y-SoC or real-world adoption)? Does it consider long-term maintainability, decentralization, and scalability? Is there a clear future roadmap?
  • Community-fit & Collaboration (15%)
    Alignment with Y-SoC’s values of inclusivity, openness, and knowledge-sharing. Evidence of team collaboration and contributions from all members. Does it encourage broader participation (e.g., easy for others to adopt/extend)?
  • Presentation & Clarity (10%)
    Quality of the demo video and documentation. Clear explanation of the problem, solution, and impact. Ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple, engaging way.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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