Hackathon Rules

1. About the Hackathon

The AI Builder Hackathon is an individual innovation competition designed to encourage participants to apply Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, automation, and related technologies to solve practical real-world problems.

The Hackathon is intended to promote creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and responsible AI development.

2. Eligibility

Participation is open only to individuals who have successfully enrolled.

The Hackathon is an individual competition. Team participation is not permitted unless expressly announced by NextGen InnovateLabs in the future.

3. Registration

Participants must complete the prescribed registration process within the announced timelines.

Registration does not guarantee progression to later stages of the Hackathon.

4. Hackathon Format

The Hackathon may consist of one or more evaluation rounds, including but not limited to: - Idea Submission - Proposal Evaluation - Prototype Submission - Demonstration Round - Technical Review - Presentation Round - Final Jury Evaluation

The exact format, number of rounds, timelines, evaluation methodology, and submission requirements shall be determined solely by NextGen InnovateLabs and may vary between editions.

Participants will be informed of the applicable process before or during the Hackathon.

5. Selection for Presentation

Not every participant will advance to the final presentation round.

Based on evaluations conducted during the earlier stages, only shortlisted participants will be invited to present their solutions before the judging panel.

The decision regarding shortlisting shall be made solely by NextGen InnovateLabs and the appointed evaluation panel and shall be final.

6. Problem Statements

Problem statements may be: - announced by NextGen InnovateLabs; - released during the Hackathon; - selected from an approved list; or - otherwise communicated to participants.

NextGen InnovateLabs reserves the right to modify, replace, clarify, or withdraw any problem statement where reasonably necessary.

7. Original Work and Academic Integrity

Participants must submit their own original work.

The following are strictly prohibited: - Plagiarism. - Copying another participant's work. - Purchasing projects or solutions. - Using projects previously submitted in another competition without disclosure. - Misrepresenting another person's work as your own. - Fabricating demonstrations or results.

Participants remain responsible for ensuring that all submitted work is original and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.

8. Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence

The Hackathon encourages the responsible use of AI tools.

Participants may use publicly available AI tools where permitted; however: - Participants remain fully responsible for their submissions. - AI-generated outputs should be reviewed, verified, and appropriately modified. - Participants must comply with the terms of service of any third-party AI tools used. - AI-generated content must not be presented as entirely original human work where disclosure is required by the Hackathon instructions.

NextGen InnovateLabs reserves the right to seek clarification regarding the use of AI tools during evaluation.

9. Plagiarism and Verification

NextGen InnovateLabs reserves the right to verify the originality of every submission using any reasonable method, including: - Manual review. - Internet searches. - Source code comparison. - AI-assisted plagiarism detection. - AI-content detection tools. - Demonstration interviews or technical questioning.

If plagiarism, intellectual property infringement, or academic misconduct is identified or reasonably suspected, NextGen InnovateLabs may: - reject the submission; - deduct evaluation marks; - disqualify the participant; - withdraw awards or certificates; - prohibit participation in future competitions.

Decisions regarding plagiarism shall be final.

10. Evaluation Criteria

Submissions may be evaluated on one or more of the following criteria: - Innovation and originality. - Problem understanding. - Practical applicability. - Technical implementation. - Appropriate use of AI. - Creativity. - User experience. - Presentation quality. - Scalability. - Overall impact.

The evaluation framework, weightage, scoring methodology, judging criteria, and minimum qualifying standards shall be determined solely by NextGen InnovateLabs.

11. Judging Decisions

All submissions shall be evaluated by a judging panel appointed by NextGen InnovateLabs.

The decisions of the judges regarding: - eligibility; - evaluation; - shortlisting; - rankings; - awards; and - disqualification

shall be final, binding, and not subject to appeal or review.

12. Submission Requirements

Participants are responsible for submitting all required materials within the announced deadlines.

Late, incomplete, corrupted, inaccessible, or improperly submitted entries may not be evaluated.

Submission formats, file types, presentation durations, and technical requirements may be communicated separately before each round.

13. Intellectual Property

Participants retain ownership of the original intellectual property they create during the Hackathon.

By participating, participants grant NextGen InnovateLabs a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to: - evaluate submissions; - conduct judging; - display submissions during the Hackathon; - use project titles, screenshots, demonstrations, and summaries for educational, reporting, promotional, or showcase purposes.

Where a participant is a minor, such permission is deemed to be provided by the parent or legal guardian who consented to participation.

14. Code of Conduct

Participants are expected to comply with the Community Guidelines at all times.

Any participant engaging in: - harassment, - abusive behaviour, - cheating, - plagiarism, - disruption, - impersonation, - fraudulent conduct, or - any unlawful activity

may be immediately disqualified.

15. Modifications to the Hackathon

NextGen InnovateLabs reserves the right to: - modify the Hackathon schedule; - change evaluation criteria; - amend timelines; - change judges; - alter the number of rounds; - revise problem statements; - postpone or cancel the Hackathon where reasonably necessary due to operational, technical, legal, or unforeseen circumstances.

Such modifications shall not give rise to any claim for compensation or refund.

16. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, NextGen InnovateLabs shall not be liable for: - technical failures; - internet connectivity issues; - software failures; - lost submissions; - participant device failures; - incompatibility of software; - third-party platform outages; - or any indirect or consequential losses arising from participation.

Participants are responsible for maintaining backups of their work.

17. Changes to These Rules

We may revise these Rules from time to time to reflect improvements to the Hackathon, operational requirements, or legal obligations.

Material updates will be communicated through our website, email, or learning platform.

Continued participation constitutes acceptance of the revised Rules.

18. Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding the AI Builder Hackathon, please contact:

Email: contact@nextgenlab.in