Dear Participants, Please carefully read and follow the rules below. These apply to every registered team.
- 01One PPT per TeamRound 1 Submission
Each team is allowed to submit only one final PPT.
Multiple submissions from the same team will not be accepted. Finalise your deck internally before uploading it through the Team Portal.
One final PPT per team Multiple or duplicate submissions - 02Leave the Team ID BlankPPT Template
The Team ID field in the PPT will be filled in by the ORION 1.0 organizing team.
Participants must leave this field blank. Do not invent, guess, or copy a Team ID into the template.
Empty Team ID field Filling in your own Team ID - 03No Open Innovation in the FinaleGrand Finale
Open Innovation and Student Innovation Projects will not be available during the final round.
Open Innovation and Student Innovation Projects are welcome only for Round 1. Every finalist team works on an assigned problem statement in the Grand Finale.
Open Innovation & Student Innovation Projects in Round 1 Open Innovation or Student Innovation Projects in the Grand Finale - 04On-the-Spot Problem Statements9 October 2026 (Tentative)
All shortlisted teams receive their problem statements on the spot on 9 October 2026 (tentative).
Teams must develop their solutions based on the problem statement assigned during the event.
Building on the assigned statement Bringing a pre-decided finale problem - 05Maximum 10% AI Usage in PPTsRound 1 PPT & Proposal
Strict policy: Only a maximum of 10% AI assistance is permitted in your presentation deck.
At least 90% of your presentation deck — including solution architecture, system design, technical diagrams, workflows, and problem analysis — must be original human work developed by your team members. Generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) may only be used minimally for light grammar touch-ups or proofreading. Automated screening and jury evaluations will scrutinize all submissions for synthetic AI content. Presentations violating this limit will face heavy score penalties or direct disqualification.
Up to 10% AI assistance for light grammar correction and proofreading only AI-generated problem statements, system architectures, workflows, or slide content exceeding 10% - 06Schedule & Date ChangesAll Participants
All event dates, deadlines, schedules, and timings are subject to change based on organizational requirements or unforeseen circumstances.
Any revisions will be officially communicated through the designated ORION 1.0 communication channels. Participants are expected to regularly check for updates and comply with the revised schedule.
Regularly checking official updates and following the revised schedule Ignoring officially communicated schedule revisions
Failure to follow these rules may result in the rejection of the submission or disqualification of the team.
ORION 1.0 is a competitive hackathon designed to encourage innovation, technical problem-solving, teamwork, creativity, and the development of practical solutions to real-world challenges.
Teams participate in the initial online round and submit their solution/idea according to the instructions communicated by the organizers.
The Top 70 Teams selected from Round 1 will qualify for the offline Grand Finale conducted at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai.
Participation in ORION 1.0 constitutes acceptance of all rules, policies, and instructions contained in this rulebook and any official event communication issued by the organizing committee.
- ORION 1.0 is open to eligible student participants as specified in the official event announcement and registration portal.
- Each team must consist of a minimum of 2 members and a maximum of 6 members.
- Participants must provide accurate information during registration.
- A participant may be registered as a member of only one team.
- Duplicate participation across multiple teams is strictly prohibited.
- Teams are responsible for ensuring that all registered members satisfy the eligibility requirements.
- Participants may be required to produce a valid college/university identification card or other identification at the Grand Finale.
⚠ Any false or misleading registration information may result in cancellation of participation.
- Submit within announced deadline.
- Late entries will not be considered.
- Prescribed template format required.
- Strict AI limit: Maximum 10% AI assistance permitted.
- Incomplete entries will be rejected.
Round 1 submissions will be evaluated according to official criteria. Selection decisions made through the official evaluation process are final.
The ₹250 amount is charged per head (per registered finalist member), not flat per team. Failure to confirm within deadline may result in slot cancellation.
ALL PAYMENTS ARE STRICTLY NON-REFUNDABLE.
Once payment has been successfully made, refunds will not be provided for reasons including withdrawal, failure to attend, late arrival, travel difficulties, academic commitments, team disputes, or disqualification.
REGISTRATION, PAYMENTS & SLOTS ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE.
Teams cannot transfer registration to another team, sell/exchange finalist slots, or request payment adjustments across teams. Any attempt to manipulate slots will trigger disqualification.
All qualified participants must report according to the official schedule for ID check, check-in, and participant briefing.
Joining the hackathon midway after the permitted reporting/check-in window is strictly not allowed.
Participants must remain within designated event premises. Exits require explicit organizer authorization.
Provided free of charge exclusively to registered members of Top 70 finalist squads. (Not open to unregistered guests/friends).
Food and drinking water arranged for registered participants throughout the 24-hour sprint.
High-speed Wi-Fi, air-conditioned workspaces, power access, basic event infrastructure, and participant swags.
- Laptop and original laptop charger
- Mobile phone charger and charging cables
- Extension box / power strip (highly recommended)
- Required adapters and development peripherals
- Valid College/University ID Card
- Registration confirmation copy / Portal access pass
- Personal medicines and prescription drugs
- Personal hygiene products
- Sweater / jacket (venue is AC for extended periods)
- Bedsheet / light blanket for overnight rest
- Comfortable clothing
Originality of Projects: Teams must not present a previously completed project as though it was developed during ORION 1.0. Teams may be asked to demonstrate commit logs, architecture history, and individual contributions.
Plagiarism & Malpractice: Copying code from other teams, unauthorized code exchange, fabricating progress, or tampering with rival systems will result in immediate disqualification.
Use of AI Tools: AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) are permitted, but teams must thoroughly understand and defend their architecture, code, and methodology.
Intellectual Property: Participants retain 100% ownership of original IP created during ORION 1.0. Participation does not transfer ownership to the organizers.
Judging Decisions: Decisions made by the authorized jury panel regarding evaluations, scoring, and rankings are final.
Discipline & Respect: Professional conduct is mandatory. Disruptive behavior, harassment, tampering with university property, or disturbing other teams will lead to eviction and disciplinary actions.
Emergency Exceptions: Safety takes absolute priority. In medical or natural emergencies, follow the directions of authorized event staff immediately.
Certificates: Issued to verified participants who satisfy active participation criteria.
ORION 1.0 PARTICIPANT DECLARATION
By completing registration and participating in ORION 1.0, each participant confirms that the information submitted during registration is accurate and that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with all official rules, venue regulations, and safety guidelines.