VidyaHack 48 : 48-Hour Hackathon on AI & Agentic Systems

Vidya provide students with a platform to explore and apply Artificial Intelligence and Agentic Systems to solve real-world problems through innovation and teamwork

The AI Centre of Excellence at Vidya Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) successfully organised VidyaHack 48, a 48-hour hackathon focusing on Artificial Intelligence and Agentic Systems, from 30 September to 02 October 2026. The event brought together 40 students from the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) departments, forming ten teams of four members each.

The hackathon aimed to provide students with hands-on experience in designing, developing and deploying practical AI-powered solutions within a challenging 48-hour timeframe. Participants worked on real-world problem statements across five domains: Fintech, Healthcare, Law/Legal, Case Management – Document Intelligence and Social Entrepreneurship.

Each team was required to develop a functional AI application incorporating key technologies such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), tool-using AI agents, Django REST Framework, MySQL, Pydantic validation and Docker. The teams were also expected to demonstrate systematic evaluation of their applications using test questions, maintain GitHub repositories and provide clear documentation of their projects.

The event encouraged innovation, teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving while introducing students to professional software development practices. Particular emphasis was placed on building responsible AI applications, with domain-specific safety guidelines for each track. All teams were required to use public or synthetic datasets, ensuring compliance with the principles of India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.

A major highlight of VidyaHack 48 was the evaluation by a five-member international panel comprising experts from the USA and India. Each team presented its solution through a 30-minute evaluation session following the code freeze on 02 October 2026. The judging process assessed the technical implementation, functionality, innovation and overall quality of the applications.

The prize distribution ceremony was held on 17 October 2026 at 3:00 PM on the VAST campus, in the presence of faculty members and participants. Cash prizes totalling Rs 20,000, along with certificates, were awarded to the winning teams. CodeSpark received Rs  10,000, Delulu received Rs 6,000, and the joint third-place winners, Emora and Lilac, shared a prize of Rs 4,000.

VidyaHack 48 provided an excellent platform for students to transform their technical knowledge into practical solutions while experiencing the challenges of collaborative development under real-world time constraints. The event also strengthened the culture of innovation and technological exploration within the CSE and AIML departments and reinforced the AI Centre of Excellence’s commitment to promoting experiential learning, responsible AI development and industry-relevant technical skills.

The event was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Sunitha C (Chief Patron -VidyaHack 48,  Principal) . The faculty coordination was led by Dr. Arjun K P (Coordinator  – VidyaHack 48, Asso Prof, CSE Dept) with Dr.Jeeva K A (Joint Coordinator -VidyaHack 48, HoD, AIML Dept).The event was supported by Dr. Sajay K R (HoD, CSE Dept)  and Albin Antony (Student Co-ordinator -VidyaHack 48, S7, CSE Dept) ensuring smooth coordination and execution of the event

Through this initiative, VidyaHack 48 marked another significant step towards nurturing future-ready innovators, AI practitioners and problem-solvers at Vidya Academy of Science and Technology.