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Hack for Social Cause - Youth Tech Challenge 2027

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Hack for Social Cause - Gears

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About Hack for Social Cause

Hack for Social Cause is a groundbreaking initiative under VBYLD 2027, designed to empower youth aged 18–29 to build scalable, technology-driven solutions for social good. This program bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation, enabling young innovators to gain real-world experience while contributing meaningfully to society and the nation's development towards Viksit Bharat 2047.

Why Participate

WHY PARTICIPATE?

This is your opportunity to progress your profession, cultivate a positive personality, and make a significant contribution to the country's growth. Through hands-on application of technology, you'll develop essential skills, gain practical experience, and foster a deeper understanding of how innovation can solve India's most pressing challenges.

PARTNERS & GOVERNANCE

Hack for Social Cause brings together key stakeholders in a unified effort to empower the next generation:

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYAS)

Organizer and policy leadership

IIT Bombay

National Knowledge Partner providing mentoring and technical guidance

State Nodal Institutions (SNI)

Managing state-level hackathons and mentorship

MY Bharat Portal

Digital backbone for registration and program management

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

A four-stage process that takes you from local to national recognition:

1

Stage 1

Registration & Submission of your Idea.

2

Stage 2

State-level Hackathon with mentoring and jury evaluation – 3 teams gets shortlisted to the next round.

3

Stage 3

IIT Bombay Screening to select Top teams from each State/UT – National finalists Progress to the next round and mentoring of National Finalist by IIT Bombay.

4

Stage 4

National Showcasing of Finalists in New Delhi (January 2027) – Top 5 Teams are selected for awards

Hack for Social Cause - Themes

Explore & Innovate

Themes & Problem Areas

The overarching vision of Hack for Social Cause under VBYLD 2027 is
‘Think Global, Hack Local - Technology for Social Transformation.’

The eleven thematic areas are indicative in nature, intended to provide direction while leaving ample room for creativity and localization.

Participants are encouraged to adapt and contextualize their ideas, drawing inspiration from state-specific issues and aligning them with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Each theme represents a pressing societal challenge that calls for socially engaged, technology-driven solutions designed to create real and lasting impact.

Rural Development & Livelihoods

Develop smart agriculture solutions, rural employment platforms, and tools empowering women entrepreneurs. Focus on agri-tech innovations, supply chain optimization, and bridging the urban-rural divide.

Education & Skill Development

Platforms and tools enhancing access to quality education, empowering teachers, and skill development. Address remote learning, personalized education, vocational training, and bridging the skills gap.

Healthcare, Wellbeing & Service Delivery

Innovative solutions for preventive care, telemedicine, health monitoring, mental health support, maternal care, and portable diagnostics, particularly in underserved communities.

Governance & Civic Technology

Tools for smarter cities, enhanced civic services, urban mobility, and citizen engagement. Address traffic management, public service delivery, waste management, and participatory governance.

Environment & Sustainability

Solutions for environmental monitoring, climate resilience, waste management, and resource conservation. Focus on air/water quality, renewable energy, circular economy, and sustainable development.

Digital Inclusion

Solutions ensuring technology reaches everyone including persons with disabilities and marginalized communities. Focus on accessibility, affordable internet, digital literacy, and inclusive e-governance.

AI, GIS & Emerging Technologies

Leverage AI, ML, GIS, and data analytics for social impact. Create decision support systems, geospatial solutions, predictive models, and innovative applications for societal challenges.

Digital Safety & Cyber Fraud Awareness

Solutions protecting citizens from digital fraud. Focus on scam detection, fraud reporting, phishing awareness, vernacular digital literacy, and online safety.

Elderly Care & Healthy Ageing

Solutions improving safety, independence, health, and well-being of senior citizens. Focus on community support, emergency assistance, health reminders, pensions, and welfare schemes.

Assistive Technology & Accessibility

Solutions improving accessibility, communication, and independent access to services for persons with disabilities. Focus on sign language, screen readers, regional languages, and inclusive digital services.

Disaster Mitigation, Kumbh Mela.

Solutions improving health, safety, emergency response during large-scale gatherings. Focus on health screening, crowd management, GIS-based risk mapping, and emergency support.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Your journey to creating meaningful impact starts here. Follow these steps to register, prepare your solutions, and advance through each stage of the competition.

01

REGISTER

Check eligibility and register on the MY Bharat Portal.

02

PREPARE

Understand the theme, prepare your solution and team.

03

SUBMIT

Submit all required documents and your solution online.

04

ADVANCE

Move through the selection stages and showcase your innovation.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  • Citizenship: Open only to Indian nationals
  • Age: Students aged 18 - 29 years as of 17th August 2026
  • Institution: Currently enrolled in an AICTE-registered higher education institution (college, university, or polytechnic)
  • Registration: All team members must register individually on the MY Bharat portal
  • Team Composition: Form a team of up to three students. Team members may be from the same institution or from different institutions.
  • Team Lead: 1 member must be designated as the Team Lead, responsible for submitting the entry and all documents.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUBMIT

  • Problem Statement: State-specific problem statement, target beneficiary identification, and current gaps.
  • Presentation Deck: Concise 6-7 slide proposal covering problem, solution, impact, implementation.
  • Working Prototype: Link to your code repository (GitHub/GitLab) or public source code.
  • Demo Video: Short video (3-5 minutes) Show team, problem context, prototype, user interaction, and impact.
  • Team Self-Declaration: Upload Team and member details, signed self-certification, and ID proof for every team member.

FOUR-STAGE PARTICIPATION PROCESS

Stage 1

Registration & Submission of your Idea.

Stage 2

State-level HackathonMentoring and jury evaluation. 3 teams shortlisted to the next round.

Stage 3

IIT Bombay Screening to select Top teams from each State/UT – National finalists Progress to the next round and mentoring of National Finalist by IIT Bombay.

Stage 4

National Showcase of Finalists in New Delhi (January 2027) – Top 5 Teams are selected for awards.

IMPORTANT TIMELINE

1st September 2026 - 15th October 2026 Registration & Submission Registrations of Teams and Submission of Entries on MY Bharat Portal.
16th October - 30th November 2026 State level Hackathons and Demonstrations State level Preliminary Screening, State level Evaluation cum Mentorship Event and Selection of Top State Winners.
1st December - 15th December 2026 Shortlisting for Final National Finalist Selection of Top National Teams for VBYLD 2027
16th December 2026 - 9th January 2027 Mentoring of national finalist Virtual Mentoring of National Finalist by IIT Bombay
10-12th January 2027 National Showcasing - VBYLD 2027 Showcasing through Stalls, Pitch Evaluation and Awarding top 5 Winners.

PRO TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Start Early

Begin ideating and prototyping as soon as possible.

Focus on Impact

Show how your solution benefits society.

Build a Prototype

Judges value working demos over theory.

Seek Mentorship

Engage mentors at every stage.

Document Everything

Keep process, testing and feedback clear.

Practice Your Pitch

Prepare a concise, compelling presentation.

EVALUATION CRITERIA & REWARDS

Understand how your solution will be evaluated and what recognition awaits the top innovators. Our evaluation framework ensures fairness, technical rigor, and focus on social-cause impact.

Evaluation Matrix

Your solution will be assessed across seven key parameters by expert juries.

ParameterWhat we look for
Relevance Alignment with themes and real-world problems
Technical Strength Code quality, architecture, scalability
Functionality Working prototype, features, user experience
Creativity Innovation, uniqueness of approach
Social Cause Impact Potential to create meaningful change
Presentation Clarity, communication, demo quality
Teamwork Collaboration, role distribution
Trophy

Awards & Recognition

Top performers will receive substantial
rewards and opportunities.

Cash Prizes

  • First Prize ₹75,000
  • Second Prize ₹50,000
  • Third Prize ₹25,000
  • Fourth Prize ₹15,000
  • Fifth Prize ₹15,000

Beyond Monetary Awards

  • Certificate of Excellence for all national finalists
  • Recognition certificates for mentors and coordinators
  • Direct linkages to startup India and incubation programs
  • Networking opportunities with industry leaders and policymakers
  • Media coverage and recognition at the national level

MENTORSHIP & SUPPORT

Throughout your journey, you'll receive comprehensive support from experienced professionals and domain experts.

State-Level Mentorship

Each State/UT will engage domain mentors, coordinated by the State Nodal Coordinator. There experts will provide support only to the teams shortlisted at the State level.

  • Technical guidance and problem-solving support
  • Feedback on prototypes and implementation
  • Industry best practices and real-world insights
  • Help refining your pitch and presentation

IIT Bombay Guidance

As the National Knowledge Partner, IIT Bombay will provide support only to the 36 finalist teams. The mentorship will include:

  • Virtual office hours/mentorship for technical consultations
  • Online mentorship sessions and constructive feedback on solutions
  • Resources and learning materials
  • Offline mentorship support at the venue (Delhi)

Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

Throughout your journey, you'll receive support from experienced professionals and domain experts.

Intellectual Property Protection

All intellectual property rights in submitted solutions remain with the participant teams. Participants does not transfer ownership to MoYAS or IIT Bombay.

Fair Use for Social Impact

MoYAS and IIT Bombay may display, publish, or promote entries in exhibitions, online platforms, and educational or promotional materials, with due credit. All submitted code may be open-sourced under license (MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL, etc.).

Support for Further Development

Participants grant organizers a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use submitted materials for promotion, education, and communication related to HSC and VBYLD.

Frequently Ask Questions

Find answers to common questions about participation, registration, and program logistics.

Hack for a Social Cause (HSC) is a national technology innovation challenge conducted under the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) 2027. It is organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) through the Department of Youth Affairs, with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (GISE Hub & Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management) serving as the Knowledge Partner. The competition seeks to mobilize India's youth, aged 18–29, to develop technology-enabled solutions to real-world social challenges, in line with the vision "Think Global, Hack Local – Technology for Social Transformation."
HSC is organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYAS), Department of Youth Affairs (DoYA), Government of India. The Knowledge Partner is the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (GISE Hub & Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management). All registration and submissions are conducted through the MY Bharat Portal.
The objective is to foster youth-led innovation that contributes to building a Viksit Bharat by 2047, in line with the vision "Think Global, Hack Local – Technology for Social Transformation."
There are 11 thematic areas. The indicative list is as follows:
Rural Development & Livelihoods
Education & Skill Development
Healthcare, Wellbeing & Service Delivery
Governance & Civic Technology
Environment & Sustainability
Digital Inclusion
AI, GIS & Emerging Technologies
Digital Safety & Cyber Fraud Awareness
Elderly Care & Healthy Ageing
Assistive Technology & Accessibility
Disaster Mitigation & Resilience
The themes are indicative in nature and not fixed. Participants are encouraged to adapt and contextualize the themes to address state-specific or local challenges, and to draw on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) where relevant.
To be eligible, a participant must meet all of the following criteria: be an Indian citizen; be aged 18–29 years as of August 17, 2026, be currently enrolled in an AISHE-registered college, university, or polytechnic in India; be part of a team of up to 3 students; ensure that all team members are individually registered on the MY Bharat Portal; and have one member designated as Team Lead.
No. Teams may comprise up to 3 students, and members may be drawn from the same institution or from different institutions.
There is no minimum team size. A participant may enter individually, and teams may consist of up to 3 students.
Interdisciplinary participation is encouraged, not mandatory. Teams are encouraged to include at least one female member and one participant from a non-technology background, with a preference for the social sciences.
No. Each student may be part of only one team.
Yes. Multiple entries from the same institution are permitted, provided that the team members are different. Each team is treated as an independent participating unit and is evaluated on its own merit at the State level.
The Team Lead is the team member designated as responsible for submitting the entry and all required documents on the MY Bharat Portal on behalf of the team.
Registration is a two-step process. First, every team member must register individually on the MY Bharat Portal. The Team Lead must then register the team on the MY Bharat Portal under the "Hack for Social Cause" track.
No. Students who were selected as National Level finalists/winners in HSC 2026 are not eligible to participate in the HSC 2027 National Level Competition.
Yes. Individual registration on the MY Bharat Portal is a prerequisite for team registration.
Yes. The team name must be appropriate, respectful, and non-derogatory. It should not be based on the name of any individual, place, or community, and should not contain any content that is offensive, discriminatory, or derogatory toward the Government of India, its officials, or its institutions.
No. Participation in Hack for a Social Cause is free of cost at every stage, from the institution-level competition through to the national showcase.
A complete submission consists of four components: (1) a Presentation Deck, (2) a Demonstration Video (Preferred, not Mandatory), (3) a Prototype/Code Repository link, and (4) Team Details, Self-Certification & ID Proof (Annexure 1).
The Presentation Deck must be 6–7 slides in length, submitted in PPT or PDF format, following the standard hackathon template provided by IIT Bombay and available on the submission page of the HSC portal, with a maximum file size of 10 MB. It should address: Problem Definition (slides 1–2), Solution Overview (slides 3–4), Impact & Scalability (slide 5), and Team & Implementation, along with Disclosure on the Extent of Usage of AI Tools (Slides 6–7).
The Demonstration Video is preferred but not mandatory. If submitted, it must be 3–5 minutes in duration, in MP4/MOV format, at a minimum resolution of 720p, and not exceed 80 MB. It must be uploaded on the My Bharat Portal and should cover the team, problem context, prototype/solution, user interaction, and intended impact.
Participants must provide a public GitHub or GitLab link containing the complete source code, a detailed README with setup instructions, architecture documentation, sample data or test cases, and license information. The code must be fully open-source and publicly accessible.
The guidelines cite MIT, Apache 2.0, and GPL as examples of appropriate open-source licenses.
Yes. Participants must clearly disclose any use of AI tools or AI-generated content, including a description of how such tools were used and an estimate of the proportion of the final work that involved AI assistance or generation. This disclosure must be clearly included as part of the Presentation.
Participants must provide: full details of each team member, including name, institution, course/program, Student ID number, and contact details; a signed self-certification from all team members declaring the originality of the work and accepting responsibility for participation in subsequent stages; and a self-attested copy of each member's Student ID Card, to be uploaded by the Team Lead on the MY Bharat Portal.
A self-attested Student ID Card is required from every team member at the time of submission. The ID number and details of a government-issued photo ID shall also be provided at the time of submission and as part of the self-certification process.
Yes. All uploaded documents must follow the convention: `<State>_<TeamName>_<Document Name>.pdf`.
Yes, Team Lead may edit or update their submission until the specified deadline. Upon closure of the submission window, the latest version submitted will be treated as final and considered for evaluation. No modifications will be permitted after the deadline. Participants should ensure that all materials are complete and accurate before the final submission deadline.
Yes. Annexure 1, titled "Student Team Details, Self-Certification & Declaration Form," is provided at the end of the guidelines document. It must be completed by all team members and uploaded by the Team Lead on the MY Bharat Portal, together with a self-attested copy of each member's Student ID Card.
HSC is conducted in Four stages: registration and submission on the MY Bharat Portal, followed by the State-level Competition, and culminating in the National Showcase at VBYLD 2027.
All required materials must be uploaded to the portal by October 15, 2026. Participants are advised to check the portal regularly for the latest updates and requirements.
The State/UT Level Competition is conducted by the respective nodal Institution. During this stage (October 26–November 30, 2026), shortlisted teams make an online Demonstration/Pitch before a state/UT-level jury. Three winners are selected from each State/UT. Subsequently, IIT Bombay reviews all State/UT-level winners and selects one team from each State/UT, resulting in 36 National Finalists.
The 36 National Finalists receive mentorship from IIT Bombay faculty and experts (December 16, 2026 – January 9, 2027), set up exhibition stalls at VBYLD 2027 from January 10-12, 2027, and deliver a 3-minute pitch to the National Jury. The top 5 teams receive cash prizes and national recognition.
The event will be held from January 10 -12, 2027.
For the Top 5 National Winners: 1st Prize - ₹75,000, 2nd Prize - ₹50,000, 3rd Prize - ₹25,000, 4th and 5th Prize - ₹15,000 each.
All 36 National Finalists receive mentorship from IIT Bombay faculty and experts, comprising 1–2 online sessions, conducted between December 16, 2026, and January 9, 2027.
Yes. All 36 National Finalists receive a prototype development grant of ₹6,000, along with technical guidance to support the scaling of their solutions.
Finalists receive certificates of participation or achievement, media coverage, and opportunities to network with innovators, government officials, and potential implementation partners.
Yes. Travel support for National Finalists will be provided in accordance with the applicable MoYAS norms and may be arranged as part of the respective State/UT contingents.
Yes. Cash prizes are subject to tax deduction in accordance with applicable Government of India regulations. Prizes may be disbursed to the Team Lead's bank account as registered on the MY Bharat Portal.
Submissions are evaluated against six parameters: Relevance (impact on beneficiaries and alignment with VBYLD/SDG goals); Technical Strength (robustness and quality of the prototype); Functionality (a working prototype with demonstrated scalability); Creativity/Innovation Potential (originality of approach); Social Cause Impact (measurable outcomes); and Presentation & Team Synergy (quality of the pitch and delivery).
Yes. Jury decisions are final and binding. Participants are required to respect the outcome of the evaluation process and must not lobby, seek favors, or attempt to influence the jury.
Participating teams retain all intellectual property rights in their submissions. MoYAS and IIT Bombay reserve the right to display, publish, and promote entries, to use them for academic, educational, or promotional purposes, and to reproduce or adapt them, with due credit, for non-commercial purposes related to VBYLD and HSC. Participation does not result in a transfer of ownership.
Grounds for disqualification include: failure to meet eligibility requirements; submission of false information or documentation; violation of competition rules or the code of conduct; plagiarism or infringement of intellectual property; failure to cooperate in post-award verification, promotional, or educational activities; lobbying or attempting to influence jury members; non-attendance at mandatory events by finalist teams; and other disciplinary or ethical violations.
The next-best team from the same State/UT may be selected as a replacement for the National Showcase.
Yes. The team name can be changed after registration. Team lead (in consultation with the members) is advised to select a meaningful and appropriate team name before completing registration for the HSC track
Participants experiencing technical issues should contact the Help/Contact section of the MY Bharat Portal support page - http://mybharat.gov.in/support.
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