About the Hackathon: The Chandigarh Police National Hackathon 2026 is a national-level innovation and forensic technology hackathon organized by Chandigarh Police in collaboration with UIET, Panjab University, and Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh. The hackathon aims to encourage students to develop indigenous, affordable, and scalable solutions for real-world forensic and cybercrime challenges using emerging technologies such as AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Digital Forensics, OSINT, Big Data Analytics, and Secure Software Development. Eligibility: Open to UG, PG, and PhD students from any recognized institution. Team Size: 4–5 members Inter-college teams are allowed. Intra-college teams are also allowed. All team members must be present during the offline hackathon and grand finale. Problem Statements: Participants can choose any one of the following problem statements: Synthetic Drug Detection Kit Rapid DNA-Based Animal Sample Detection Kit Dark Net & Encrypted Platform Drug Intelligence AI-Generated Media Detection & Source Tracing Crypto Flow & Fraud Analytics Platform Multi-Source Investigative Analytics Platform (CDR/IPDR, Banking & Social Media) Competition Format: Round 1 – Idea Submission (Online): Submit a pitch deck (PPT) using the prescribed template. Upload a video explaining the proposed solution. Entries will be evaluated based on predefined judging criteria. Top-performing teams will be shortlisted. Round 2 – 24-Hour Offline Hackathon: Shortlisted teams will participate in a 24-hour hackathon. Build and refine an MVP/prototype with guidance from mentors. Three to four teams from each track will qualify for the Grand Finale. Round 3 – Grand Finale: Finalists will present and demonstrate their prototype before the jury. Winners will be selected based on innovation, impact, execution, and presentation. Event Timeline: Proposal Submission Opens: 31 July 2026 Proposal Submission Deadline: 20 August 2026 Screening & Shortlisting: 20–25 August 2026 Results Announcement: 25 August 2026 Pre-Hack Preparation: 25 August – 7 September 2026 Final 24-Hour Hackathon: 8 September 2026 Grand Finale: 9 September 2026 Prizes: First Prize: ₹1,00,000 Second Prize: ₹50,000 Third Prize: ₹25,000 Participation certificates for all participants. Special gift hampers for runner-up teams. Rules: Teams must consist of 4–5 members. Inter-college and intra-college teams are permitted. Participants must work on one of the official problem statements. Only shortlisted teams will be invited to the offline hackathon. All team members must be physically present for the offline rounds and final presentation. Teams are expected to submit original work and comply with the event guidelines throughout the competition.