Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL

What is RYHATHON 2026?

RYHATHON 2026 is a student-focused hackathon presented by Francis Xavier Engineering College in association with the Department of Information Technology. The event is designed around problem solving, innovation, technology, teamwork and real-world challenges.

Who can participate in RYHATHON?

RYHATHON is open to students across India. Students from different: Colleges, Universities, Departments, Academic years, Domains. can participate.

Is RYHATHON limited to Computer Science students?

No. Students from any academic domain can participate. Your team can bring together students with different technical and non-technical skills depending on your solution.

Is RYHATHON open to UG and PG students?

Yes. Both UG and PG students can participate. The registration fee is calculated per student based on their academic category.

What is the team size?

4–6 students per team. If your team has fewer than 4 members and you have a genuine reason, contact the event support team through the official enquiry channel before completing registration.

Can students from different colleges form one team?

Yes, unless a specific event rule states otherwise. Cross-college teams can bring together different skills, perspectives and technical strengths.

Do I need previous hackathon experience?

No. Previous hackathon experience is not required. What matters is your team's ability to understand the challenge, build a meaningful solution and present it effectively.

REGISTRATION

How do I register?

Register through the official RYHATHON website: hackathon.ryha.in Complete the registration details, provide your team information and member details, complete payment and wait for verification.

What information is required during registration?

The registration process collects essential information such as: Team name, Team leader, Team members, Name, Email, Phone number, College, Department, Academic year, UG / PG status, Domain. Additional profile information may be requested where required for event communication.

Do I need to choose a team name during registration?

Yes. Your team title/name must be entered during registration. It will be associated with your registration and team identity throughout the event.

Can I change my team name after registration?

Team information should be treated as verified event data. If you need to make a correction after registration, contact support. Changes may require administrative approval.

Can I register without a complete team?

The standard registration is designed for teams of 4–6 students. If you have fewer than 4 members due to a genuine circumstance, contact the organizers through the enquiry/support channel before proceeding.

REGISTRATION FEES

What is the registration fee?

The registration fee is calculated per student: UG: ₹149; PG: ₹199. The final amount is automatically calculated based on the academic category selected for each registered member.

Is the fee calculated per team?

No. The fee is calculated per student. For example, 4 UG + 1 PG: 4 × ₹149 = ₹596; 1 × ₹199 = ₹199; Total = ₹795. Your registration portal will show the complete calculation before payment.

Can a team contain both UG and PG students?

Yes. The portal will calculate the total based on the individual academic category of each registered member.

What happens after payment?

After successful payment: Payment → Verification → Portal Access → Round 1. Your registration status will be updated in the participant portal.

What if my payment fails?

Do not make repeated payments immediately. First check your payment status in the participant portal. If the amount has been deducted but the registration still shows as unpaid or incomplete, contact support with your payment/order details.

Will I receive a payment confirmation?

Yes. Successful transactions should appear in your registration/payment details. Keep your payment receipt or transaction information until the event is completed.

ROUND 1

What is Round 1?

Round 1 is the online qualification stage of RYHATHON. After registration verification, teams receive access to the Round 1 portal and their assigned challenge.

When will the Round 1 problem statement be available?

The problem statement will be made available to the team through the participant portal after registration verification and the Round 1 process begins.

Will every team get the same problem statement in Round 1?

No. Each team can receive a separately assigned/randomized problem statement through the portal.

Can I change my assigned problem?

Teams should review their assigned problem before locking it. Once the team locks its problem statement, the selection becomes final and cannot normally be changed.

What happens after I lock the problem?

Once locked, your team can begin developing the proposed solution and prepare its presentation for submission.

ROUND 1 SUBMISSION

What do we have to submit?

The primary Round 1 submission is a Google Slides presentation link. The presentation should clearly communicate your proposed solution.

Can I upload a PPT file directly?

No. Round 1 presentation submission is through a Google Slides link. Make sure the submitted link is accessible to the evaluation team.

Is a project repository required?

The project repository link is optional but strongly preferred. You can provide: GitHub, GitLab, Another accessible project repository. A repository can help demonstrate your implementation, technical approach and supporting work.

Can we submit a live project URL?

If your solution has a live/demo deployment, you may provide the project URL where the submission form supports it.

How many Round 1 submissions can we make?

Each team can have up to three submission opportunities: Submission 1: FREE; Submission 2: ₹50; Submission 3: ₹100.

Do I have to pay for the second and third submissions?

Only if you want to unlock those additional submission opportunities. The first submission is included. The second requires ₹50. The third requires ₹100.

Can I modify my submission after submitting it?

No. Once a submission is successfully submitted, it becomes locked. The submitted record cannot be modified by the team. This includes the submitted presentation link and other submitted solution information.

Why are submissions locked?

The submission lock maintains fairness and ensures that the evaluation team reviews the exact version submitted before the deadline.

Which submission will be evaluated?

The event's evaluation system will determine the valid submission considered according to the configured competition rules. The participant portal should clearly display which submission is currently eligible for evaluation.

ROUND 1 EVALUATION

How will Round 1 be evaluated?

Round 1 submissions will go through an AI-assisted evaluation process followed by jury evaluation. The evaluation can consider factors such as: Problem understanding, Solution relevance, Innovation, Technical approach, Feasibility, Potential impact, Originality, Presentation quality.

Does AI make the final decision?

AI is used as an evaluation/support mechanism. The final selection process involves the event's jury.

Can we use AI to develop our solution?

AI tools may be used as permitted by the event rules. However, teams must demonstrate their own understanding, reasoning and work. AI-generated generic content or presentations that do not demonstrate genuine team understanding may not satisfy the evaluation requirements.

Can we submit an entirely AI-generated PPT?

Teams should not rely on generic AI-generated presentation content. The submission should demonstrate: Your team's understanding, Your proposed solution, Your reasoning, Your technical approach, Your originality. The jury may evaluate the authenticity and depth of the submission.

ROUND 1 RESULTS

When will Round 1 results be announced?

The Round 1 result announcement is scheduled for: 11 October 2026 · 4:00 PM. Results will be communicated through the official event channels/participant portal.

How will I know if my team is selected?

Your participant dashboard will be updated with the result. Selected teams will also receive the relevant communication through the official event communication channels.

What happens if my team is selected?

Selected teams will need to complete the Round 2 confirmation/application process within the specified 24-hour period. Further Round 2 information and invitation details will then be communicated.

ROUND 2

What is Round 2?

Round 2 is the 36-hour live hackathon conducted on campus. It is the final competitive stage of RYHATHON.

When is Round 2?

29–30 October 2026 · 36 hours. Francis Xavier Engineering College, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

When will the Round 2 problem statement be revealed?

The complete problem statement will not be revealed before the event begins. The challenge is progressively revealed during the beginning of the live hackathon.

How does the Round 2 clue system work?

During the first hour, teams receive progressive clues. The planned structure is: Start: Challenge begins; 15 minutes: Clue 1; 30 minutes: Clue 2; 45 minutes: Clue 3; 60 minutes: Complete problem statement. The exact operational instructions will be communicated by the organizers.

When does development begin?

Teams begin working on the challenge as the problem information is revealed according to the official event schedule. Once the complete challenge is available, teams proceed with building their solution.

Is internet access allowed during Round 2?

Yes, internet access is allowed for the hackathon as per the event's network and security rules.

Is cybersecurity testing/hacking allowed?

Authorized cybersecurity experimentation may be part of the competition where explicitly permitted by the event rules and within the provided competition environment. Teams must stay within the authorized scope defined by the organizers. Attacking unrelated external systems, people, infrastructure or services is not permitted.

Do teams have to stay at their table?

Yes. At least 2 registered team members must be present at the team's designated table/workstation during the event, subject to the official event rules.

Can all team members work simultaneously?

Yes, subject to the event's venue, safety, network and participation rules. The team should coordinate its work while maintaining the minimum required physical presence.

EVENT EXPERIENCE

What can participants expect beyond the competition?

RYHATHON is designed to provide more than a prize competition. Depending on the opportunities available, participants may get access to: Internship opportunities, Job opportunities, Industry mentorship, Industry exposure, Certificates, Goodies, Networking, Real-world problem-solving experience.

Is there a fixed final prize pool?

The currently announced prize pool starts at: ₹35,000+. The prize pool may increase significantly based on registration count and sponsorships. Always check the official website for the latest prize information.

Are there additional prizes or opportunities?

Additional prizes, awards, goodies, internships, job opportunities or industry opportunities may be announced as the event develops. Follow the official announcements for updates.

PORTAL & ACCOUNT

What can I see in my participant dashboard?

Your dashboard can show: Team information, Registration status, Payment status, Verification status, Assigned problem, Problem lock status, Submission status, Submission history, Announcements, Notifications, Support tickets, Round 1 result, Round 2 updates if selected.

Can I access the portal after registration?

Portal access is provided after the relevant registration/payment verification process is completed.

I forgot my password. What should I do?

Use the password recovery option on the login page. If you still cannot access your account, contact event support.

Can multiple people use the same account?

Each registered participant should use their own account credentials. Do not share passwords or account access.

SUPPORT

How can I contact the organizers?

Use the official Support / Enquiry section of the RYHATHON website. Create a support ticket with the relevant category and explain your issue clearly.

What should I include in a support request?

Include: Team ID, Registration ID, Your name, Issue category, Clear description, Relevant payment/order ID if it is a payment issue, Screenshot if necessary. Do not share your password or sensitive authentication information.

How long does support take to respond?

Support enquiries are targeted for a response within approximately 12–24 hours, depending on the issue and event workload. For urgent event-day issues, use the designated event support channel.

IMPORTANT RULES

Can we change our team after registration?

Team changes are subject to organizer approval and applicable event rules. Contact support as early as possible if a change is necessary.

Can we use external libraries, APIs and tools?

Teams may use appropriate technologies and tools subject to the official event rules. Any restrictions announced by the organizers will take precedence.

Can we use open-source code?

Open-source libraries and frameworks may be used where permitted, but teams should understand and appropriately attribute their use. Your solution should demonstrate genuine team contribution.

What happens if we violate the rules?

The organizers may investigate the issue and take action according to the event rules. Possible actions may include: Warning, Submission invalidation, Disqualification, Removal from the event. depending on the severity and applicable rules.

QUICK ANSWERS

Can anyone participate?

Yes — RYHATHON is open to students across India.

Team size?

4–6 students.

UG fee?

₹149 per student.

PG fee?

₹199 per student.

Round 1?

Online qualification stage.

Round 1 submission?

Google Slides link.

First submission?

Free.

Second submission?

₹50 to unlock.

Third submission?

₹100 to unlock.

Can submitted solutions be edited?

No. Submitted solutions are locked.

Round 1 results?

11 October 2026 at 4:00 PM.

Round 2?

36-hour live hackathon.

Round 2 dates?

29–30 October 2026.

Round 2 location?

Francis Xavier Engineering College, Tirunelveli.

Prize pool?

₹35,000+ and may increase significantly.