Rules & Regulations
These apply from registration through to the closing ceremony. Registering for Realm Hack 2026 means accepting them.
Last updated August 2026
Eligibility
Realm Hack 2026 is open to students and independent developers across India. Every participant must carry a valid photo ID for verification during the event. Teams invited to the Grand Finale must be able to travel to College of Engineering Karunagappally, Kerala, and attend in person.
Team Formation
Teams may consist of 1 to 4 members. Solo participation is permitted. Members may be from different colleges, organisations, or states. Each participant may be part of only one team. Team composition must remain unchanged after Phase I submission; changes are permitted only with prior written approval from the organisers.
Project Eligibility
Projects must be original work created by the participating team. Prior research, planning, architecture, and design are permitted before the Grand Finale, but the main implementation must take place during the 24-hour finale. Projects previously submitted to other hackathons or competitions are not eligible. Use of open-source libraries, public APIs, frameworks, and third-party services is permitted, provided they are properly credited.
Code of Conduct
All participants are expected to behave professionally and respectfully towards fellow participants, mentors, judges, volunteers, and organisers. Harassment, discrimination, abusive language, or disruptive behaviour of any kind will result in immediate disqualification and removal from the venue. Participants must comply with all campus rules and instructions from the organising team during the offline finale.
Use of AI Tools
AI coding assistants and generative AI tools are permitted. Teams must be able to explain their own architecture, code, and design decisions to the judging panel. Submissions that are entirely AI-generated without demonstrable understanding may be disqualified.
Intellectual Property
Teams retain full ownership of the projects they build. By participating, teams grant the organisers permission to showcase project names, descriptions, screenshots, and photographs for documentation, promotion, and reporting purposes. Sponsors do not receive ownership of, or rights to, any participant project.
Evaluation & Team Selection
Phase I submissions are evaluated on originality, feasibility, innovation, and impact. Shortlisted teams advance to Phase II and submit a four-slide implementation proposal through the official Realm Hack website. Submissions exceeding four slides will not be evaluated. Phase II proposals are assessed on technical architecture, execution strategy, scalability, and clarity. Teams selected from Phase II are invited to the Grand Finale.
Fair Play & Academic Integrity
Plagiarism, misrepresentation of work, submission of another team's project, or any form of unfair practice will result in immediate disqualification. Teams must disclose any use of pre-existing code or assets. Attempts to influence judges or organisers will lead to disqualification.
Hardware Projects
Teams building hardware projects must bring their own components, tools, and equipment. The organisers provide power access and workspace but do not supply hardware. Teams are responsible for the safety and safe handling of their own equipment.
Organiser Rights
The organisers reserve the right to modify the schedule, evaluation criteria, prize structure, or event format if circumstances require. Any changes will be communicated to registered participants by email. The organisers may disqualify any team found in violation of these rules at any stage of the competition.
Acceptance of Rules
Registration for Realm Hack 2026 constitutes acceptance of all rules and regulations stated here, along with the event's code of conduct.
Final Decisions
All decisions made by the judging panel and the organising committee are final.