Official Rules

Read carefully before registering. All participants must comply with these guidelines throughout the hackathon.

Download the Official Rules PDF

The complete, legally binding rules document is available for download. All registered teams must read the full document before participating.

Key Rules at a Glance

The most important guidelines for all Miningthon 2026 participants

01

Team Composition

Each team must have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 members. Cross-institutional teams are allowed and encouraged. All members must be registered before the deadline.

02

Eligibility

Participants must be currently enrolled students (UG/PG/PhD) or working professionals under 30 years of age from a recognized Indian institution or organization.

03

Original Work Only

All solutions must be original and developed during the hackathon period. Pre-built projects or plagiarized work will result in immediate disqualification. Open-source libraries are permitted with proper attribution.

04

Theme Adherence

Each team must select one of the four official themes during registration. The submitted solution must clearly address the chosen theme. Switching themes after registration is not permitted.

05

Submission Requirements

Round 1: 2-page problem statement + proposed solution + implementation plan. Final: working prototype or demo, source code, and a presentation deck (max 10 slides).

06

Code of Conduct

All participants must maintain professional conduct. Harassment, discrimination, or disruptive behavior will result in immediate disqualification and removal from the venue.

07

Intellectual Property

Teams retain ownership of their IP. By participating, teams grant ISM and Coal India a non-exclusive license to showcase solutions for promotional and educational purposes.

08

Judging Criteria

Solutions are evaluated equally on: Innovation & Creativity (25%), Technical Feasibility (25%), Impact & Relevance to Mining (25%), Presentation & Demo Quality (25%).

09

Attendance at Grand Finale

Shortlisted teams must have all members physically present at ISM Dhanbad. Travel and accommodation support details will be communicated to shortlisted teams.

10

Decision of Judges is Final

All decisions made by the judging panel are final and binding. No appeals or disputes will be entertained after results are announced at the closing ceremony.

For the complete rules, or contact miningthon@ism.ac.in

Understood the Rules? Time to Register.

Registration is free. Form your team and submit before February 28, 2026.