CS-AITHON 2026 National Hackathon held at Central University of Karnataka

The Central University of Karnataka (CUK) on January 30 inaugurated CS-AITHON 2026, a national-level hackathon organised by the Department of Computer Science to foster innovation, problem-solving and practical application of emerging technologies among students.

The event was held as a pre-summit programme under the AI Impact Summit–2026, an initiative of the Government of India, and focuses on computer science and artificial intelligence-based solutions.

Delivering the inaugural address as the chief guest, Chandrasekhar Buddha, CEO of Anuvadini AI and chief coordinating officer of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), stressed the importance of developing indigenous, secure, and inclusive digital platforms. He urged students to work on innovative, India-centric technological solutions that address national needs while ensuring data security and self-reliance.

Presiding over the function, Battu Satyanarayana, Vice-Chancellor of CUK, highlighted the growing role of emerging technologies in areas such as digitalisation, smart agriculture, and nation-building. He encouraged students to convert their innovative ideas into practical and scalable solutions in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Welcoming the participants, Srikantaih K.C., Head of Department and dean of the School of Computer Sciences, said the hackathon provided an important platform for young innovators to collaborate, experiment and showcase their technical capabilities.

Presenting an overview of the hackathon, Nagaraj V. Dharwadkar, nodal officer, said that in the first phase, 102 teams comprising nearly 300 students from across the country had submitted abstracts. After a screening process, 40 teams with about 120 students were shortlisted for the offline, on-campus hackathon. The shortlisted teams represent several States, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala.