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How I Got Selected in the SIH Internal Hackathon

From brainstorming to building under 2 hours — lessons, challenges, and takeaways from Innovex Hackathon 2025 (IIC).

A few days ago, I got selected for the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) Internal Round (Innovex Hackathon 2025 IIC) at my college SVKM's Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Arts, Science and Commerce. For me, this was not just another competition — it was a chance to test my skills, collaborate with amazing teammates, and work on solving real-world problems. In this blog, I want to share my journey, and learnings.

But first,

What is SIH?

For those unfamiliar, Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is one of India's biggest innovation-driven hackathons organized by the Government of India. It provides students with the opportunity to solve pressing problems faced by government departments, industries, and society.

The journey to the Grand Finale happens in stages:

  1. Internal Hackathon (College Level) – Each college organizes this to select teams that will represent them.
  2. Online Screening Round – Selected teams submit their detailed solution ideas online for evaluation.
  3. Grand Finale – The shortlisted teams from the online round compete nationally in an intense hackathon.

Problem Statements

Problem Statement 1

Problem Statement 2

Problem Statement 3

There were a total of 3 problem statements and we picked the 3rd one as it has the most functionality, features and addresses an actual problem most campuses or colleges face.

We quickly discussed the solution, did some requirement analysis and designed the architecture of the application. We aligned different roles to everyone like frontend, backend, integration and testing, design and implementing LLM, etc.

The time frame for the hackathon was 2 hours, so we focused on core features and solutions first and re-used code from my previous projects to boost up the speed.

Our Solution: smart-campus-system

We built a comprehensive platform that streamlines college operations by integrating:

  • Student & Admin Dashboards
  • Resource Booking
  • Notices & Announcements
  • Verification Systems

The system enhances transparency, reduces manual effort, and ensures efficient utilization of college resources.

GitHub: https://github.com/Chirag-varu/smart-campus-system

Tech Stack

Frontend

  • Framework: Next.js 14 (App Router)
  • Language: TypeScript, React 18
  • Styling: Tailwind CSS 4, ShadCN, Lucide Icons
  • Charts/UX: Recharts, Embla Carousel

Backend

  • API: Next.js API Routes
  • Database: MongoDB (Official Driver)
  • Authentication & Email: Nodemailer + otplib

Other Tools

  • Form Validation: React Hook Form + Zod
  • Cloud Hosting: Vercel (frontend) + MongoDB Atlas

Hackathon Experience

The 2-hour hackathon was intense! We had to brainstorm, divide tasks, code, and prepare our presentation all under tight pressure. There were moments where bugs popped up unexpectedly, but we handled them by quickly collaborating and switching responsibilities when needed.

It felt like a crash course in time management, problem-solving, and teamwork under pressure — and honestly, that was the best part!

Challenges Faced & How We Solved Them

Time Constraint

We had to cut down on "nice-to-have" features and focus only on core functionality.

Integration Issues

Connecting the backend and frontend within such a short time was tough, but using reusable code saved us.

Presentation Prep

Explaining the entire system in a crisp and clear way was just as important as building it.

Key Learnings

  1. Teamwork matters: A good team dynamic is more important than individual brilliance.
  2. Preparation beats pressure: Researching and planning beforehand made execution much smoother.
  3. Presentation is powerful: Explaining your idea clearly and confidently makes a big difference.

Advice for Future Participants

If you're planning to participate in SIH or any hackathon, here are 3 tips that really helped me:

  1. Pick the right problem statement: Choose something you're genuinely interested in, not just what looks easiest.
  2. Divide roles early: Assign clear responsibilities (frontend, backend, design, research, presentation) to avoid confusion.
  3. Focus on core features first: Build a strong MVP, then add extras if time permits.

Meet the Team 🚀

  • ✨ Chirag Varu (me)
  • ✨ Aaron D'souza
  • ✨ Akshat Gohil
  • ✨ Amrita Mishra
  • ✨ Diya Singh
  • ✨ Prithika Burmon

Grateful to have worked with such enthusiastic people!

Final Thoughts

This hackathon wasn't just about competing, but about learning, collaborating, and preparing ourselves for something much bigger. Every idea we shared and every solution we tried was a step toward the larger vision of SIH 2025.

The experience taught me that innovation thrives under constraints, teamwork amplifies individual strengths, and sometimes the best solutions come from the pressure of a ticking clock.

Looking forward to the next stages of SIH 2025! 🚀

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