SSB Hackathon: Technological Solutions for Border Management

About

SSB Hackathon is the virtual gathering to create dialogues and accelerate innovations for problems in border guarding along Indo Nepal and Indo Bhutan borders. This hackathon is organised by SSB to evolve cost effective indigenous solutions for border management and to find technological solutions to policing problems along the borders.

Modernisation of border policing is envisaged by adopting new technological tools through engagement with Start Ups, Private enterprises and Tech minded individuals.

Objective

To leverage the innovations created by the Indian entrepreneurs and to build on the mission of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) seeks to organise Hackathons with Indian Startups and premier Institutions for cost effective solutions to strengthen the border security scenario.

In compliance to the directions, Sashastra Seema Bal is collaborating with Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (Meity) and announces the launch of Grand Challenge to identify impactful solutions from Startups to address the problem statements identified by SSB

Problem Statements

a) Detection and Identification of Hacked Personal Computers and Servers.

b) Drone based surveillance of the Open borders especially in Vulnerable Gaps and areas along with anti drone technology to prevent misuse of drones.

The Problem Statements, Description of the Problem and the desired Solution are as under:

Problem Statement No 1.

A system for identification of suspicious persons along the borders using IoT Sensors and other electronic devices.

Description of Problem

As a part of the Intelligence inputs available to security forces, there are a number of occasions where there is an urgent need to identify suspicious persons along the borders using the inputs available from the various IoT sensors and other electronic devices being used. Provide a creative yet practical system so as to enable the CAPFs identify the suspicious person/target and make informed decisions.

Desired Solution: Problem Statement No. 1

To create a solution using IoT sensors and other electronic devices to identify a suspicious person from a data base of collected information. Data could be in the form of audio, video, image, text etc. Data so gathered should be well analysed and correlated to identify the suspicious person and provide information of the target. Facial recognition and social media matching capabilities can also be used to derive meaningful insights. Should include the ability to:

(i)   Detect presence
(ii)  Identification and verification
(iii) Have a data base of collected information
(iv) List out actions based on the learnings

Problem Statement No. 2

Drone based surveillance of the Open borders especially in Vulnerable Gaps and areas along with anti drone technology to prevent misuse of drones.

Description of Problem

UAVs and Drones are being used by Security forces to gather sensitive information along the borders and in various Insurgency prone areas. Surveillance of the open borders and Vulnerable gaps along the IBB/INB is an essential requirement for SSB, so as to monitor the activity of vehicles and personnel crossing the International borders with the aim of curbing Drug Trafficking, Human Trafficking and other criminal activities.

Desired Solution : Problem Statement No. 2

An easily operable system is needed for enhancing surveillance security of the open borders and especially in vulnerable areas using Drones and UAVs. The prototype must should be easily operable and Cost effective so as to help the Forces take proactive action.

Evaluation Criteria

1. All the submitted applications would be reviewed by our evaluators under different focus areas. Each application will be assessed by a set of evaluators to ensure the best submission gets selected for the next round. 
2. The applications will be evaluated on different parameters, including but not limited to the novelty of the idea/innovation, stage of development, scalability, potential impact, technical & financial feasibility and commercialisation capacity.  
3. The evaluators reserve the right to select or reject any submission without assigning any reasons whatsoever and without thereby incurring any liability to the participant(s) whatsoever.

Timelines

Rewards

Cash Prize : xx best innovations from different focus areas will be awarded a cash prize of INR xxxxxxx each

Incubation Support : The winning innovations will get an exclusive preference for incubation support, pre-seed & seed-stage funding of  INR xxx.

1. Taxes on the prize money will be the sole responsibility of the winners. Prizes may be subject to tax reporting and other purposes. The winner agrees to provide necessary information to affect the same and to fully cooperate in fulfilling all applicable legal requirements. Taxes on the prize money will be applicable as per the rules on the day of disbursement.
2. Mode of payment - The prize money will be transferred to the bank account of the winner. Bank account details must be shared after the results are announced.

Eligibility Standards

The Indian Tech start-ups, MSMEs, Companies, LLPs registered in India under Companies Act, students studying at any Indian university solo founders, entrepreneurs and other individuals of Indian nationality can apply. The entity must have 51% or more shareholding with Indian citizen or person of Indian origin and should be domiciled in India. The applicant’s entity should not be a subsidiary company of any foreign corporation.

Further to encourage participation from academia and industry, participating teams not mandatorily registered as Companies/ startups/ MSMEs/ LLPs can also apply for  the Grand Challenge for Strengthening Border Security. However, the teams making it to the Stage-2, will be required to apply for registration as Indian Startups/ Company/ MSMEs/ LLPs. It will be expected that by the time of selection at the final stage, necessary registration has been completed.

1.  Eligibility Criteria for Start-ups:
For wide coverage and maximum participation across all levels startups are encouraged to apply with the following conditions are to be met.

1. Startups: Applicants willing to propose and develop solutions must be:

   • A Startup incorporated as a private or public limited under the Companies Act, 2013 or the previous Act 1956.
   • Should have recognition of under the latest notification of DIPP  available at http://startupindia.gov.in.
   • The Indian Tech start-ups, MSMEs, Companies, LLPs registered in India under Companies Act can apply. The entity must have 51% or more shareholding with Indian citizen or person of Indian origin and should be domiciled in India. The applicant’s entity should not be a subsidiary company of any foreign corporation.
   • Further to encourage participation from academia and industry, participating teams not mandatorily registered as Companies/ startups/ MSMEs/ LLPs can also apply for the Grand Challenge for Strengthening Border Security. However, the teams making it to the Stage-2, will be required to apply for registration as Indian Startups/ Company/ MSMEs/ LLPs. It will be expected that by the time of selection at the final stage, necessary registration has been completed.
2. Also, the applicant would be required to furnish the proof of such registrations and necessary balance sheets.
3. The applicant should have product in the market and existing customers. The scheme does not envisage to support ideation stage startups. 
4. Participants from diverse backgrounds, minority groups and differently abled persons are encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated as highly confidential. Both, SSB and MeitY, Delhi, do not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected participants will be subjected to a rigorous reference and background checks. 

Application Submission

1. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 
2. All entries obtained through unauthorized sources or which are incomplete, illegible, mutilated, altered, reproduced, forged, irregular, or fraudulent in any way or otherwise not in compliance with the rules are automatically void.
3. The form should either be submitted in English.
4. It is strongly advised not to wait until the deadline for the submission of entries. Organizers shall not be responsible for non-receipt of entries on account of server errors/ traffic.
5. The organizers reserve the right to select or reject any submission without assigning any reasons whatsoever and without thereby incurring any liability to the participant(s) whatsoever.
6. Applicants should avoid uploading any proprietary information on the platform as the submitted entries shall be shared with evaluators & mentors for the purpose of evaluation & mentoring. Organizers do not take any responsibility in case of patent right(s) violation(s) if the innovation(s) submitted is awaiting patent or is in the process of patent filing.
7. The participants represent that the submission is original, and is not copyrighted by anyone or any firm. The participants also represent that the submission contains no violation of any existing copyright or another third party right including but not limited to copyrights, patents, trademarks, service marks, trade secrets or other proprietary rights or any material of an obscene, indecent, libelous or otherwise unlawful nature and does not infringe the rights of others. The participants are solely responsible for the accuracy of any information and conclusions contained in their respective submissions. Further, the participants understand that any submission in violation of the instant clause shall stand disqualified, without any intimation to the participants.
   
8. Organizers reserve to cancel the competition or modify the rules, dates of the competition anytime. The Organizers shall have no liability whatsoever for any inconvenience/loss directly or indirectly caused to any Participant due to such modification of rules/cancellation of competition and the Participants shall accordingly not be entitled to raise any claims pertaining to the same.
9. Once the participants have made submissions on the platform, they shall have no claim even in the event of stoppage/cancellation of the competition.
10. Removal/ voluntary withdrawal of members from any team is not encouraged. No other form of team modification will be entertained at any point.
11. Teams shall maintain detailed documentation of their idea and solution at all stages of the hackathon for reference and record purposes. The organizers reserve the right to review these documents any time during the event.
12. Any decision by the organizers on any aspect of the hackathon at any point of time during the course of the event is final and binding to all the participants, without any reservations.
13. The Participants shall indemnify and keep indemnified organizers against any claim raised by any party regarding the submission made by the participants. The participants shall be liable to indemnify the organizers for all costs and expenses they may have to incur against such claims. 
14. The Participants shall preserve the confidentiality of all communication & information and shall not use the same for any other purpose whatsoever. 
15. If any question, dispute or difference (hereinafter referred to as a ‘Dispute’) between the participant and the organizers hereto arises, the decision of the Director General, SSB, will be final and binding 

Communication

1. Go through the FAQs carefully, should you have any queries. 
2. You can write to us at ………………………… The team will respond back as soon as possible. 
3. During the Hackathon, the team leader shall be considered as the Single Point of Contact for all engagements & communication by the organizing committee. Furthermore, the team leader cannot be changed during the course of the hackathon. 
4. All the results, announcements, and updates will be shared on our website. Email updates will be sent to concerned participants wherever required. 
5. All communications between the Organizers and team leader will be done through the registered email only. This will be the only form of communication and any other forms of communication will not be entertained.

FAQs

1. What will happen at SSB Hackathon ?

   SSB is a virtual event nurturing new ideas & innovations in agriculture. The program is primarily divided into 2 parts: 

   • SSB Hackathon: This is a nation-level hackathon where innovators, students, startups, and others would be competing against each other at different stages   Each winner will receive a cash prize of ______ along with preference in incubation & funding by our agribusiness incubators called RABIs.
2. Do I need to pay any money to register for the Hackathon?

   No. You do not have to pay anything to anyone to register yourself for SSB Hackathon . 

3. Can my entry be disqualified for some reason?
   • Incomplete applications or applications with inaccurate information will automatically be disqualified. Make sure that you fill all the fields accurately.
   • If any participant/ participating team is found violating the  terms & conditions, they can be disqualified.  The decision of Jury will be final. 
4. What will the winners get? 

   ______ winning innovations will be selected. Each winning applicant/team will receive a cash prize of _____ along with preference in incubation & funding support.

5. I have two ideas. Can I submit two applications? 

   No. In the case of multiple entries by an individual/ team, only the last submitted entry will be considered. 

6. What are the exact dates of application submission and subsequent rounds?

   Please click here to learn more about the Timelines.

7. How will I know if my application is selected/ rejected?

   All applicants will receive regular email communication from the Organizers throughout the event.

8. We're already working on our idea and are running a startup. Are we eligible for this? 

   Yes, SSB is open to the idea stage, prototype, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and commercialized startups also. 

9. What kind of solutions/ ideas are you looking for? 

   We are looking for simple & effective innovations and also frugal solutions to  Border Management problems under these  focus areas.
   If you have already received any grants-in-aid or support for this particular innovation (that you are applying) under any Government of India or State Ministry scheme/ policy, then you are not eligible to apply for this hackathon.

10. Can solo founders/ individuals apply for SSB  Hackathon ?

    Yes

11. How will you conduct the selection rounds and final pitching?
    • All the participants will submit their innovations through our online  Registration Form
    • On __ _____, the results of the application round will be announced. All the applicants will receive email communication regarding the selection or rejection of their application for the next round.
    • The SSB Hackathon will take place from _____ where the selected participants will receive online mentoring from Mentors. All the details regarding the presentations, submissions, mentoring schedules, requirements and guidelines etc will be communicated by the Organizers at every step of the event.
    • The shortlist for Grand Finale will be announced on ___________.
    • The Grand Finale will take place on ___________ where the finalists will present their innovations & ideas in front of a panel of Jury and ______ best innovations will be selected as Winners.
12. Who will review my application?

    All the submitted applications will be carefully reviewed and assessed by our jury members which include industry experts, academicians, educators, and other thought leaders. 

13. What kind of mentorship support will we get during SSB  Hackathon?

    All the selected participants/ teams will receive 1:1 mentoring & guidance from our esteemed mentors from __________ to_____. These sessions will help you inrefining your idea/ innovation for the next level.

14. Will I get feedback/ advice on my application?

    Unfortunately, considering the volume of applications we will receive, we are unable to provide detailed feedback on each submission. If you make it to the hackathon round you will receive mentoring and guidance from our mentors. 

15. Can we edit our application after submission?

    An application cannot be edited once submitted. 

Resultant IPR

The rights for the resultant IPR that is created or developed or otherwise resulting directly or indirectly from the winner of the challenge will rest with Sashastra Seema Bal, Government of India. For further leveraging the solutions, SSB will at its discretion can further provision the said IP to any entity/country engaged in implementing the cost effective solutions for border security scenario. The IPR rights for the solution provisioned by the challenge winner(s) will rest with the Sashastra Seema Bal,, Government of India. However, the base IP on which the dedicated solution for border security has been developed by the challenge winner will still rest with the original winner of the said IP and it can be used for purposes other than border security related applications.

Data Privacy

The data generated in the process of using the shortlisted challenges will be treated as per the provision of the existing legal framework/provisions of the country and will rest with the control of SSB.