Terms and Conditions

IndiHacks Terms & Conditions (Full, with Additions Marked)

Operated by ACIC-VGU Foundation

Effective Date: 11th August 2026 | Last Updated: August 2026

DRAFT FOR LEGAL REVIEW: This is a working draft prepared for ACIC-VGU Foundation's IndiHacks platform, refined for India-specific tax, IP, and consumer-protection considerations, and structured to also work for organizers/sponsors elsewhere in Asia. Fields in [brackets] must be completed, and the document must be reviewed and signed off by a qualified lawyer before publishing, particularly the prize/tax, IP assignment, and dispute resolution clauses. Nothing below should be treated as legal advice.

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of IndiHacks (the "Platform," accessible at indihacks.com), operated by ACIC-VGU Foundation, an Atal Community Innovation Centre under NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission, based at Vivekananda Global University (VGU), Jaipur, Rajasthan, India ("ACIC-VGU Foundation," "we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account, registering for a hackathon, or otherwise using the Platform, you ("User," "you") agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least [13/16/18 — confirm] years old to create an account. Users below the age of majority under applicable law must have consent from a parent, legal guardian, or their educational institution to participate. Note: under Indian law a person under 18 is a minor and can only enter a binding contract through a parent/guardian.

Specific hackathons may have additional eligibility criteria (e.g., student status, geography, team size) set by the organizer, which will be published on the relevant event page and form part of these Terms for that event.

By registering, you represent that all information you provide is accurate and current.

3. Account Registration and Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities under your account.

You must notify us promptly of any unauthorized use of your account.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that provide false information, violate these Terms, or are inactive for an extended period.

4. Hackathon Participation

Each hackathon hosted on IndiHacks may have its own rules, timeline, judging criteria, and prize structure ("Event Rules"), published on the event page. In case of conflict between Event Rules and these Terms, the Event Rules govern for matters specific to that event, and these Terms govern all other matters.

Participants must submit original work created within the hackathon period, except where an event explicitly permits pre-existing components (e.g., open-source libraries), which must be disclosed.

Team composition, submission deadlines, and eligibility for prizes are subject to the specific Event Rules and are at the reasonable discretion of the organizer and judges.

ACIC-VGU Foundation and event organizers reserve the right to disqualify any submission or participant found to violate these Terms, Event Rules, or applicable law, including plagiarism, harassment, or fraudulent activity.

5. Code of Conduct

All Users must:

Treat other participants, mentors, judges, sponsors, and staff with respect; harassment, discrimination, or abusive behavior of any kind is prohibited

Not submit content that is unlawful, infringing, obscene, defamatory, or otherwise harmful

Not attempt to interfere with the security or normal operation of the Platform, including through hacking, scraping, or introducing malicious code

Comply with all applicable laws, including the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules made thereunder, and any additional code of conduct published for a specific event

Violation of this Code of Conduct may result in disqualification, suspension, or termination of your account, at our sole discretion.

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Platform IP

The Platform, including its design, branding, text, graphics, and software (excluding User-submitted content), is owned by or licensed to ACIC-VGU Foundation and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws, including the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Trade Marks Act, 1999. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from the Platform without our prior written consent.

6.2 User Submissions

Ownership: You retain ownership of the intellectual property in the projects and content you submit ("Submissions"), subject to any specific IP terms of an individual hackathon (e.g., sponsor-run challenges may require IP assignment or licensing to the sponsor, which will be disclosed in that event's Event Rules and requires your separate acceptance).

License to us: By submitting a project, you grant ACIC-VGU Foundation a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to host, display, reproduce, and promote your Submission (e.g., in a public project gallery, on social media, or in program reporting to NITI Aayog/AIM or other institutional stakeholders), for as long as reasonably necessary for these purposes.

Your warranty: You represent that your Submission is your original work (or that you have the necessary rights/licenses for any third-party components) and does not infringe the intellectual property or other rights of any third party.

7. Prizes

Prize eligibility, value, and distribution timelines are set out in the applicable Event Rules and are subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Terms.

Winners may be required to provide identification, tax information (such as PAN), and banking details for prize disbursement. Cash prizes are subject to tax deducted at source (TDS) under Section 194B of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (currently a flat rate, without the usual basic exemption, on winnings from competitions of this nature) and other statutory deductions under applicable Indian law; where a prize includes both cash and non-cash components, TDS provisions may require the organizer to collect the applicable tax before releasing the non-cash portion. Confirm current TDS rate/threshold and process with a tax advisor before publishing.

ACIC-VGU Foundation and event organizers/sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of comparable value, or to withhold a prize where eligibility requirements are not met or a violation of these Terms is discovered.

Non-cash opportunities referenced in connection with a hackathon (e.g., internships, incubation support, mentorship) are offered at the discretion of the relevant organizer/sponsor and are not guaranteed by virtue of participation alone.

8. Fees and Payments

Some hackathons may charge a registration fee, which will be clearly disclosed, inclusive of applicable GST, before payment. Payments are processed through third-party payment gateways, including UPI-based rails where offered, ACIC-VGU Foundation does not store your full payment card or UPI credential details. Refund policies, if any, will be specified on the relevant event page. [Confirm refund policy before publishing; note that if the Platform is found to fall within the scope of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, additional disclosure and grievance-redressal obligations may apply and should be confirmed with counsel.]

9. Third-Party Services and Sponsors

The Platform may integrate with or link to third-party services (e.g., GitHub, Google, payment processors) and may feature sponsor-run challenges. ACIC-VGU Foundation is not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of third parties, and your interactions with sponsors or third-party services are governed by their respective terms.

10. Disclaimers

The Platform and all hackathons are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law, ACIC-VGU Foundation disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation of the Platform, or any specific outcome (including internships, funding, or employment) from participation in a hackathon.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, ACIC-VGU Foundation, its officers, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of data, revenue, or opportunity, arising out of or related to your use of the Platform or participation in any hackathon, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total aggregate liability for any claim arising from these Terms shall not exceed amount, e.g., the registration fee paid by you, or INR 5,000, whichever is greater/applicable.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless ACIC-VGU Foundation, its officers, employees, volunteers, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your breach of these Terms, your Submission, or your violation of any law or third-party right.

13. Suspension and Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms, engaged in fraudulent or harmful conduct, or for any other reason at our discretion, including discontinuation of the Platform. You may stop using the Platform and request account deletion at any time by contacting us.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified via the Platform or by email, and will take effect from the date specified in the notice. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Subject to applicable law, any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall first be referred to good-faith negotiation between the parties, and if unresolved within [30] days, shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at Jaipur, Rajasthan. If ACIC-VGU Foundation prefers arbitration over court litigation, add a clause here referring disputes to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, specifying seat/venue (recommend Jaipur), language (English), and number of arbitrators — to be confirmed with legal counsel. For events involving international participants or sponsors elsewhere in Asia, consider whether a separate cross-border dispute clause is needed.

16. Miscellaneous

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any applicable Event Rules, constitute the entire agreement between you and ACIC-VGU Foundation regarding the Platform.

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of that right or provision.

Force Majeure: We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance due to causes beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, internet or infrastructure outages, or government action.

17. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms, please contact:

ACIC-VGU Foundation

Address: VGU CAMPUS, SECTOR 36, NRI ROAD, JAGATPURA, JAIPUR, JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, 302025

Email: info@acicvgu.com

Phone: 9001792930, 9001792931