Officers attending the inauguration of CS-AITHON 2026 at Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi on January 30. Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Central University of Karnataka (CUK) on January 30 inaugurated CS-AITHON 2026, a state-wide hackathon organized by the Department of Computer Science to promote innovation, problem solving and practical use of emerging technologies among students.
Held as a pre-summit program under AI Impact Summit-2026, an initiative of the Government of India, the event focuses on computer science and AI-based solutions.
Chandrasekhar Buddha, CEO, Anuvadini AI and Chief Coordinating Officer, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) delivered the inaugural address as the chief guest and emphasized the importance of developing homegrown, safe and inclusive digital platforms. He challenged the students to work on innovative India-centric technology solutions that address national needs while ensuring data security and self-reliance.
Battu Satyanarayana, CUK Vice-Chancellor, presiding over the function, highlighted the growing role of emerging technologies in areas such as digitalisation, smart agriculture and nation-building. He challenged the students to translate their innovative ideas into practical and scalable solutions in line with Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
Welcoming the participants, Srikantaih KC, Head of the Department and Dean of the School of Computer Sciences, said that the hackathon provides an important platform for young innovators to collaborate, experiment and showcase their technical prowess.
Presenting an overview of the hackathon, Nagaraj V. Dharwadkar, nodal officer, said that 102 teams comprising nearly 300 students from across the country had submitted abstracts in the first phase. After a screening process, 40 teams with around 120 students were shortlisted for an offline hackathon right on campus. The shortlisted teams represent several states including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala.
Published – 31 Jan 2026 19:57 IST
