CIPHER 25

The 4MSc Data Science students of School of Sciences in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science, Christ College, Pune successfully organized CIPHER ’25, a vibrant technical fest that brought together creativity, innovation, and technical excellence. The event aimed to provide a dynamic platform for undergraduate students of Computer Science to showcase their knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork while engaging in fun and intellectually stimulating competitions. With a blend of quizzes, coding battles, treasure hunts, and creative showcases, CIPHER ’25 became a memorable celebration of technology and talent.

The fest commenced with TechQuest 2025 – “The Computer Science Quiz Challenge”, designed exclusively for undergraduate Computer Science students across all years. The competition featured a multi-round structure of coding challenges, and a grand finale with technical riddles and caselets. Students demonstrated their knowledge of core computing concepts, programming, networks, artificial intelligence, and emerging trends. The quiz not only tested participants’ technical expertise but also encouraged peer learning and healthy competition.

Another highlight of the fest was Patch the Glitch: Coding and Debugging Fest, which drew enthusiastic participation from coding enthusiasts. Conducted in teams, this event had two rounds. The first round, Debugging Showdown, challenged participants to identify and fix errors in buggy code snippets, while the second, Coding Clash, tested their algorithmic and problem-solving skills. Scoring was based on correctness, efficiency, and readability of code, ensuring a holistic evaluation of programming proficiency.

To encourage real-world problem-solving, the fest featured INNOVISION: Solve. Present. Innovate, where teams analyzed industry-inspired challenges and presented feasible, creative solutions. This event fostered teamwork and innovation, as participants were judged on creativity, practicality, technical relevance, and clarity of presentation. The cross-year team formation encouraged collaboration and knowledge sharing across different levels of academic experience.

Adding a creative twist to the fest was Campus Conspiracy: “The Professor’s Neuro-Micro Chip”, an engaging treasure hunt with a science-thriller storyline. Participants solved riddles, followed hidden clues across the campus, and completed tasks to prevent a fictional professor from executing a mind-control experiment. This event tested students’ critical thinking, time management, and teamwork while maintaining an element of suspense and fun.

CIPHER ’25 also celebrated creativity in technology communication through events like TechTales in Reels, a reel-making competition that encouraged participants to create short, engaging stories around computer science. With topics ranging from the life of a CS student to the struggles of debugging, participants brought humor and relatability to the technical domain. Similarly, Designovate – Poster/Infographic Competition allowed students to combine design skills with research by creating posters on Smart Futures: Technology for Sustainable Development. This event encouraged students to connect emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and blockchain with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting awareness of technology’s role in building a sustainable future.

Overall, CIPHER ’25 was a grand success, achieving its objective of blending technical rigor with creativity and teamwork. The diverse range of events ensured participation from students with varied interests—whether in coding, designing, quizzing, or storytelling. The collaborative efforts of coordinators, student volunteers, and participants created an atmosphere of excitement and innovation. CIPHER ’25 not only strengthened technical knowledge but also nurtured critical skills such as communication, creativity, and collaboration, leaving behind a lasting impact on all involved.