Hackathon: Coding a Greener Tomorrow

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The Department of the School of Sciences at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, organized a two-day Hackathon on 11th–12th December 2025, with the objective of strengthening students’ technical skills, collaborative abilities, and problem-solving mindset through hands-on application development. The event emphasized the use of technology to address real-world challenges, particularly in the context of urban sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program began on 11th December 2025 at 6:00 PM with a preparatory technical workshop conducted by faculty members from the Information Technology department. This session focused on introducing students to Flask, a lightweight backend framework, and provided guidance on backend connectivity, routing, and server-side logic. Students were taught how to connect the backend with the frontend, manage requests and responses, and structure applications effectively. This workshop laid a strong foundation for the hackathon by equipping participants with essential backend development knowledge required for full-stack web applications.

Following the workshop, the hackathon commenced at 9:00 PM on 11th December 2025. Participants were allowed to collaborate by bringing one peer member, and additional interested students were also welcomed, resulting in a total of 21 participants. The hackathon continued overnight and concluded on 12th December 2025, offering students an immersive development experience within a limited timeframe. 

The primary goal of the hackathon project was to create a data-driven urban sustainability platform that empowers citizens, students, and policymakers to make informed decisions about the future of Indian cities. Through this project, participants explored how technology, data visualization, and civic participation can work together to promote inclusive, resilient, and climate-ready urban development. Each team was required to design a website centered around a specific SDG, encouraging students to deeply analyze sustainability challenges and translate them into meaningful digital solutions.

Throughout the hackathon, students actively applied backend concepts learned during the workshop, integrated databases, and worked on presenting data in a structured and user-friendly manner. The collaborative environment encouraged peer learning, problem-solving, and effective teamwork. Participants gained valuable insights from one another while addressing technical challenges such as backend connectivity, data handling, and application logic.


At the conclusion of the hackathon, teams presented their projects before external evaluators Mr. Joan Job and Ms. Anita Yadav. The presentation session allowed students to demonstrate their technical implementation, explain the relevance of their platform to the chosen SDG, and justify design decisions. The evaluators provided constructive feedback and also conducted an interactive discussion, during which they shared additional insights into SQL, backend development practices, and efficient database management. This interaction further enhanced students’ understanding of real-world backend systems and industry expectations.

Beyond technical learning, the hackathon offered participants a holistic educational experience. Students developed key soft skills such as teamwork, communication, time management, and collaborative problem-solving. The SDG-based theme broadened their awareness of sustainability issues and reinforced the role of technology in driving positive social and environmental change.

Overall, the hackathon was a highly enriching and successful initiative that effectively bridged academic learning with practical application. It strengthened students’ backend development skills, encouraged innovation through collaboration, and promoted sustainability-focused thinking. The event strongly aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education, by providing relevant technical skills and experiential learning opportunities, while also supporting broader sustainability objectives through technology-driven urban solutions.


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