KAALCHAKRA

Eligibility

• The competition is open to all UG and PG students currently enrolled in recognized Indian institutions. However, for students of NFSU Goa Campus, participation is limited to the following programs:
• B.Sc.–M.Sc. Forensic Science (Integrated) – All semesters
• M.Sc. Forensic Science – All semesters
• M.Sc. Cyber Security – Semester 2
• M.Sc. DFIS (Digital Forensic & Information Security) – Semester 2
• M.Tech AIDS – Semester 2
• Participants must register as a team of 1 to 3 members.
• Each participant must be part of only one team; no substitutions are allowed once the registration has been done.
• Valid College ID cards are mandatory for all participating teams.

Registration & Support

• Registration will only be considered complete only after filling the Google Form
• Registration Fees Rs. 300/- must be paid via the link provided in Google Form. Failing which registration will not be recognised.
• The official Discord server is the primary channel for all announcements and technical support.
• Support requests must be raised via the designated ticket system; personal messages (DMs) to organizers are strictly prohibited.
• By registering, you consent to the collection and use of personal data for verification and event communication.

Event Structure

• The Online Qualifier will be conducted on 28 March, 2026, starting at 10:30 AM IST for a duration of 24 hours.
• The format is Jeopardy-style CTF with categories including RevEng, Web, Crypto, OSINT, Forensics, AI/ML, Miscellaneous & more.
• Based on the leaderboard at end of the event time, the Top 25 teams will be shortlisted for verification.
• Verified teams will receive official invite letters for the Offline Finals by April 2, 2026.

Write-up Submission

• Shortlisted teams must submit detailed solution write-ups within 8 hours of the round ending to prove legitimacy.
• Write-ups must clearly explain the approach and methodology used; plagiarized or shared write-ups will lead to immediate disqualification.
• Failure to submit write-ups within the deadline will result in disqualification for the final round invitation.

Fair Play & Technical Boundaries

• Sharing flags or solutions between teams is a major violation and will result in disqualification for all parties involved.
• Attacks against the scoreboard, registration servers, or event infrastructure (DDoS/DoS) are strictly prohibited.
• Automated scanners (e.g., SQLMap, DirBuster) and login brute-forcing are not permitted unless explicitly required by a challenge.
• The standard flag format is Kaal{s0m3_t3xt_h3r3} unless specified otherwise.

Accommodation & Travel

• All expenses related to travel and stay for the offline finals must be handled by the participants.
• The organizers will not provide accommodation facilities or travel reimbursements.

General Rules

• The decision of the organizers regarding rule violations, scoring, and disputes is final and binding.
• Any abusive, problematic, or toxic behaviour toward participants or staff will result in immediate disqualification.
• Participation implies full acceptance of these rules and any official updates communicated during the event.