Cyber Challenge 2025 - Delhi Police Event Report
CyberPeace in collaboration with Delhi Police organized the Cyber Challenge 2025 to foster innovation in cybersecurity solutions addressing critical societal challenges. This 36-hour hackathon brought together some of the brightest minds in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital forensics, working towards building impactful solutions for public safety.
The event focused on four pressing cybersecurity challenges:
- Counteracting Misinformation and Fake News
- Enhancing Women's Safety through Predictive Analytics
- Social Media Monitoring of Juvenile Gang Activity
- Combating Digital Arrest Scams
The challenge aimed to encourage technological advancements that would strengthen digital security, mitigate cyber threats, and support law enforcement agencies.
Competition Structure
Cyber Challenge – Delhi Police, an initiative that has brought together some of the brightest minds in cybersecurity. The primary goal of this hackathon was to tackle emerging cybersecurity threats by fostering creativity, collaboration, and technical expertise. It provided a platform for developers, engineers, and cybersecurity enthusiasts to build solutions that could enhance public safety, counter misinformation, and protect individuals from cyber threats.
The challenge began with an overwhelming response- 700 applications were received from talented individuals across the country. Aer a rigorous shortlisting process led by a distinguished jury from reputed organizations, 52 participants representing 20 teams were selected to move forward to the Grand Finale. These finalists worked relentlessly over the past 36 hours, pushing their limits to transform their ideas into practical and scalable solutions.
The Cyber Challenge hackathon focused on four critical problem statements. The first was counteracting misinformation and fake news, a growing concern in the digital era. The second challenge aimed at enhancing women’s safety through predictive analytics, leveraging technology to assess risks and prevent crimes. The third problem statement addressed monitoring juvenile gang activity on social media, helping authorities detect and prevent youth radicalization. Lastly, participants tackled the issue of digital arrest scams, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials to deceive and extort innocent individuals.
DAY 1:Opening Address: Mr Vivek Tiwari, COO- CyberPeace
Commencing the event Mr. Vivek Tiwari delivered the inaugural speech, emphasizing the importance of innovation in tackling cybersecurity issues. He acknowledged the overwhelming response from participants across the country, with over 700 initial entries submitted. Aer a rigorous selection process, 20 teams were shortlisted, comprising 46 participants.
Mr. Tiwari highlighted the social relevance of the problem statements and the potential impact that innovative solutions could have on millions of lives. He urged participants to utilize the 36-hour challenge to refine their ideas, collaborate with experts, and develop scalable solutions that could be implemented by law enforcement agencies.
Jury and Mentorship
A distinguished panel of jury members, including cybersecurity experts and forensic specialists from renowned institutions, provided mentorship and guidance throughout the challenge. The jury comprised of:
- Dr. Nilakshi Jain, SAKEC- Expert in digital forensics and artificial intelligence.
- Sh. Hari Sarma, Uber- Sr Staff Engineer, Uber
- Sh. Avi Sonami, DRDO- Scientist-D
- Sh. V. Ganesh Babu, DRDO- Scientist- E
- Dr. Nilay Mistri, NFSU Gujarat
- Dr. Jay Teraiya, NFSU Gujarat- Expert in soware security, VAPT, and mobile security.
- Mr. Pranjal Upadhyay, RRU Gujrat- Cybersecurity specialist, and digital forensics.
- Dr. Jatin Patel, RRU Gujrat- Expert in network security and cybersecurity
The jury members acted as mentors, assisting participants in refining their prototypes and ensuring that their solutions were practical, scalable, and innovative.
Hackathon Highlights
Participants worked tirelessly over 36 hours, developing cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions. They had access to technical support teams and jury members, ensuring a collaborative and enriching experience. Throughout the event, periodic refreshment breaks and accommodations were provided to maintain participant well-being.
Problem Statements and Solutions
Counteracting Misinformation and Fake News
- Tools for real-time identification, verification, and prevention of misinformation spread.
- AI-powered detection mechanisms for analyzing social media narratives.
Enhancing Women's Safety through Predictive Analytics
- AI-driven predictive analytics leveraging data from social media and public security cameras.
- Real-time threat alerts to law enforcement and community groups.
Social Media Monitoring of Juvenile Gang Activity
- NLP-based tools to detect patterns in social media communications.
- Early intervention mechanisms for law enforcement.
Combating Digital Arrest Scams
- AI-driven fraud detection systems analyzing scam patterns.
- Public awareness campaigns educate citizens on scam tactics.
Sh. Manish Kumar Aggarwal, IPS Spl. CP/Tech. & PI Division, Sh. Sanjay Tyagi, IPS Addnl. CP/Tech &PI Division and Sh. Pranav Tayal, IPS Addnl. CP/Tech &PI Division addressed the participants, acknowledging the diverse mix of individuals in attendance. The event saw participation from students pursuing college degrees, freelancers working on technological solutions, and professionals in service, including candidates from the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
He highlighted the challenge faced by jury members in selecting the best solutions due to the innovative approaches taken by teams. He encouraged participants to begin preparing a 1.5 to 2-minute video summarizing their concepts. The winning teams would be required to submit their final video, either self-recorded with good quality or filmed professionally by the event cameraman on February 19th. These videos were to be presented at the final program on February 30th.
He advised teams to start working on their scripts and iterating their video content to ensure a clear and concise presentation. He concluded by expressing confidence in the success of the event and looked forward to the final presentations.
DAY 2
Day 2 of the Cyber Challenge began with an address by Maj Vineet, Founder and Global President of CyberPeace. He along with the other esteemed members of the Jury mentored the teams and provided them with insightful guidance and discussions, empowering them to sharpen their cyber skills and innovate for a safer digital world.
Before the start of team presentations, Dr. Subi Chaturvedi, Chief Global Off icer and Public Policy Off icer, SVP- Global at InMobi visited and provided invaluable mentorship to the participants. She engaged with the participants for every problem statement and off ered her expert guidance and insights. Finally, she ended her address with best wishes for all the participants.
In the evening, the Presentations by teams took place between 1500hrs to 2100 Hrs where each of the teams presented their solutions in front of the jury. This was a representation of the teams while they put their best foot forward and showed the jury their work and ideas to tackle the problem statements which led to them creating the solutions that they felt were the best for addressing the pertinent issues that they chose. Each team was given 15 minutes to present and demonstrate their solution, with a 10-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Q&A session. A panel of esteemed jury members evaluated their work based on criteria such as technical feasibility, scalability, and societal impact.
Key Developments
- Participants were required to create a short video (1 minute 40 seconds) summarizing their solution.
- A poster presentation segment allowed teams to visually communicate their ideas in the gallery area.
- Technical mentors provided real-time feedback to enhance project feasibility.
Evaluation Criteria
The Challenge finally concluded at 2100 hrs, and the final results were based on the following criteria:
- Best overall Solution
- Most Innovative Solution
- Best Prototype Design
- Most Impactful Solution
Based on these criteria, the following teams were selected as winners across the four themes:
- Counteracting Misinformation and fake news- "Cyber Novas": The team comprised Pratham Shah, Shubham Kolaskar and Jayan Shah from Shah and Anchor Kutchhi Engineering College.
- Enhancing women’s safety through predictive analytics- "Star Gazars": The team comprised Garima, Abdul Wahid and Swati from the University of Delhi.
- Media Monitoring of Juvenile Gang Activity- "Team Ajay": This team comprised Ajay Sudan and Sangeeta Sharma from the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
- Combating the challenge of Digital Arrest Scams-"The Incredibles" : The team comprised Isha, Mihir and Rihik from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Closing Remarks and Impact
The event concluded with an evaluation session where top solutions were identified for further development and potential implementation by the Delhi Police.
Participants were commended for their eff orts, and top teams were awarded for their outstanding contributions. All participants received certificates of appreciation, and winning teams were provided with additional recognition and prizes.
The Cyber Challenge 2025 successfully fostered innovation, collaboration, and awareness in cybersecurity, reinforcing Delhi Police's commitment to leveraging technology for public safety.
DAY 3: Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony, held on the 20th of February, 225, at the Delhi Police Headquarters Auditorium, marked the grand culmination of the Cyber Challenge Delhi Police Hackathon, organized in association with CyberPeace. The event was graced by Shri Sanjay Arora, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, as the Chief Guest, along with senior officers of Delhi Police, including
- Sh. Vivek Gogia, Special CP, Special Cell
- Sh. Manish Kumar Agrawal, Special CP, Technology & Project Implementation Division
- Sh. B.S. Jaiswal, Joint CP, Technology & Project Implementation Division
- Sh. Sanjay Tyagi, Additional CP, Technology & Project Implementation Division
Also in attendance were distinguished jury members from DRDO, RRU, NFSU, SAKEC, and Uber, including:
- Sh. Avi Sonami, Scientist-E, DRDO
- Sh. Pranjal Upadhyay, Director, SITAICS, RRU Gujarat
- Dr. Jatin Patel, Assistant Professor, SITAICS, RRU Gujarat
- Dr. Nilay Mistri, Associate Professor, NFSU Gujarat
- Dr. Jay Teraiya, Assistant Professor, NFSU Gujarat
- Dr. Nilakshi Jain, Professor, SAKEC Mumbai
- Sh. Hari Sarma, Senior Staff Engineer, Uber
The participants, jury, and organizers were recognized for their relentless eff orts in making the event a success. Special appreciation was extended to CyberPeace, Startup India, and Uber India Projects for their contributions.
Opening Address & Announcement of Winners
The ceremony commenced with a welcome address by Sh. Manish Kumar Agrawal, Special CP, Technology & Project Implementation, emphasized the significance of such hackathons in addressing emerging cybersecurity challenges and expressed the hope for more niche events in the future.The winning teams across the four key themes were announced by Sh. B.S. Jaiswal, Joint CP, Technology & Project Implementation:
Each winning team was awarded a cash prize of ₹1,00,000, along with certificates and mementos in recognition of their innovative solutions leveraging artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cybersecurity techniques. A video showcasing the winning solutions was also presented to the audience. Following this, the jury members and organizers were felicitated for their invaluable contributions.
Address by Chief Guest & Closing Remarks
Sh. Sanjay Arora, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the rapid evolution of technology, society, and their interplay in informing crime. He underscored the growing challenges of anonymity in physical and digital spaces and the critical need for collaboration between technologists and policymakers to develop eff ective solutions.
The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by Sh. Sanjay Tyagi, Additional CP, Technology & Project Implementation Division, expressed his gratitude to the Commissioner of Police for his encouragement and support in organizing the event. He also extended his appreciation to Maj. Vineet Kumar and Mr Vivek Tiwari from CyberPeace, as well as his team at Delhi Police, for their dedication and eff orts in making the event a success. Finally, he congratulated all the participants and encouraged them to continue their good work in making society safer for all through their technological skills.
Closing & Networking
The event concluded with a group photograph of the winners with the Chief Guest, followed by project demonstrations by all teams and a networking session over high tea.
Key Takeaways
- Cyber Hygiene is Essential: Businesses and individuals must adopt basic cybersecurity practices, such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, regularly updating soware, backing up data frequently, and implementing robust network security like firewalls.
- Collaboration is Critical: Effective cybercrime prevention requires close coordination between law enforcement, industry experts, and businesses.
- Incident Reporting: Timely reporting of cybercrimes to authorities, such as Delhi Police's cyber cell, can significantly enhance response and mitigation eff orts.
- Capacity Building: Training programs for MSMEs, law enforcement, and other stakeholders are essential to improve awareness and preparedness.
- Policy and Compliance Awareness: Businesses must stay informed about evolving cybersecurity laws and regulatory requirements to ensure compliance and avoid legal repercussions.
- Public Awareness Initiatives: Strengthening community outreach and digital literacy campaigns can help curb cyber fraud and misinformation.
Conclusion
The Cyber Challenge 2025 – Delhi Police event served as a crucial platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building. It reinforced the importance of cybersecurity in today's digital landscape and encouraged proactive measures to combat cyber threats eff ectively. Moving forward, continued collaboration among stakeholders will be key to enhancing cybersecurity resilience in India.
You're invited! Join hands with the cyber peace movement and register for our upcoming event.
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