Theme: Blockchain & Cybersecurity
Title:
“Decentralized Digital Ledger Solutions for Secure and Transparent Data
Management”
Problem Statement:
Develop innovative blockchain-based systems that leverage decentralized and
distributed ledger technologies to securely store, manage, and exchange digital
information across multiple sectors, ensuring transparency, data integrity, and
trust without centralized control.
Explanation:
In most sectors today, sensitive digital data is stored on centralized systems that
are vulnerable to hacking, data loss, and manipulation. Blockchain technology
can overcome these issues by distributing records across multiple nodes, making
data tamper-proof and verifiable. Existing solutions are often limited to
cryptocurrencies, leaving other sectors underutilized. This problem seeks
blockchain-based innovations that can ensure secure transactions, transparent
data sharing, and improved accountability in fields like healthcare, education,
supply chain, and e-governance. Such systems can build digital trust, prevent
fraud, and support a transparent, corruption-free digital ecosystem.
SDG:
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Title:
“Recovery of Deleted Data and Associated Metadata from XFS and Btrfs
Filesystems”
Problem Statement:
Develop tools and techniques to recover deleted files and their complete
metadata (timestamps: creation, access, modification, deletion; file names; file
attributes) from modern file systems XFS and Btrfs, which use advanced features
(journaling, copy-on-write, complex metadata structures) that make recovery
difficult.
Explanation :
Digital forensics heavily relies on retrieving deleted data from storage devices to
reconstruct events, timelines, or evidence. While older file systems like
FAT/NTFS have many mature recovery tools, XFS and Btrfs are more modern,
complex filesystems, and recovering data along with accurate metadata is quite
challenging. These file systems use techniques like journaling, copy-on-write,
and dynamic allocation, which obscure or overwrite metadata quickly. To support
investigations, we need specialized recovery approaches that understand file
system internals, can carve data intelligently, and reconstruct metadata reliably. A
successful solution will help forensic analysts restore not just file contents but
also their context, enabling trustable reconstructions of digital events.
SDG:
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Theme:
Robotics, and Drones
Title:
“Indigenous Logistics Drones to Enhance Operational and Logistic Capability”
Problem Statement:
Develop an indigenous logistics drone capable of transporting 35–40 kg payloads
such as medicines, rations, and essential supplies to Indo-China border regions
located at altitudes between 9,000 ft and 16,000 ft. The drone should function
effectively under harsh climatic conditions, withstand high wind speeds (40–70
km/h), and ensure reliable delivery where road connectivity is poor or cut off due
to snow or monsoon.
Explanation:
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) operates in extremely cold, high-altitude
terrains where temperatures drop below zero and roads often remain closed for
months. These conditions make it difficult to deliver critical supplies like
medicines, food, and ammunition to troops deployed in remote forward areas.
Conventional vehicles and even existing drones face performance issues due to
low air pressure, strong winds, and limited endurance. An indigenous logistics
drone with high payload capacity, long flight range, and resistance to extreme
weather can solve this problem by ensuring quick, safe, and cost-effective
transport of vital resources. Such a drone would boost troop morale, enhance
operational efficiency, and reduce dependency on risky manual transport
operations.
SDG:
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13: Climate Action
Theme:
Miscellaneous
Title:
“Capturing Non-Manual Features of Indian Sign Language and Converting Them into
Text”
Problem Statement:
Develop an advanced system capable of capturing and interpreting the
non-manual features (NMFs) of Indian Sign Language (ISL)—such as facial
expressions, head movements, and body posture—and accurately converting
them into contextually appropriate written text. The system should enhance ISL
translation by including these critical elements that convey emotion, tone, and
grammatical context beyond hand gestures.
Explanation:
Indian Sign Language communication relies heavily on non-manual features like
facial expressions, head tilts, and body orientation, which provide essential
context and emotion to manual signs. Current translation systems primarily focus
on hand gestures and often ignore these subtle visual cues, leading to
incomplete or inaccurate interpretations. This problem aims to develop a holistic
AI-driven solution that uses computer vision and machine learning to detect and
analyze NMFs in real-time, even under varying lighting and background
conditions. By integrating an extensive NMF database and offering offline
functionality, the system can significantly improve accessibility and
communication for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, making digital ISL
translation more natural and expressive.
SDG:
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Theme:
Smart Automation
Title:
“Bail Reckoner”
Problem Statement:
Design a software system “Bail Reckoner” that aids judicial officers by
automating the assessment and determination of bail decisions. The tool should
incorporate relevant statutes, past case precedents, risk metrics, the nature of
the crime, and other contextual factors to present recommendations and
risk-analysis for bail applications.
Explanation :
Bail decisions in courts involve evaluating multiple factors such as severity of
offense, past criminal records, flight risk, public safety, etc. Currently, judges and
magistrates must manually review legal statutes, past judgments, and case
details, which is time consuming and susceptible to inconsistency. A “Bail
Reckoner” system can automate this by integrating legal databases, predictive
models, and heuristics to analyze the relevant variables and suggest a bail
decision with underlying reasoning. It can reduce human error, speed up bail
hearings, and increase transparency in judicial decisions. By ensuring that the
recommendation is explainable and auditable, the tool supports fair and
consistent bail outcomes.
SDG:
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Theme:
Disaster Management
Title:
“Real-Time Disaster Information Aggregation Software”
Problem Statement:
Develop a software solution that can aggregate, categorize, and present
disaster-related information in real-time from multiple sources such as social
media, news portals, and other open platforms. The system should help disaster
response agencies access relevant data quickly and efficiently to plan and
execute timely response actions.
Explanation :
Disaster response agencies often face delays in collecting actionable information
during emergencies due to the sheer volume of data spread across social media,
news websites, and other platforms. Manually monitoring these sources is
inefficient and resource-intensive. A real-time aggregation software can
automatically filter, categorize, and present relevant disaster data on a
user-friendly dashboard. By using advanced algorithms and AI-based
classification, the system can prioritize critical information, track evolving
situations, and provide insights for rapid decision-making. Such a solution will
significantly reduce response time, enhance operational efficiency, and ultimately
save lives during emergencies.
SDG:
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13: Climate Action
Theme:
Miscellaneous
Title:
“Development of AI/ML-Based Solution for Detection of Face-Swap Deep Fake
Videos”
Problem Statement :
Develop an AI/ML-based system capable of detecting face-swap deep fake
videos, where a person’s facial identity is replaced with another. The system
should analyze video content and generate a detailed report highlighting
anomalies, detection confidence, and the underlying techniques used to create
the deep fake, ensuring reliability for forensic or security applications.
Explanation :
Deep fake videos, especially face-swap types, pose serious risks including
misinformation, fraud, political manipulation, and character defamation. Detection
is challenging due to advances in generative AI and large language models.
Effective solutions require analyzing subtle inconsistencies in facial features,
expressions, movements, and temporal sequences. Approaches may include
CNNs, RNNs/LSTMs, capsule networks, adversarial training, audio-visual
analysis, frequency analysis, biometric verification, or hybrid models combining
these techniques. The system should process input videos and produce
accurate, explainable results that can be used by security agencies or forensic
experts to confirm authenticity and understand the manipulations involved.
SDG:
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Theme:
Agriculture, FoodTech & Rural Development
Title:
“AI-Driven Crop Disease Prediction and Management System”
Problem Statement:
Develop an AI-driven system capable of analyzing crop images and
environmental data to predict potential disease outbreaks. The system should
provide farmers with actionable insights and treatment recommendations to
prevent crop losses and optimize yield.
Explanation:
Crop diseases can severely reduce agricultural yield, leading to financial losses
and food insecurity. Early detection and timely intervention are critical for
effective management. An AI-driven solution can analyze visual data from crop
images along with environmental parameters such as humidity, temperature, and
soil conditions to identify disease patterns. By providing real-time
recommendations and preventive measures through mobile and web
applications, farmers can take informed actions to protect their crops. Such a
system enhances decision-making, reduces dependency on manual expertise,
and promotes sustainable agricultural practices.
SDG:
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Theme:
Miscellaneous
Title:
“Women Safety Analytics – Protecting Women from Safety Threats”
Problem Statement:
Develop a software solution that leverages analytics and real-time data to
enhance the safety of women in urban environments. The system should provide
actionable insights to authorities and individuals to prevent and respond to safety
threats effectively.
Explanation:
Women in urban areas often face safety challenges, including harassment and
violence. Traditional safety measures may not be sufficient or timely. An
analytics-driven solution can process data from various sources such as public
cameras, mobile applications, and social media to identify potential threats. By
analyzing patterns and behaviors, the system can provide real-time alerts and
recommendations to both authorities and individuals. This proactive approach
aims to prevent incidents and ensure a safer environment for women. The
solution should be scalable, adaptable to different urban settings, and respect
privacy and ethical considerations.
SDG:
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Theme:
Energy
Title:
“SolarQuest: Innovate to Capture More Sunlight and Boost Energy Efficiency”
Problem Statement:
Develop innovative solutions to enhance solar energy capture and improve
energy efficiency in solar power systems. The solution should address
challenges such as maximizing sunlight absorption, reducing energy losses, and
optimizing performance in various environmental conditions.
Explanation:
Solar energy is a clean and renewable source of power, but its efficiency can be
affected by factors like shading, dust accumulation, and suboptimal panel
orientation. Innovative solutions are needed to enhance the performance of solar
panels by improving their ability to capture sunlight and convert it into usable
energy. This may involve developing advanced materials, smart tracking
systems, or cleaning mechanisms that can adapt to changing environmental
conditions. By addressing these challenges, the solution can contribute to more
efficient and cost-effective solar energy systems, promoting sustainable energy
use.
SDG:
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 13: Climate Action