HackOverflow 4.0

National-Level Hackathon | March 11-13, 2026

Organized by Pillai HOC College of Engineering & Technology

HackOverflow 4.0 is a 36-hour national-level hackathon bringing together 250+ developers, designers, and innovators from 50+ institutions across 12 states. The event focuses on AI/ML, Blockchain, Web Development, IoT, and open innovation.

Key Statistics:

• ▸ 4th Edition (2023-2026)
• ▸ ₹100,000+ Prize Pool
• ▸ 95% Project Completion Rate
• ▸ 4.9/5 Participant Satisfaction
• ▸ 18+ Project Deployments per Edition

Our event infrastructure is built using modern, scalable technologies:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    HackOverflow 4.0 Stack                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                               │
│  Frontend (Next.js 16 App Router)                            │
│  ├── Official Website (hackoverflow4.tech)                   │
│  ├── Participant Dashboard                                   │
│  └── Admin Panel                                             │
│                                                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                               │
│  Backend Services (Node.js + Express)                        │
│  ├── Authentication & Authorization (JWT)                    │
│  ├── Participant Management (CRUD)                           │
│  ├── Check-in System (Real-time)                             │
│  ├── Email Service (Nodemailer)                              │
│  └── Analytics Engine                                        │
│                                                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                               │
│  Database Layer (MongoDB)                                    │
│  ├── Participants Collection                                 │
│  ├── Teams Collection                                        │
│  ├── Check-ins Collection                                    │
│  └── Sponsors Collection                                     │
│                                                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                               │
│  AI & Automation                                             │
│  ├── Discord Bot (Discord.js v14)                            │
│  ├── AI Q&A (Groq LLaMA 3.3 70B)                             │
│  ├── Scheduled Announcements (node-cron)                     │
│  └── Rate Limiting                                           │
│                                                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                               │
│  Infrastructure (Docker + Coolify)                           │
│  ├── Containerized Deployment                                │
│  ├── CDN (Cloudflare)                                        │
│  ├── SSL/TLS Certificates                                    │
│  └── DDoS Protection                                         │
│                                                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

This organization hosts multiple interconnected systems for event management:

Official event website built with Next.js 16 App Router, featuring dynamic content, responsive design, and optimized performance.

Tech: Next.js, React 18, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion
Features: Event information, registration portal, schedule, statistics, gallery

Real-time participant check-in system with dual-stage verification (college & lab).

Tech: Next.js, MongoDB, Server Actions, Zod validation
Features: QR scanning, real-time updates, rate limiting, type-safe operations

AI-powered Discord bot with natural language Q&A and automated scheduling.

Tech: Discord.js v14, Groq AI, TypeScript, node-cron
Features: AI Q&A, scheduled announcements, event reminders, FAQ automation

Unified admin dashboard for participant management, email campaigns, and analytics.

Tech: Next.js, MongoDB, JWT Auth, Nodemailer, jsPDF
Features: CRUD operations, bulk email, ID card generation, analytics, security

Enterprise-grade security implemented across all systems:

• ▸ Authentication: JWT-based stateless auth with HTTP-only cookies
• ▸ Rate Limiting: Sliding window algorithm (per-IP tracking)
• ▸ Input Validation: Zod schema validation on all inputs
• ▸ Security Headers: XSS protection, clickjacking prevention, CSRF protection
• ▸ Audit Logging: Login/logout events, error tracking
• ▸ Database Security: Connection pooling, parameterized queries
• ▸ API Protection: Rate limiting on all endpoints (3-100 req/min depending on endpoint)

Dec 25, 2025  →  Registration Opens
Jan 31, 2026  →  Registration Closes
Mar 11, 2026  →  Day 1: Kickoff & Hacking Begins (5:00 PM)
Mar 12, 2026  →  Day 2: Mid-Evaluation & Mentorship
Mar 13, 2026  →  Day 3: Final Judging & Winner Announcement

Historical Performance (2023-2025):

Total Registrations:    1000+
Total Participants:     650+
Projects Submitted:     172+
Completion Rate:        95%
Average Coding Hours:   30+
Live Deployments:       54+
States Represented:     12+
Colleges Participated:  50+

Impact Metrics:

• ▸ Mentorship Sessions: 15+ per edition
• ▸ Winning Teams: 3 per edition (1st, 2nd, 3rd place)
• ▸ Industry Partners: 10+ sponsors per year
• ▸ Email Campaigns: 5000+ emails sent
• ▸ Average Satisfaction: 4.9/5

Opportunities for Industry Partners:

• ▸ Brand visibility to 500+ tech innovators
• ▸ Direct talent pipeline from 50+ engineering colleges
• ▸ Marketing exposure across campuses nationwide
• ▸ Early access to innovative project ideas
• ▸ Community impact & CSR initiatives
• ▸ Thought leadership positioning

Contact: hackoverflow@mes.ac.in
Brochure: Download Sponsorship Deck

Pillai HOC College of Engineering & Technology (PHCET)
A premier institution fostering innovation and excellence in engineering education.

• ▸ 14-acre campus with state-of-the-art facilities
• ▸ Advanced labs for IoT, AI/ML, and Blockchain development
• ▸ Expert faculty from academia and industry
• ▸ Rich technical library and resources

Location: Rasayani, Raigad, Maharashtra, India

Each repository contains detailed documentation:

• Architecture diagrams
• API specifications
• Setup guides
• Security protocols
• Deployment instructions

Refer to individual repository READMEs for technical details.

For technical issues, feature requests, or contributions:

1. Open an issue in the relevant repository
2. Follow the contribution guidelines
3. Submit pull requests with clear descriptions