📌About the Event

The AI for Foundational Learning Hackathon 2026 is an initiative of ShikshaNext, in collaboration with Anthropic, inviting innovators to build AI-powered solutions for critical foundational learning challenges in India. Participants will work on real education problems affecting children from underserved communities and transform their ideas into working prototypes using frontier AI technologies. The hackathon runs for around 10 weeks across three stages—Ideate, Build and Finals.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Mode: Hybrid
• Team Size: 2–4 members
• Age Requirement: 18 years or above
• Participation: Open to eligible Indian citizens
• Duration: Around 10 weeks
• Stages: Ideate → Build → Finals
• Participants can work on one of five key challenge areas:
• Classroom Complexity
• Learning-Level Visibility
• Teacher Support & Training
• Data to Action
• System Capacity

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📅 Important Dates

• Registrations Open: 7 September 2026
• AMA Session: 14 September 2026
• Registration & Idea Submission Deadline: 27 September 2026
• Top 30 Teams Announced / Build Stage Begins: 10 October 2026
• Prototype Submission Deadline: 1 November 2026
• Top 10 Finalists Announced: 10 November 2026
• Grand Finale: 18 November 2026

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibilty:
• Participants must be 18 years or older at the time of registration.
• Participation is open to Indian citizens, including Indian students and professionals currently studying or working abroad.
• Participants must register as individuals or individual-led teams rather than as organisations.
• Students, educators, tech enthusiasts, innovators and professionals from education-focused non-profits can participate.
• Teams should generally consist of 2–4 members.
• A technical background is not mandatory; multidisciplinary teams are allowed.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• Winner: ₹3,50,000
• 1st Runner-up: ₹2,50,000
• 2nd Runner-up: ₹1,50,000
• Top 5 Ideate Stage Ideas: ₹50,000 each
• Total Cash Awards: ₹10,00,000
• Claude Credits: Up to $20,000 in cumulative Claude credits
• Top 30 teams receive $500 in Claude credits per team during the Build Stage, with additional credits available for the Top 10.
• Selected teams also receive mentorship from education and technology experts.