This Code of Conduct applies to all participants, mentors, judges, organizers, volunteers, sponsors, partners, and attendees across all OrchidHackX platforms. This includes:

• In-person venues

• Online platforms and communication channels

• Discord, email, and social media interactions

• Any event-related activities before, during, or after the hackathon

By participating in OrchidHackX, you agree to comply with this Code of Conduct.

OrchidHackX is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of:

• Gender identity or gender expression

• Age or level of experience

• Sexual orientation

• Disability or physical appearance

• Ethnicity or nationality

• Religion or personal beliefs

• Technical background or skill level

All participants are expected to:

• Treat everyone with respect and professionalism.

• Communicate constructively and respectfully.

• Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing.

• Respect personal boundaries and individual differences.

The following behavior will not be tolerated and may result in warnings, removal from the event, or immediate disqualification:

• Harassment, bullying, intimidation, or discrimination of any kind.

• Offensive, hateful, abusive, or discriminatory language.

• Unwanted physical contact, sexual advances, or inappropriate behavior.

• Sharing explicit, offensive, or inappropriate content.

• Disrupting workshops, mentoring sessions, judging sessions, or other event activities.

• Recording, photographing, or livestreaming individuals without their consent.

• Possession, consumption, or distribution of illegal substances or any substances prohibited under the laws of Nepal.

• Smoking, vaping, consuming alcohol, or using any intoxicating substances within the event venue or during official hackathon activities.

• Leaving the venue without prior permission from the organizing team during designated hackathon hours (unless explicitly permitted).

• Damaging event property, equipment, or venue facilities.

• Any threatening, violent, or unsafe behavior.

Organizers reserve the right to remove any participant whose behavior compromises the safety or experience of others.

Participants are expected to build their projects honestly and fairly.

• Projects must be primarily developed during the official hackathon period.

• Existing code, templates, models, datasets, or assets may be used only if they are disclosed during submission.

• Plagiarism or presenting another person's work as your own is strictly prohibited.

• Undisclosed reuse of substantial pre-built projects may result in disqualification.

• Teams may be asked to explain their architecture, implementation, or development process during judging.

Transparency is valued over starting completely from scratch.

Participation is open only to college students between the ages of 18 and 25.

Participants must:

• Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program.

• Provide valid student identification if requested.

• Follow all event schedules, deadlines, and organizer instructions.

• Attend mandatory sessions such as orientation, judging, and final presentations.

The following individuals are not eligible to compete:

• Core organizing committee members.

• Judges.

• Anyone directly involved in evaluating submissions.

Failure to meet eligibility requirements may result in disqualification.

• Teams should consist of 3–4 members.

• Cross-disciplinary and diverse teams are encouraged.

• Team changes after registration require prior approval from the organizing committee.

• Teams are expected to collaborate respectfully and share responsibilities fairly.

• Coding and development may begin only after the official hackathon kickoff announcement.

• Planning, brainstorming, research, and idea validation before the event are permitted.

• Open-source libraries, APIs, frameworks, and publicly available datasets may be used, provided their usage complies with their respective licenses.

• AI tools may be used unless otherwise restricted by a specific challenge track.

• Projects must not contain illegal, harmful, malicious, discriminatory, or unethical content.

• Any attempt to sabotage another team's work or interfere with the hackathon infrastructure is strictly prohibited.

• Only officially registered teams may submit projects.

• All submission requirements and deadlines must be followed.

• Late submissions may not be accepted.

• At least one team member must present the project during judging.

• Teams should be prepared to demonstrate their working solution and answer technical questions.

• Judges' decisions are final and binding.

Violations of this Code of Conduct may result in one or more of the following actions, depending on the severity of the incident:

• Verbal or written warning.

• Removal from specific event activities.

• Disqualification from the hackathon.

• Removal from the venue.

• Revocation of prizes or awards.

• Restriction from participating in future OrchidHackX events.

All reports of misconduct will be handled confidentially and reviewed by the organizing committee.

If you experience or witness behavior that violates this Code of Conduct, please report it immediately to any organizer or volunteer.

All reports will be handled confidentially, respectfully, and promptly. The organizing committee will investigate incidents fairly and take appropriate action to ensure a safe environment for everyone.

By participating in OrchidHackX, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by this Code of Conduct. Our shared goal is to foster an environment of innovation, collaboration, learning, and mutual respect for every participant.