Mumbai, 24 July, 2023 – The talented students from NMIMS Indore STME have achieved a significant milestone by securing a place among the top 5 teams in the prestigious Kavach 2023 Cyber Security Hackathon, organized by the Government of India. The event, focused on advanced CCTV analytics, witnessed intense competition from over 20,000 to 30,000 teams across the country.
The hackathon, launched by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, AICTE, in collaboration with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D)(MHA) and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), aimed to design and develop innovative solutions using live CCTV feeds to automatically detect incidents related to street crime, violence, burglary, theft, infiltration, and unauthorized access. The NMIMS Indore STME team, led by Sam Varghese, successfully created an exceptional machine learning model that analyzed CCTV footage in real-time, identifying accidents, and illegal activities, and providing instant alerts to the nearest authorities.
Expressing his delight, Sam Varghese, the team lead, stated, “I still can’t believe it! Out of all the thousands of teams in the advanced CCTV analysis domain of the country, we were chosen as one of the top 5. It’s truly unbelievable! We couldn’t be happier knowing that our hard work and dedication have been acknowledged by the Government of India on a national level. It’s an absolute honor.”
Avni Bhardwaj, a team member, shared her thoughts on the achievement, saying, “We knew our idea was great, but we always had this uncertainty of selection as there is cutthroat competition. Upon hearing the news, it took a little time to process the shock, but deep inside, it was expected.”
NMIMS Indore STME takes immense pride in nurturing such innovative and talented students. Dr. Aaquil Bunglowala, the head of STME, provided valuable guidance and support to the team, ensuring their success.
The students faced numerous challenges during their journey, including balancing the project alongside their academic commitments and forming an efficient team. However, their determination, perseverance, and utilization of advanced technologies, such as TensorFlow and YOLOv7, enabled them to overcome these obstacles.
The impact of their invention on society is substantial. By employing their advanced machine learning model, incidents can be detected, analyzed, and reported promptly, facilitating timely intervention by the authorities. This technology holds great potential in enhancing public safety and reducing response time, potentially saving lives.
NMIMS Indore STME congratulates Sam Varghese and the entire team, including Chaitanaya Kusumakar, Sudhanshu Rastogi, Avni Bhardwaj, Sanskriti Sharma, and Arohi Jain, for their outstanding achievement in the Kavach 2023 Cyber Security Hackathon. Their success showcases the institution’s commitment to nurturing talent and promoting the culture of innovation.
