Goa, January 17, 2026: The Centre for Data Science and Social Impact (CDSSI) at the Indian School of Development Management hosted the final showcase of Code4Change 2025–26, an annual social sector hackathon focused on applying data science to real-world challenges. Held at the International Centre Goa in Dona Paula, the full-day in-person event highlighted innovative, data-driven solutions aimed at improving access to justice in India.
Now in its third edition, Code4Change 2025–26 centred on reimagining how data can strengthen judicial systems by enhancing efficiency, fairness, and transparency. The hackathon was organised in partnership with DAKSH and the Centre for Social Sensitivity and Action (CSSA), Goa Institute of Management.
This year’s edition featured two problem statements tailored to different experience levels. Students and emerging data practitioners worked on redesigning the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) to make it more interactive and user-friendly, offering role-based insights and reminders. Experienced data professionals analysed data from over three lakh civil cases and 17 lakh hearings from the Karnataka High Court to design fair, efficient, and scalable case scheduling systems.
Following an intensive hackathon phase, six shortlisted teams—three from each track—presented their solutions during the final showcase. An expert jury evaluated the solutions on quality, relevance, and practical applicability.
In the Student and Emerging Talent track, Team Lawgorithm—comprising Archita Narayan Sahoo, Shubham Sharma, Nandini Singh, Harshini Akana, and Sruthi Saravanan—was declared the winner. The jury noted that the team demonstrated strong clarity of thought, focused problem selection, and a simple yet realistic prototype.
In the Experienced Data Professionals track, Aalekh Roy emerged as the winner. The jury commended his solution for its strong prototype, clear step-by-step logic, and flexible approaches to case prioritisation and scheduling.
Reflecting on the experience, Shubham Sharma said, “I’m deeply interested in engaging with the social sector, especially at a time when India is rising and social impact matters more than ever. The problem we worked on, judicial performance and efficiency, goes to the heart of democracy, which is what made it so compelling. Winning was a surprise—we don’t come from a core computer science background—but it feels incredibly rewarding.”
Mr Ravi Sreedharan, Founder and Director, ISDM, said, “Code4Change was created to bridge a clear gap between data talent and the real needs of the social sector. We wanted a space where students and professionals could work on live, complex problems and build solutions that organisations can actually use.”
Beyond project presentations, the event also featured an SPO Connect space, enabling Social Purpose Organisations to engage directly with participants, and introduced the ISDM CDSSI Data Maturity Assessment, a free diagnostic tool to help organisations strengthen their data practices.
Code4Change continues to position itself as a collaborative platform that connects data talent with pressing social challenges, fostering practical innovation for long-term social impact.
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