The School of Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering (sAIDE), Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, today successfully inaugurated a prestigious One-Day Workshop on AI for Internal Security and Public Safety alongside a two-day Hackathon on AI for Social Good. These events, being organized as pre-summit activities for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, reflect the Nation's commitment to building responsible, inclusive, and scalable Artificial Intelligence solutions.

DISTINGUISHED DIGNITARIES GRACE THE OCCASION

The inaugural session featured the inaugural address by Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar, who set the tone for this significant national initiative at the intersection of artificial intelligence and public welfare. He briefed the participants about the work that IIT Ropar in the field of AI.

Ram Singh, Special Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, graced the occasion as Chief Guest, bringing invaluable insights from the law enforcement perspective on leveraging AI for internal security and public safety.

The event was honored by the presence of Dinkar Gupta, Professor of Practice at sAIDE, IIT Ropar, and former Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), as the Guest of Honour. His extensive experience in national security provided crucial perspectives on the role of AI in strengthening India's security apparatus.

The inaugural session was also graced by distinguished industry leaders, including Achutan Manohar, Principal Engineering Leader at Microsoft, and Nitin Chugh, Senior Software Engineer at Google, who shared insights on cutting-edge AI developments and their applications in social good and security domains.

FOCUS ON AI FOR SECURITY AND SOCIAL IMPACT

Speaking at the inaugural session, Prof. Ahuja, emphasized that the workshop and hackathon represent a crucial step in harnessing artificial intelligence for national security and societal welfare. The initiatives align with India's vision of becoming a global leader in responsible AI development and deployment.

The workshop features technical demonstrations on critical applications including Deep Fake Detection, Image Restoration, Anomaly Detection in Multimedia Surveillance, Drone Forensics, Voice Analytics, License Plate Recognition, and Secure Communications in Police Networks, among others. These demonstrations are being led by faculty members from IIT Ropar and showcase practical AI solutions that can be deployed for enhancing internal security infrastructure.

The concurrent hackathon is challenging participants to develop innovative AI solutions addressing real-world social problems, fostering a culture of technology-driven social entrepreneurship among India's brightest young minds.

INDIAN ARMY EXHIBITION ADDS UNIQUE DIMENSION

Complementing the academic and technological focus of the event, the Indian Army has set up a special exhibition on the IIT Ropar campus, showcasing various equipment and technologies used by the armed forces. This exhibition is providing participants and attendees a unique opportunity to understand the practical applications of technology in defense and security operations, creating a bridge between academic innovation and real-world deployment.

ENTHUSIASTIC PARTICIPATION MARKS THE EVENT

The events have witnessed enthusiastic participation from students, researchers, faculty members, and professionals from across the country. The hackathon, spanning 30 hours from February 6-7, includes multiple evaluation checkpoints by industry experts and will culminate in a prize distribution and valedictory session on February 7.