9am Nova Code Challenge

These Terms & Conditions ("T&C") govern participation in the 9am Code Challenge ("Challenge") organized by 9am.careers ("9am", "Company", "we", "us").
By registering for the Challenge, participants agree to the following terms:

1. Eligibility

• The Challenge is open to eligible participants as defined in the respective Challenge announcement (e.g., Campus / Lateral category).
• Participants must provide accurate and complete registration details.
• 9am reserves the right to verify eligibility at any stage.

2. Challenge Format

• The Challenge consists of multiple coding problems categorized as Easy, Medium, and Hard.
• Each problem carries a predefined score weight based on its complexity.
• Participants may attempt problems in any order and at any time during the Challenge window.
• Final ranking shall be determined solely based on total score achieved, subject to integrity validation under Clause 5.

3. Schedule & Venue

• The Challenge will be conducted over two (2) days.
• Upon registration, 9am shall allocate a participation slot and communicate the date, time, and venue details via registered email and/or WhatsApp.
• Participants are responsible for checking their email and/or WhatsApp for updates and instructions.
• 9am reserves the right to modify the date, time, duration, format, or venue of the Challenge, or cancel the Challenge, at its sole discretion.

4. Equipment & Conduct During Challenge

• Participants must bring their own laptop for participation.
• Mobile phones and any other electronic communication devices must be surrendered at reception before entering the Challenge venue.
• Participants shall connect only to the designated Wi-Fi network provided at the venue.
• Use of any external storage devices, unauthorized networks, remote access tools, or communication devices is strictly prohibited.

5. Fair Play & Integrity

• Use of AI code generation tools, large language models, automated coding assistants, or similar tools is strictly prohibited unless explicitly permitted in writing by 9am.
• Any form of plagiarism, collaboration, impersonation, unauthorized assistance, or malpractice will result in immediate disqualification.
• Leaderboards will be published only after integrity checks are completed.
• 9am reserves the right to disqualify any participant at its sole discretion in cases of suspected or confirmed misconduct.
• 9am reserves the right to publicly disclose the names of participants disqualified due to malpractice or cheating.

6. Leaderboard & Ranking

• Rankings shall be based on total score achieved.
• In case of identical total scores, tie-breaking: higher score on harder problems (Hard > Medium > Easy) first; then lower total time; if still tied, participants may share the rank.
• In the event of shared ranks, the prize for that rank shall be equally divided and subsequent ranks will be skipped accordingly.

7. Awards & Taxation

• Awards/prizes shall be credited within four (4) working days after conclusion of the Challenge and completion of verification processes.
• Prizes may be subject to applicable tax deduction at source (TDS) or other statutory deductions as per prevailing law.
• Winners may be required to submit PAN and other documents as required under applicable tax regulations to claim prizes.
• In cases where tax deduction is applicable, 9am reserves the right to deduct such taxes prior to disbursing the prize.

8. Badges & Recognition

• Deserving participants may be awarded publicly verifiable digital badges in different categories.
• 9am may, at its discretion, conduct a technical discussion, interview, or verification round prior to issuing such badges.
• Issuance of badges is at the sole discretion of 9am and is not automatic.

9. Intellectual Property & Data

• All submissions, code, performance data, rankings, and participation data generated during the Challenge shall be owned by 9am.
• Participation constitutes consent for 9am to use such data for evaluation, analytics, research, marketing, and promotional purposes.
• 9am may publish participant names, scores, rankings, and badge achievements publicly.

10. Communication

• All official communication shall be sent via registered email and/or WhatsApp.
• Participants are responsible for ensuring contact details are accurate and accessible.
• 9am shall not be responsible for missed communications due to incorrect contact information.

11. Limitation of Liability

• 9am shall not be responsible for technical issues, internet disruptions, device failures, or other factors beyond its control affecting participation.
• Decisions of 9am regarding conduct, scoring, disqualification, and awards shall be final and binding.

12. Right to Amend

• 9am reserves the right to modify, amend, or update these Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice.
• Continued participation in the Challenge constitutes acceptance of any updated Terms & Conditions.