TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to the website of ACM Student Chapter, National Institute of Technology Surat (hereinafter referred to as "ACM NIT Surat", "we", "our", or "us"). By accessing our website, browsing our content, logging in via authentication, or registering for any events, workshops, hackathons, or activities, you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions and all applicable laws and regulations.

If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. These Terms form a binding legal agreement between you and ACM NIT Surat.

2. Eligibility & Access

ACM NIT Surat is an educational and student-community platform run under the supervision of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at SVNIT.

While the website is open to browse, registration for hackathons, contests, workshops, and student profiles is restricted to:

• Currently enrolled college students of recognized academic institutions.
• Faculty advisors, mentors, and administrators of SVNIT Surat and collaborating organizations.
• Individuals who satisfy any age restrictions set by specific event rulebooks.

We reserve the right to refuse service, terminate access, or disqualify registrations for any user who is found to have falsified their academic credentials or institutional affiliations.

3. User Accounts & Google Authentication

To create a student profile, track leaderboard statistics, or register for events, you must log in using Google Authentication.

• Account Accuracy: You agree to provide current, accurate, and complete registration information (such as name, branch, roll number, and handles).
• Credential Confidentiality: Your account relies on Google OAuth credentials. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your Google account. ACM NIT Surat cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from unauthorized access to your account.
• Google Sheets Sync for Admins: If you are an administrator connecting your Google account to automatically sync event registration sheets, you grant us permission to access Google Spreadsheets under your authorization. You must ensure you comply with Google's API Services User Data Policy.

4. Event Registrations & Specific Terms

Our platform manages registrations for various technical session events, hackathons, and programming contests. Each event may have its own additional terms, rules, and timelines (e.g., team size limits, submission guidelines, coding language parameters).

By registering for an event, you agree to:

• Ensure all registration answers are accurate.
• Submit your own original work for contests and hackathons.
• Comply with team criteria and eligibility bounds.
• Consent to your registration details being synced into Google Spreadsheets managed by authorized chapter organizers.

5. Student Code of Conduct

To maintain a collaborative, educational, and respectful environment, all users must adhere to the ACM Student Chapter Code of Conduct:

• Professionalism & Respect: You must treat fellow participants, organizers, mentors, and administrators with respect. Cyberbullying, harassment, hate speech, or derogatory remarks are strictly prohibited on all our platform channels.
• Academic Integrity: Plagiarism, sharing solutions during active coding contests, using prohibited third-party resources, or exploiting system bugs to inflate leaderboard ratings is treated as a major violation.
• No System Abuse: You must not attempt to breach security controls, upload malicious scripts, spam API endpoints, run automated scripts to register repeatedly, or disrupt the server backend.

6. Cancellations, Changes & Scheduling

ACM NIT Surat reserves the right to postpone, cancel, or reschedule any event, contest, or workshop due to institutional updates, scheduling conflicts, technical failures, or force majeure.

In the event of a cancellation or rescheduling:

• We will publish notifications via email or announcements on the website.
• ACM NIT Surat is not liable for any logistical issues, costs, or damages incurred by participants due to scheduling changes.

7. Organizer & Admin Rights

Administrators and organizers of ACM NIT Surat hold the authority to enforce chapter guidelines. We reserve the right to:

• Review and edit event metadata, timelines, and registration lists.
• Disqualify any user or team from contests if they violate code of conduct rules.
• Modify cumulative leaderboard ratings in case of fraudulent scores or double profile mappings.
• Export participant rosters and link Google account spreadsheets for operational workflows.

8. Intellectual Property & Chapter Assets

All contents, assets, code templates, designs, and brand symbols displayed on this website, including but not limited to the ACM NIT Surat logo, website layouts, custom graphics, texts, SVGs, and animations, are the intellectual property of ACM NIT Surat (or its developers/contributors) unless otherwise noted.

You may not replicate, modify, distribute, sell, or exploit any code or content from our website without explicit written consent from our development and executive committee.

9. Website Availability & Service Continuity

The website is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We strive to provide reliable uptime and secure services. However, due to server maintenance, API updates (such as Google API structural modifications), and network disruptions, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted access.

We reserve the right to suspend, withdraw, or limit access to the website or its services for technical, security, or operational reasons at any time without notice.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, ACM NIT Surat, its organizers, developer group, faculty advisors, and SVNIT institution shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from:

• Your access to or use of, or inability to access or use, the website.
• Any conduct or content of any third party on the services (including database sync targets).
• Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your profile, registrations, or Google OAuth keys.

11. Termination of Accounts & Ban Policies

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account and restrict your access to all or part of the website, with or without prior notice, if we determine that you have violated these Terms & Conditions, SVNIT disciplinary guidelines, or engaged in fraudulent behavior.

Banned users will be disqualified from all future events and their ratings will be permanently purged from the public leaderboard.

12. Changes to Terms

ACM NIT Surat reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. When updates are published, the "Last Updated" timestamp at the top of the terms will be adjusted.

Continued use of the website following the posting of any changes constitutes your binding acceptance of the revised Terms.

13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms & Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the breach thereof, or the use of our services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts located in Surat, Gujarat, India.

14. Contact Information

If you have any questions, feedback, or concerns regarding these Terms, or if you need support with event registrations or account deletions, please contact us: