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GST - Failure to avail the opportunity granted is different from failure to grant an opportunity of hearing - Fault lies with petitioner and he cannot blame the department - Petition dismissed: HCGST - Orders came to be passed behind the back of the petitioner - No steps taken to serve notices through physical mode but made available only under tab 'View Additional notices' - Matter remanded subject to petitioner depositing 10% of disputed tax: HCGST - When two opinions are possible, the one which is advantageous to the assessee should be taken - Matter remitted: HCGST - Not only has the competent authority failed to notice or engage with the reply which was submitted but has proceeded on the incorrect premise that no response had been submitted at all - Order set aside: HCCus - Assessees were held entitled to seek redemption of gold seized from them on their appearance before requisite authority, after complying with prescribed conditions: HCKVAT - addition of purchase turnover of old gold to estimated sales turnover erroneous as it results in duplication of turnover, where purchases were of old ornaments melted for creation of new ones: HCCBDT issues FAQs on Revised Guidelines for compounding of offencesST - Service tax demand confirmed against appellant citing forged agreements, misdeclaration of taxable services and deliberate tax evasion: CESTATCurfew imposed in Nagpur after violence erupts over Aurangzeb rowST - Rectification of O-i-O is invalidated where AO seeks to revisit & change findings, which goes beyond scope of Sec 74 of Finance Act 1994, which only permits correction of mistakes apparent & clerical errors: CESTATIsrael triggers avalanche of air strikes at Gaza as Ceasefire fails; 66 killedCX - Genuine refund claims should not be denied due to procedural technicalities when clear evidence of double duty payment is provided: CESTAT9th India-Australia Defence Policy talks held in New DelhiCX - The amount deposited during an investigation is not a pre-deposit under Section 35FF but a revenue deposit making it eligible for interest at 12% per annum: CESTATTaiwan detects 9 Chinese warships & 59 aircraft encircling island countryCus - Aircraft engine stands should be classified under CTH 8609 00 00 as 'containers for transport' rather than under CTH 8716 39 00 as 'trailers,' thereby setting aside the demand for differential customs duty: CESTATTrump urges Putin not to slaughter Ukrainian troopsCus - Royalty & technical fees need not be included in transaction value of imported goods, as they are not a condition of sale for imported items: CESTATGovt e-Marketplace surpasses Rs 5 Lakh Crore GMVCus - Dabur India Ltd's refund claim is upheld for excess CVD paid on imports holding that company had borne the duty burden itself and did not pass it on to consumers, thereby overcoming the bar of unjust enrichment: CESTATAustralian patient is first to survive for 100 days with titanium heartI-T - Allowance in respect of bad debts u/s 36(1)(vii) is allowable only if debt was taken into account for computing income of assessee in previous year in which amount is written off: HCH7N9 bird flu outbreak spreads to more cities in USI-T- Delay in filing ITR ought to be condoned where factors such as issues in I-T portal & operational challenges due to COVID pandemic, were not considered: HCNo directive to mining companies to review EIA for carbon emissions: MinisterI-T - If assessee has not proved genuineness of purchases, which inter alia include source of making payment for such purchases, such case calls for addition u/s 69C: HCPM Modi joins Trump-owned social media platform Truth SocialI-T - AO can initiate reassessment proceedings for year which has already been assessed u/s.143(3), if material information was not disclosed correctly & truly by assessee: ITATMoS inaugurates QUAD Workshop on pandemic preparedness for Indo-Pacific RegionI-T - No TDS is applicable u/s 194C on fuel charges paid by assessee if same was reimbursed on cost-to-cost basis: ITATDoval chairs meet of intelligence heads, including three from Five Eyes AllianceI-T - AO can't disallow commission expenses incurred by insurance company, without examining PAN details along with related documents placed on record by way of additional evidence under Rule 29: ITATFirst things First - The DIN!
 
DoT announces launch of 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025

By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAR 17, 2025: THE Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025, a six-month initiative aimed at accelerating the development of innovative 5G-powered solutions to address societal and industrial challenges. Open to students, startups, and professionals, the programme provides mentorship, funding, and access to over 100 5G Use Case Labs, enabling participants to transform visionary ideas into scalable technologies.

The hackathon invites proposals focused on key 5G applications such as AI-driven network maintenance, IoT-enabled solutions, 5G broadcasting, smart health, agriculture, industrial automation, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), D2M, V2X, and quantum communication. Participants are encouraged to leverage 5G features like network slicing, Quality of Service (QoS), and call-flow scenarios to address real-world problems. The hackathon offers an array of support mechanisms to help participants take their innovations to the next level. Participants will get assistance in IPR filing for commercialising their IP assets.   

Programme Structure & Timeline

The hackathon will unfold in several stages, each carefully designed to nurture and develop ideas from proposal submission to final evaluation. The first stage, Proposal Submission, invites participants to submit their comprehensive ideas, outlining their problem statement, proposed solution, and expected impact. Each institution will have the opportunity to recommend up to five proposals for the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) screening, and regional committees will select the best entries for further evaluation.

Once proposals are shortlisted, the Regional Shortlisting stage will see selected teams (150–200 proposals) receive guidance to enhance their ideas. The top 25–50 teams will progress to the Pragati Phase, where they will be provided with a Rs 1,00,000 each seed fund to develop their prototypes over a three-month period (June 15 - September 15, 2025). During this phase, participants will benefit from mentorship, access to 5G Use Case Labs, and testing infrastructure to refine their ideas. In case any of the solution can be converted to an IPR, necessary support for IPR filing will be extended.

The final stage, Evaluation and Showcase, will take place in late September 2025, where teams will present their prototypes to a Technical Expert Evaluation Committee (TEEC),  comprising 5-7 experts from the government, Academia and Industry. The evaluation will be based on four key criteria: Technical Execution (40%), Scalability & Market Readiness (40%), Societal & Industrial Impact (10%), and Novelty (10%).

Winners will be announced in October 2025, with the top teams showcasing their innovations at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, one of the most prestigious tech events in the country.

Awards & Recognition

Winners will receive significant rewards, including Rs 5,00,000 for the 1st place, Rs 3,00,000 for the runner-up, and Rs 1,50,000 for the 2nd runner-up. Also, special mentions will be given for Best Idea and Most Innovative Prototype, each receiving Rs 50,000. 10 labs will also be given Certificates of Appreciation for Best 5G Use case and one Certificate for Best idea from Emerging Institute.

The programme, supported by a Rs 1.5 crore budget, covers seed funding, IPR assistance, mentorship, and operational costs. It aims at developing over 50 scalable 5G prototypes, generate 25+ patents, strengthen academia-industry-government collaboration, and support startup creation. Key dates include submission of proposals from 15 March-15 April 2025, announcement of final winners on 01 October 2025, and a rigorous timeline ensuring milestones are met through bi-weekly progress reports and a centralised tracking dashboard.

The 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 is designed to harness the transformative potential of 5G technology by fostering collaboration and innovation. By bridging lab research and market-ready solutions, the hackathon aligns with India's vision to lead in 5G innovation.


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