“Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid. Human beings are incredibly slow, inaccurate, and brilliant. Together they are powerful beyond imagination.”
– Albert Einstein, physicist
The Experts Unlimited Clan of Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram, also known as the Exun clan, held the 29th edition of its Annual International Technology Symposium on the 9th and 10th of November 2024 which saw participation from over 25 schools. The online events started on 27th October 2024 and were followed by the onsite competitions and events on 9th and 10th of November. This symposium is an annual event that brings together technology experts from all over India to refine their abilities, evaluate their capabilities, and generate unforgettable experiences. The Exun Clan, one of the most reputed computer clubs in the country, was initiated by Mr Mukesh Kumar, the Head of the Computer Science Department with a small group of students in 1992. Exun can proudly speak of its growth to a family of 100 idealists and contributing members to the tech society.The Student and Alumni together take pride in hosting this event every year with great enthusiasm and zeal.
This year, Exun 2024 had 23 events that spanned over many spheres from hacking, and machine learning to Gaming and Girls in Tech. They had something for everyone, whether one was a hardcore programmer or just curious about tech. And even for those who love a challenge.The Exun Clan hosted the latest edition of the famous international cryptic hunt, Sudocrypt v14.0. The Exun Clan teamed up with other clubs of the school to bring more exciting challenges: like the DomainSquare+ with gaming showdowns; Roboknights, with mind-blowing robots competing with each other; CubXL, with cubing and racing against time; and CyberX, with cybersecurity puzzles and challenges.
This event was sponsored by Athena Education, a college counselling institute with acceptances into top universities all over the world, including the prestigious Ivy Leagues, Stanford, MIT, and more. The other notable sponsors were PlayStation, a global leader in interactive entertainment known for its innovative gaming consoles and exclusive game titles; CubeLelo, a premier destination for high-quality puzzles and brain teasers, catering to enthusiasts of all levels; and Pebble Downtown India Ltd.
The initiation of the event was heralded by the inaugural lamp lighting ceremony by the Principal Mr Anil Kumar, accompanied by the distinguished guests the Vice Principals Mr Anil Kathuria, Mr Mukesh Kumar, teachers of Computer Science department and teachers from various participating schools and Mr. Kunal from Athena Education. The ceremony began with a video made by the creative department of Exun.
In his address, the Principal Mr. Anil Kumar congratulated all the participating schools for their enthusiasm and interest in such events, emphasising that they provide excellent learning opportunities where individuals must step out of their comfort zones and demonstrate their abilities in a highly competitive environment. He also told the students that they were all winners as they were the best from their schools and hence were all winners already. He also congratulated Mr. Mukesh Kumar for his outstanding leadership, which played a key role in making the event a huge success. During his address Vice Principal and founder of Exun Clan Mr. Mukesh Kumar proudly reminisced about the formative years of Exun Club and highlighted the consistent efforts and innovative thinking of the student members which finally resulted in establishing this club as a forerunner in its field. During his address Mr. Kunal from Athena Education congratulated the members of the club and the faculty for organising such a world class event and for fostering innovative and critical thinking in the fields of computer science, robotics, designing and coding.
The events that constituted the symposium were judged by our alumni of different batches. The events were as follows:
1.Build
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Hackathon: The hackathon challenges teams to develop innovative web, mobile, or command line applications based on a given prompt, culminating in a final pitch to expert judges after qualifying rounds.
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Designathon: This event invites teams to present innovative design solutions, including UI/UX, posters, and videos, with finalists pitching their ideas to a panel of expert judges.
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Unreality: This is a game development competition where participants create a game based on a given theme, judged on originality, gameplay, audio, and visuals. Extra points are awarded for self-made assets.
This event was judged by Aaraiv Sharma, Bharat Kashyap, Tarush Sonakya, Anup Dev Pattnaik, Kanishka Verma, Mana Sharma and Pihu Upadhyay.
2. Competitive Programming: In this competition, participants solved algorithmic problems under time constraints. The event included an online preliminary round and an intense final round covering topics like dynamic programming and graph theory.
3. Sudocrypt: Exun’s flagship event included a 36-hour Capture The Flag (CTF) and Cryptic Hunt that tested cryptography, problem-solving, and analytical skills, with evolving challenges, hints, and giveaways.
4.Turing Test: At Exun Symposium this was an online computational linguistics event, which challenged participants to solve linguistic puzzles with no prior knowledge. This competition tested participants’ analytical skills.
5. Quiz: The Exun quiz consisted of an online preliminary round followed by an offline final stage where six top teams competed on topics like technology history, current affairs, and programming. The event’s judge was Kabir Bhalla.
6. Crossword: This event challenge featured an online preliminary round, with six top teams which advanced to the final round that focused on computers, technology, and IT, using a bounce-pounce grid style.
7. Hardware: This event highlighted cutting-edge hardware, networking gear, and software, inviting participants to demonstrate their skills in solving hardware-focused challenges.This was judged by Aniket Negi.
8. Girls in Tech: This event empowers tech-enthusiast girls by building a supportive community. Shortlisted participants were paired for an offline round, promoting collaboration to increase women’s participation in STEM.This event was judged by Angad Singh, Somesh Kar, Aditya Singh and Karan Handa.
9. Group Discussion: This event invited participants to rethink core principles and present arguments on technology and ethics. It Started with video submissions, selected participants advanced to offline semifinal and final rounds.This event was Judged by Aadhya Dhar and Sameer
10. DomainSquare+
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Gaming: PC The preliminary round was held online. This event has inspired PC Gaming among the participants and assisted them in gaining insights into their strengths and weaknesses.During the finals, participants showcased their talent by playing OG video games.
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Surprise: Another surprise event, giving participants the chance to explore the world of gaming and begin an exciting journey of endless possibilities. This was Judged by Naunidh Singh Kohli.
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Quiz: A fun quiz that tested their ingenuity and challenged them with questions on every aspect of video game knowledge, from classic titles to the latest trends. This was judged by Aaryak Garg.
11. CubXL
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2×2: A fast-paced 2×2 speedcubing competition for students from grades 6-12, with online prelims and offline finals. Participants competed under WCA regulations, combining speed and strategy.
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3×3: Another challenging event that required an understanding of different interpretations of the provided puzzles.
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Pyraminx: Participants needed to acquire an effective combination of precise memory and intuition to succeed in the puzzle they faced.
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Surprise: The event showcased exciting solutions and unforeseen turns, leaving cubers astonished and motivated.
This event’s judge was Parth Agarwal.
12. Roboknights
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Robo soccer: A thrilling offline competition where wireless robots competed in a football match. Teams of three built two robots to score goals in 3-minute halves, adhering to size and power regulations. This event was Judged by Kshitij Gupta (NSUT),Kushagra Goel,Vibhum Aggarwal
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Mx+C V6.0 Line Following Robot: Teams built autonomous robots for a high-speed line-following race on a specified track. Robots were required to handle acute turns and intersections while following a black line, with strict size and weight constraints.
This event was judged by Arush Bansal and Jasnoor Kaur.
13. ExML
ExML is an exciting event that challenges participants to explore the frontiers of artificial intelligence. In this dynamic competition, teams will face a complex AI-based task that requires not only technical expertise but also strategic thinking and real-time innovation. The problem presented will assess the participants’ abilities to develop intelligent systems capable of adapting to evolving and unpredictable conditions. Performance will be measured based on the technical proficiency of the solutions as well as the creativity and innovation behind them. This ensures that the most inventive and effective systems are recognized and rewarded, making ExML 2024 a premier platform for showcasing AI talent and ingenuity.
This event was judged by Shubhankar Gupta.
14. CyberX
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Code Vanguard
Participants will scan the network for live hosts and vulnerabilities using tools like
Nmap and Netcat. After exploiting weaknesses in services such as FTP or SSH, they’ll
escalate privileges and move laterally within the network. Finally, they’ll create a
report detailing vulnerabilities, exploits.
This event was judged by Dr Monika Bansal
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Phishing Phantom
Participants will receive two pieces of communication: one genuine and one crafted through social engineering tactics. Their task is to identify the deceptive piece and create a PowerPoint presentation outlining their findings and suggested preventive measures.
This event was judged by Dr Monika Bansal
The closing ceremony was set in motion with addresses by the Presidents of Exun Clan, DomainSquare+, RoboKnights, CubXL, and CyberX where they shared their personal experiences related to the clubs. The event concluded with the presentations and distribution of mementoes and awards to the judges and winners respectively. We hope that the club and students continue to grow manifold each year and raise the bar successfully each year.
The winners of the events are as follows-
VIEW GALLERY-DAY 1
VIEW GALLERY-DAY 2
VIEW GALLERY- CLOSING CEREMONY