Celebrating Excellence at the CFTRI GI Mahotsava Hackathon! Students from the School of Public Health, in collaboration with the Department of Nutrition, JSS AHER, made a remarkable impact at the event, where 60 teams submitted innovative projects and only 8 advanced to the grand finale. We are proud that four of these finalist teams were from our institution, with two securing Second Place. Team 1 — Dr. Bindu K. D., Dr. Krishnapriya, Ms. Varshita R., Ms. Vishmitha R., and Ms. Chethana — presented Wellness Forge, a low-GI, Ayurvedic-inspired spread combining regional medicinal herb extracts, Nagpur orange, Marayoor jaggery, and Coorg cardamom to deliver a functional, antioxidant-rich product rooted in local heritage. Team 2 — Dr. Shilpa Y., Dr. Prashanth F. Kamadollil, Dr. Swathi, and Ms. Sanjana Y. K. — introduced FemiSeed, India’s first phase-smart functional laddu crafted with seed-cycling ingredients, Nendran banana powder, and dark chocolate to support menstrual health through clean, regionally grounded functional nutrition. Their creativity, scientific rigour, and commitment to meaningful innovation truly shone on the hackathon platform. Congratulations to all our teams for representing the School of Public Health with excellence and passion—you continue to inspire!