Academic Initiatives

Google Lakecity Hackathon 2026: Driving Innovation & Heritage Preservation

The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF), in collaboration with Google Developer Group (GDG) Cloud Udaipur, successfully hosted the Google Lakecity Hackathon 2026, culminating with an exciting offline final round in Udaipur on 29th March 2026. The hackathon brought together talented teams to design practical tech solutions leveraging Google Cloud and Gemini AI, with an emphasis on applying modern tools to local challenges and heritage preservation. Open to teams of one to three members, the competition began with online registrations and idea submissions (pitch decks) by January 30, 2026. Shortlisted teams advanced to the offline finals held in late March, where they presented working prototypes and demos. Competing teams vied for a prize pool exceeding ₹1,00,000, including Lenovo laptops, Google Pixel devices, and cash awards.

Projects addressed six core tracks: Smart Cities (urban mobility, safety, sustainability), AI Healthcare (wellness and predictive care), MSME Automation (intelligent marketing and finance agents), Climate Tech (ecological monitoring and lake ecosystem conservation), Culture Tech (tools for preserving Udaipur's history and heritage), and Open Innovation (experimental deep-tech projects). Across these themes, participants showcased creative uses of Google Cloud services, Gemini APIs, and Google AI to propose solutions with real world impact. The Google Lakecity Hackathon 2026 highlighted MMCF's commitment to fostering technology-driven community solutions that respect and preserve local culture and the environment, while giving young innovators a platform to scale their ideas.

Participants at the Google LakeCity Hackathon 2026, held at City Palace, Udaipur

Echoes in Wood: Students Discover West African Ritual Heritage at City Palace Museum

The recent exhibition "Echoes: A Ceremonial Heritage in Wood" at Chota Darikhana, The City Palace Museum, Udaipur, offered students a unique opportunity to experience culture and history beyond the classroom. The exhibition showcased over 60 ritual objects from West Africa, presenting the rich artistic traditions and heritage of Benin, Togo, and Nigeria.

Curated by Mr. Philippe Charlier and supported by the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Alliance Francaise Jaipur, the Embassy of France in India, and the French Institute in India, "Echoes" fostered meaningful cultural dialogue through art and heritage.

Students from Meera Girls College visited the exhibition on 13th March 2026, followed by Heritage Girls School on 29th March 2026 and Neerja Modi School on 8th April 2026. Their visits underscored how museums make learning more engaging, immersive, and meaningful through firsthand cultural experiences - bringing history alive and inspiring young minds to connect with global traditions.

Students of Meera Girls College at The City Palace Museum, Udaipur

Students of Heritage Girls School at The City Palace Museum, Udaipur

Students of Neerja Modi School at The City Palace Museum, Udaipur