Media Release
Bengaluru, Mar 10: The Cybernetics Association (UG) and Technophite Association (PG) of the School of IT of St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru hosted SYNTAXIA 2026, a vibrant National Inter-College Technical Fest, on March 2 and 3. Bringing together enthusiastic participants from various colleges, the two-day fest celebrated innovation, creativity, and collaboration through a diverse lineup of competitions, gaming tournaments, and interactive events.
A grand beginning
The fest began with an inauguration ceremony held on March 2nd, graced by Muralidhar Ponnaluri, CEO of the ERA Foundation, as the chief guest. The event was also attended by Fr Denzil Lobo SJ, director of the School of IT; Dr A M Bojamma, dean of the School of IT; Dr B G Prashanthi, associate dean and head of department; Dr Annie Syrien, Cybernetics Association teacher coordinator; and Saranya, Technophite Association teacher coordinator.
The ceremony began with a prayer, followed by the college anthem performed by the choir team and a graceful classical dance performance. The dignitaries, along with Monisha S, president of Cybernetics, and Deemanth, vice president of Technophite, then participated in the traditional lamp lighting ceremony, symbolizing the official commencement of the fest.
Dr Annie Syrien welcomed the gathering and set the tone for the event, after which Fr Denzil Lobo addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of innovation and collaborative learning in the ever-evolving world of technology.
The chief guest, Muralidhar Ponnaluri, was introduced by N C Yashwant, who highlighted his contributions to strengthening the higher education ecosystem through initiatives led by the ERA Foundation and Comedkares. After being felicitated, Ponnaluri shared inspiring insights on leadership, innovation, and the importance of skill development for students in the modern technological landscape.
A key highlight of the inauguration was the official poster reveal and launch of Syntaxia, the flagship segment of the fest. Monisha S and Deemanth then introduced the exciting lineup of competitions that participants could look forward to.
Day 1: Entering the world of Minecraft
This year, the Cybernetics segment of Syntaxia embraced the creative theme of 'Minecraft', inspiring several events that reflected the spirit of exploration, problem-solving, and creativity found in the popular game.
The FlagFest (Capture the Flag) cybersecurity competition attracted 17 teams, who battled through a series of technical challenges to uncover hidden digital flags.
Creativity took center stage in Craft the Scene, a reel-making competition where participants produced short videos inspired by the Minecraft theme, incorporating genres such as romance, action, and mystery.
Another themed event, Mine Your Way Out, placed participants in a Minecraft-inspired escape room filled with puzzles and clues that required teamwork and logical thinking to solve.
Meanwhile, the Business Revival event challenged six teams to develop strategies to revive struggling businesses through innovative ideas and strategic thinking.
For coding enthusiasts, the Coding and Debugging competition provided an intense test of programming skills. The event consisted of two rounds — a debugging round (40% weightage) followed by a coding round (60% weightage).
Day 2: Strategy, knowledge, and competition
The second day continued the excitement with a fresh set of engaging competitions.
In the IPL Auction event, eight teams strategically bid for players to build the strongest possible team. Winners were determined based on the combined ratings of the players acquired during the auction.
The data detective competition saw 13 teams competing in two rounds — a 20-question Kahoot quiz followed by an SQL-based challenge that tested participants’ analytical and database skills.
Another highlight was Steve’s Trial, an IT quiz competition featuring nine teams that tested participants’ knowledge across various domains of information technology.
Anime enthusiasts also found their spotlight in Weeb Wars, where seven teams competed in a 30-question MCQ round followed by a creative “Guess the Connection” round based on visual clues.
Gaming arena
Adding to the excitement were the gaming tournaments that drew enthusiastic participation from esports fans. The BGMI tournament, conducted on February 28th, featured 14 teams competing in squads of four players and a substitute. The Valorant tournament, held on March 3rd, saw 10 teams battling it out in intense matches.
A memorable finale
Syntaxia 2026 concluded with a valedictory ceremony on March 3rd. The ceremony was attended by Fr Denzil Lobo SJ, Dr A M Bojamma, Dr B G Prashanthi, Dr B Nithya, Dr Annie Syrien, and Saranya M.
The event began with lamp lighting, followed by a recap of the fest presented by the public relations heads — Aashika S from Cybernetics and Jonathan from Technophite. A highlight video of the fest, created by Abel Philip Thomas, the Cybernetics social media head, captured memorable moments from the two-day celebration.
The organizing committees were recognized for their dedication before the winners were announced. The overall trophy for the UG category was won by BMS College of Engineering (BMSCE), while the PG overall trophy was secured by Christ (Deemed to be University), Central Campus.
The event concluded on a lively note with a music performance by section D, bringing the celebrations to an energetic close.
Beyond competition
More than just a technical fest, Syntaxia 2026 served as a platform for students to connect, collaborate, and showcase their talents. With its blend of technology, creativity, strategy, and entertainment, the fest successfully created an unforgettable experience for participants and organizers alike.