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Privathon 2026: Exploring Privacy from Every Angle
On 30 January 2026, Privathon 2026 was held at the Symbiosis Centre for Information Technology (SCIT), at the SIC Auditorium, as part of Data Privacy Week, organized by Team Matrix. The event began with the hosts welcoming the guests, followed by a ceremonial lamp lighting seeking the blessings of Goddess Saraswati. The lamp was lit by the invited speakers, along with Dr. Kanchan Patil, Deputy Director, SCIT, and Dr. Vidyavati H. Ramteke, Assistant Professor, SCIT.
Addressing the audience, Dr. Kanchan Patil appreciated Team Matrix and Faculty Mentor Dr. Vidyavati H. Ramteke and emphasized the importance of privacy awareness for students. The theme, Privacy Spectrum: See Privacy from Every Angle, was then revealed, highlighting the broad and evolving scope of data privacy.
The opening talk was delivered by Mrs. Shrilaxmi, Counsel Privacy & Data Protection, Mastercard, who spoke about privacy as a strategic responsibility rather than just a compliance requirement. She explained key concepts such as Privacy by Design, Privacy Impact Assessment, and Data Protection Impact Assessment through practical examples. After an engaging Q&A, she was felicitated by Dr. Dhanya Pramod, Director, SCIT. The event also featured energetic performances by Team Symbeats, an interactive online game Traverse, conducted by Team Matrix, and a musical performance by Team Konnect.
The discussion then continued with Ms. Isha Oswal, Co-Founder & CEO, JISA Softech, who spoke on data architecture and cryptographic controls, stressing that encryption alone is not sufficient. She highlighted secure data handling practices, hardware security modules, and common implementation gaps. Following the Q&A, she was felicitated by Dr. Vidyavati H. Ramteke. A thought-provoking performance by Team Eklavya followed, along with the announcement of winners for Faisala Unlocked, Level Up, and Traverse. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Vidyavati H. Ramteke, reinforcing Privathon as a valuable annual learning initiative.