Undergraduate Forum

Undergraduate Forum is being organized at COMSNETS 2026 to recognize the contribution of undergraduate students in the COMSNETS ecosystem. Built on the same lines as the Graduate Forum, it aims to provide a platform for undergraduate students and recently graduated professionals to showcase early research and get feedback from experienced researchers in the field. It will provide the attendees an opportunity to interact, receive career advice and build collaborations with other peers and leading researchers.

Accepted papers in the main conference lead-authored by an undergraduate student or recent graduate (2025 or later) would automatically be considered for presentation in the undergraduate forum as well.

Best Paper Award

Best “Undergraduate Forum Paper Award” will be awarded based on the presentations by a panel of judges.

Topics of Interest

The topics of interest include (but not limited to) the following:

📡 Wireless Communications
5G, 6G, wireless broadband, and spectrum technologies. Including WLAN, RFID, NFC, cognitive radio, localization and sensing, CubeSats, and satellite networking.
🖥️ Data Center & Edge Computing
Enterprise networking, data centers, edge and cloud computing integration, and multimedia networking innovations.
🌱 Green Networking
Network sustainability, economics, and energy efficiency in communication networks.
🔬 Datasets, Benchmarks, and Testbeds
Highlighting the foundational role of datasets, benchmarks, and testbeds in networking research for experimentation and validation.

🌐 Network Architecture & Operations
Network architecture, traffic management, caching, content delivery systems, SDN/NFV, internet measurement, and web technologies.
🚗 Mobility & IoT
Mobile network management, mobile sensing, vehicular networks, Internet of Things (IoT), and smart grid communications.
🔒 Blockchain & Security
Network security, privacy, trusted computing, and the application of blockchain and distributed ledger technology.
🛠️ Semiconductors and Digital Communication
Semiconductor advancements in inter- and intra-chip communication, peripheral interfaces (PCIe, USB, etc.), and network-on-chip (NoC) systems.

Program Schedule

Session 1: Keynote & Presentations (2:00 PM - 3:30 PM)

2:00 PM - 2:40 PM

Keynote Talk

Prof. Bhaskar Raman, IIT Bombay

Duration: 30 Min Talk + 10 Min Q&A

2:40 PM - 3:30 PM

Paper Presentations

8 Min Presentation + 2 Min Q&A each

Zero-Trust Stealth Authentication for Networked Systems via Port Knocking and TLS Fingerprinting
A mechanism for TCP-aware adaptive management of queues in Internet routers
RFSoC-Based Integrated Navigation and Sensing Using NavIC
Curiosity-Driven Deep-RL for Adaptive Handover Optimization in O-RAN on the NH-47 Corridor
Proactive Self-Aware Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Resource Management in NR-V2X Platooning

☕ Tea Break (3:30 PM - 4:00 PM)

Session 2: Panel & Mentorship (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM)

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Panel Discussion / Mentorship Session

Panelists:

Prof. Bhaskar Raman, Dr. Vijay Gabale, Dr. Ranjita Bhagwan, Mr. Sanjay Tiwari, Dr. Nishanth Chandran
Moderator: Mrunmayi Bhalerao

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Bhaskar Raman

IIT Bombay, India

Critical Thinking in the Age of Tech-Aided Groupthink

Abstract:

The human brain has evolved over millions of years during which thinking independently, or away from the group, meant almost certain death. So groupthink as a psychological phenomenon is deeply wired through Darwinian selection. Independent or critical thinking is a fairly recent phenomenon, but one more suited to a civilized society, as well as scientific research. However, throughout human civilization, there are several examples of societal level groupthink, which seem absurd only in retrospect – this talk will present a few such examples. In today’s technology driven world, unfortunately some significant pieces of technology have come to aid and fan groupthink, even at the global level – namely social media and artificial intelligence. Some of this aided groupthink has been through intentional design too. The talk aims to provide food-for-thought for students starting in their technical career: How does one navigate through such technology while still maintaining and nourishing critical thinking? How can we as a society become aware of and reduce the ill-effects of such tech-aided groupthink? What are our responsibilities as those who develop and drive technology?