BUG: README and CONTRIBUTING reference missing requirements.txt file

[sonal-jakhar]

Description

The repository setup instructions in both README.md and CONTRIBUTING.md reference a requirements.txt file for dependency installation:

pip install -r requirements.txt

However, the requirements.txt file is not present in the repository root, causing the installation step to fail for new contributors.

To Reproduce

1. Clone the repository.
2. Navigate to the project root directory.
3. Run:

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Observe the error:

ERROR: Could not open requirements file: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'requirements.txt'

Expected Behavior

A valid requirements.txt file should exist in the repository root, or the installation instructions should be updated to reflect the correct dependency installation process.

Actual Behavior

The setup instructions reference a file that does not exist, preventing contributors from following the documented installation steps successfully.

Impact

• New contributors cannot complete setup using the documented instructions.
• Creates confusion during onboarding.
• Increases the likelihood of dependency-related setup issues.

Checklist

• I have checked existing issues before creating this one

Additional Context

The issue was observed while following the installation steps provided in both README.md and CONTRIBUTING.md.

[sonal-jakhar]

Hi @thetechguardians, I would like to work on this issue under SSOC'26. Kindly assign it to me.