diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 0135353..5e9f7b0 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
 NODE_ENV=development
 PORT=5000
+
+# MongoDB Connection String
+# For local MongoDB (if installed):
+# MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/intel-iot-club
+
+# For MongoDB Atlas (cloud):
+# MONGO_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/intel-iot-club?retryWrites=true&w=majority
+# Make sure to:
+# 1. Replace 'username' and 'password' with your actual credentials
+# 2. Replace 'cluster' with your actual cluster name
+# 3. Whitelist your IP in MongoDB Atlas Network Access (or use 0.0.0.0/0 for testing)
+
 MONGO_URI=your-mongodb-uri-here
diff --git a/config/db.js b/config/db.js
index ece84e9..d2f43f0 100644
--- a/config/db.js
+++ b/config/db.js
@@ -3,12 +3,44 @@ import mongoose from 'mongoose';
 import { ENV } from './env.js';
 
 export async function connectDB() {
+  // Check if using local MongoDB or Atlas
+  const isLocalMongo = ENV.MONGO_URI.includes('localhost') || ENV.MONGO_URI.includes('127.0.0.1');
+
   try {
-    const conn = await mongoose.connect(ENV.MONGO_URI);
+    // MongoDB connection options
+    const options = {
+      retryWrites: true,
+      w: 'majority',
+      serverSelectionTimeoutMS: 10000,
+      socketTimeoutMS: 45000,
+    };
+
+    // For Atlas connections, try with explicit TLS settings
+    if (!isLocalMongo) {
+      // Try to disable strict SSL verification (development only)
+      options.tls = true;
+      options.tlsAllowInvalidCertificates = true;
+      options.tlsAllowInvalidHostnames = true;
+    }
+
+    console.log('🔄 Connecting to MongoDB...');
+    const conn = await mongoose.connect(ENV.MONGO_URI, options);
     console.log(`✅ MongoDB connected: ${conn.connection.host}`);
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('❌ MongoDB connection failed:', err.message);
-    // Optional: retry logic/backoff could go here for production
+    console.error('\n📋 Troubleshooting steps:');
+    console.error('1. Verify your MONGO_URI in .env file');
+    console.error('2. Ensure your IP is whitelisted in MongoDB Atlas (Network Access)');
+    console.error('3. Check if your connection string uses mongodb+srv:// format');
+    console.error('4. Verify your MongoDB Atlas username/password are correct');
+    console.error('5. Try using 0.0.0.0/0 in Network Access for testing\n');
+
+    if (err.message.includes('SSL') || err.message.includes('TLS')) {
+      console.error('⚠️  SSL/TLS Error detected. This usually means:');
+      console.error('   - Your IP address is not whitelisted in MongoDB Atlas');
+      console.error('   - Or there\'s a network/firewall issue\n');
+    }
+
     process.exit(1);
   }
 }
diff --git a/controllers/eventController.js b/controllers/eventController.js
index ff05ac6..d201846 100644
--- a/controllers/eventController.js
+++ b/controllers/eventController.js
@@ -2,37 +2,37 @@ import Event from '../models/Event.js';
 
 // Get all events
 export const getEvent = async (req, res) => {
-    try {
-        const events = await Event.find().sort({ date: -1 }); // ← sort by date DESCENDING
-        if(!events || events.length === 0) {
-          return res.status(404).json({ message: 'No events found' });}
-        res.status(200).json(events);
-      } catch (error) {
-        res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error fetching events', error: error.message });
-      }
+  try {
+    const events = await Event.find().sort({ date: -1 }); // ← sort by date DESCENDING
+    // Return empty array if no events, not a 404
+    res.status(200).json(events);
+  } catch (error) {
+    res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error fetching events', error: error.message });
+  }
 };
 
 //Add a new event
 export const addEvent = async (req, res) => {
-      try{
-        const newEvent = new Event(req.body);
-        await newEvent.save();
-        if(!newEvent) {
-          return res.status(400).json({ message: 'Error adding event' });
-        }
-        res.status(201).json({ message: 'Event added successfully' });}
-      catch (err) {
-        res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error adding event', error: err });
-      }
+  try {
+    const newEvent = new Event(req.body);
+    await newEvent.save();
+    if (!newEvent) {
+      return res.status(400).json({ message: 'Error adding event' });
+    }
+    res.status(201).json({ message: 'Event added successfully' });
+  }
+  catch (err) {
+    res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error adding event', error: err });
+  }
 };
 
 
 //Edit a specific event 
-export const editEvent = async(req, res) => {
-    try {
-        const updatedEvent = await Event.findByIdAndUpdate(req.params.id, req.body, { new: true });
-        if (!updatedEvent) return res.status(404).json({ message: 'Event not found' });
-        res.json({ message: 'Event updated successfully', event: updatedEvent });
+export const editEvent = async (req, res) => {
+  try {
+    const updatedEvent = await Event.findByIdAndUpdate(req.params.id, req.body, { new: true });
+    if (!updatedEvent) return res.status(404).json({ message: 'Event not found' });
+    res.json({ message: 'Event updated successfully', event: updatedEvent });
   } catch (err) {
     res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error updating event', error: err });
   }
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ export const editEvent = async(req, res) => {
 
 //Delete a specific event
 export const deleteEvent = async (req, res) => {
-    try {
-        const deletedEvent = await Event.findByIdAndDelete(req.params.id);
-        if (!deletedEvent) return res.status(404).json({ message: 'Event not found' });
-        res.json({ message: 'Event deleted successfully' });
-      } catch (err) {
-        res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error deleting event', error: err });
-      }
+  try {
+    const deletedEvent = await Event.findByIdAndDelete(req.params.id);
+    if (!deletedEvent) return res.status(404).json({ message: 'Event not found' });
+    res.json({ message: 'Event deleted successfully' });
+  } catch (err) {
+    res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error deleting event', error: err });
+  }
 };
 
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export const searchEvents = async (req, res) => {
 
     const events = await Event.find({
       name: { $regex: title, $options: 'i' }  // case-insensitive search
-    }).sort({date:-1});
+    }).sort({ date: -1 });
 
     if (events.length === 0) {
       return res.status(404).json({ message: 'No events found matching the title' });
diff --git a/controllers/membersController.js b/controllers/membersController.js
index 10cf87a..5a49022 100644
--- a/controllers/membersController.js
+++ b/controllers/membersController.js
@@ -3,31 +3,29 @@ import Member from "../models/Member.js"
 //Get all members
 export const getMember = async (req, res) => {
   try {
-      const members = await Member.find();
-      if(!members || members.length === 0) {
-          return res.status(404).json({ message: 'No members found' });
-      }
-      res.status(200).json(members);
+    const members = await Member.find();
+    // Return empty array if no members, not a 404
+    res.status(200).json(members);
   } catch (err) {
-      res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error fetching members', error: err.message });
+    res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error fetching members', error: err.message });
   }
 }
 
 // Add a new member
 export const addMember = async (req, res) => {
   try {
-      const newMember = new Member(req.body);
-      await newMember.save();
-      res.status(201).json({ message: 'Member added successfully' });
+    const newMember = new Member(req.body);
+    await newMember.save();
+    res.status(201).json({ message: 'Member added successfully' });
   } catch (err) {
-      res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error adding member', error: err.message });
+    res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error adding member', error: err.message });
   }
 }
 
 
 // Edit a member
 export const editMember = async (req, res) => {
-    try {
+  try {
     const updatedMember = await Member.findByIdAndUpdate(req.params.id, req.body, { new: true });
     if (!updatedMember) return res.status(404).json({ message: 'Member not found' });
     res.json({ message: 'Member updated successfully', member: updatedMember });
@@ -38,11 +36,11 @@ export const editMember = async (req, res) => {
 
 // Delete a member
 export const deleteMember = async (req, res) => {
-      try {
-        const deletedMember = await Member.findByIdAndDelete(req.params.id);
-        if (!deletedMember) return res.status(404).json({ message: 'Member not found' });
-        res.json({ message: 'Member deleted successfully' });
-      } catch (err) {
-        res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error deleting member', error: err });
-      }
+  try {
+    const deletedMember = await Member.findByIdAndDelete(req.params.id);
+    if (!deletedMember) return res.status(404).json({ message: 'Member not found' });
+    res.json({ message: 'Member deleted successfully' });
+  } catch (err) {
+    res.status(500).json({ message: 'Error deleting member', error: err });
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4220842..c8e4abb 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "node server.js",
-    "dev": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development nodemon server.js"
+    "dev": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development nodemon server.js",
+    "seed": "node scripts/seedDatabase.js"
   },
   "keywords": [
     "express",
@@ -22,7 +23,9 @@
     "cors": "^2.8.5",
     "dotenv": "^16.4.7",
     "express": "^4.21.2",
-    "mongoose": "^8.9.0"
+    "mongodb": "^7.0.0",
+    "mongoose": "^8.9.0",
+    "nodemailer": "^7.0.12"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "cross-env": "^10.1.0",
@@ -31,4 +34,4 @@
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=18.0.0"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/seedDatabase.js b/scripts/seedDatabase.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8613f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/seedDatabase.js
@@ -0,0 +1,258 @@
+import mongoose from 'mongoose';
+import { ENV } from '../config/env.js';
+import Event from '../models/Event.js';
+import Project from '../models/Project.js';
+import Member from '../models/Member.js';
+import Timeline_events from '../models/Timeline_Events.js';
+
+// Sample Events
+const sampleEvents = [
+    {
+        name: "IoT Workshop: Getting Started with Arduino",
+        date: "2024-02-15",
+        time: "10:00 AM - 2:00 PM",
+        location: "Tech Lab, Building A",
+        description: "Learn the basics of IoT development with Arduino. Hands-on workshop covering sensors, actuators, and basic programming.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518770660439-4636190af475?w=800"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Smart Home Automation Hackathon",
+        date: "2024-03-20",
+        time: "9:00 AM - 6:00 PM",
+        location: "Innovation Center",
+        description: "24-hour hackathon focused on building smart home solutions using IoT devices and cloud platforms.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1558002038-1055907df827?w=800"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Guest Lecture: Future of IoT in Healthcare",
+        date: "2024-04-10",
+        time: "3:00 PM - 5:00 PM",
+        location: "Auditorium Hall",
+        description: "Industry expert discusses the transformative role of IoT in modern healthcare systems and medical devices.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1576091160399-112ba8d25d1d?w=800"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Raspberry Pi Project Showcase",
+        date: "2024-05-05",
+        time: "11:00 AM - 4:00 PM",
+        location: "Exhibition Hall",
+        description: "Students showcase their innovative Raspberry Pi projects ranging from home automation to robotics.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1553406830-ef2513450d76?w=800"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "IoT Security Workshop",
+        date: "2024-06-12",
+        time: "2:00 PM - 5:00 PM",
+        location: "Cyber Security Lab",
+        description: "Learn about security challenges in IoT and best practices for securing connected devices.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1563986768609-322da13575f3?w=800"
+    }
+];
+
+// Sample Projects
+const sampleProjects = [
+    {
+        title: "Smart Irrigation System",
+        description: "An IoT-based automated irrigation system using soil moisture sensors and weather API integration to optimize water usage in agriculture.",
+        tags: ["IoT", "Arduino", "Sensors", "Agriculture"],
+        github: "https://github.com/intel-iot-club/smart-irrigation",
+        demo: "https://smart-irrigation-demo.netlify.app"
+    },
+    {
+        title: "Home Energy Monitor",
+        description: "Real-time energy consumption monitoring system with mobile app integration for tracking and reducing household electricity usage.",
+        tags: ["ESP32", "Energy", "Mobile App", "Cloud"],
+        github: "https://github.com/intel-iot-club/energy-monitor",
+        demo: "https://energy-monitor-demo.netlify.app"
+    },
+    {
+        title: "Air Quality Tracker",
+        description: "Multi-sensor air quality monitoring device that tracks PM2.5, CO2, temperature, and humidity with data visualization dashboard.",
+        tags: ["Raspberry Pi", "Sensors", "Data Viz", "Health"],
+        github: "https://github.com/intel-iot-club/air-quality",
+        demo: "https://air-quality-demo.netlify.app"
+    },
+    {
+        title: "Smart Parking System",
+        description: "Ultrasonic sensor-based parking slot detection system with real-time availability updates via web and mobile interfaces.",
+        tags: ["IoT", "Ultrasonic", "Web App", "Smart City"],
+        github: "https://github.com/intel-iot-club/smart-parking",
+        demo: "https://smart-parking-demo.netlify.app"
+    },
+    {
+        title: "Automated Plant Care",
+        description: "Intelligent plant monitoring system that automatically waters plants based on soil moisture and provides growth analytics.",
+        tags: ["Arduino", "Automation", "ML", "Agriculture"],
+        github: "https://github.com/intel-iot-club/plant-care",
+        demo: "https://plant-care-demo.netlify.app"
+    }
+];
+
+// Sample Members
+const sampleMembers = [
+    {
+        name: "Rajesh Kumar",
+        role: ["President", "Core Team"],
+        bio: "Passionate about IoT and embedded systems. Leading the club towards innovation in smart technology.",
+        image: "https://i.pravatar.cc/300?img=12",
+        github: "https://github.com/rajeshkumar",
+        linkedin: "https://linkedin.com/in/rajeshkumar",
+        email: "rajesh@example.com"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Priya Sharma",
+        role: ["Vice President", "Core Team"],
+        bio: "IoT enthusiast with expertise in cloud platforms and data analytics. Focused on building scalable IoT solutions.",
+        image: "https://i.pravatar.cc/300?img=45",
+        github: "https://github.com/priyasharma",
+        linkedin: "https://linkedin.com/in/priyasharma",
+        email: "priya@example.com"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Arjun Patel",
+        role: ["Technical Lead", "Core Team"],
+        bio: "Hardware hacker and maker. Specializes in Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and sensor integration.",
+        image: "https://i.pravatar.cc/300?img=33",
+        github: "https://github.com/arjunpatel",
+        linkedin: "https://linkedin.com/in/arjunpatel",
+        email: "arjun@example.com"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Sneha Reddy",
+        role: ["Events Coordinator", "Core Team"],
+        bio: "Organizing workshops and hackathons to spread IoT knowledge. Passionate about community building.",
+        image: "https://i.pravatar.cc/300?img=47",
+        github: "https://github.com/snehareddy",
+        linkedin: "https://linkedin.com/in/snehareddy",
+        email: "sneha@example.com"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Vikram Singh",
+        role: ["Member"],
+        bio: "Working on smart home automation projects. Interested in ESP32 and home assistant integration.",
+        image: "https://i.pravatar.cc/300?img=15",
+        github: "https://github.com/vikramsingh",
+        linkedin: "https://linkedin.com/in/vikramsingh",
+        email: "vikram@example.com"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Ananya Iyer",
+        role: ["Member"],
+        bio: "Exploring IoT applications in healthcare. Building wearable health monitoring devices.",
+        image: "https://i.pravatar.cc/300?img=48",
+        github: "https://github.com/ananyaiyer",
+        linkedin: "https://linkedin.com/in/ananyaiyer",
+        email: "ananya@example.com"
+    }
+];
+
+// Sample Timeline Events
+const sampleTimeline = [
+    {
+        title: "Club Foundation",
+        date: new Date("2020-08-15"),
+        description: "Intel IoT Club was officially established at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham with 15 founding members.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1511578314322-379afb476865?w=800",
+        isFirst: true
+    },
+    {
+        title: "First Workshop",
+        date: new Date("2020-10-20"),
+        description: "Conducted our first Arduino workshop with over 50 participants learning the basics of IoT development.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1517245386807-bb43f82c33c4?w=800",
+        isFirst: false
+    },
+    {
+        title: "Smart City Hackathon",
+        date: new Date("2021-03-15"),
+        description: "Organized a 24-hour hackathon focused on smart city solutions, with 20 teams participating.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1504384308090-c894fdcc538d?w=800",
+        isFirst: false
+    },
+    {
+        title: "Industry Partnership",
+        date: new Date("2022-01-10"),
+        description: "Partnered with leading IoT companies for mentorship and project collaboration opportunities.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1556761175-b413da4baf72?w=800",
+        isFirst: false
+    },
+    {
+        title: "100+ Members Milestone",
+        date: new Date("2023-06-01"),
+        description: "Reached 100+ active members, making us one of the largest technical clubs on campus.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1523580494863-6f3031224c94?w=800",
+        isFirst: false
+    }
+];
+
+async function connectWithRetry(maxRetries = 3) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
+        try {
+            console.log(`🔄 Connection attempt ${i + 1}/${maxRetries}...`);
+
+            const options = {
+                retryWrites: true,
+                w: 'majority',
+                serverSelectionTimeoutMS: 10000,
+                socketTimeoutMS: 45000,
+                tls: true,
+                tlsAllowInvalidCertificates: true,
+                tlsAllowInvalidHostnames: true,
+            };
+
+            await mongoose.connect(ENV.MONGO_URI, options);
+            console.log('✅ Connected to MongoDB\n');
+            return true;
+        } catch (error) {
+            console.error(`❌ Connection attempt ${i + 1} failed:`, error.message);
+            if (i < maxRetries - 1) {
+                console.log('⏳ Waiting 2 seconds before retry...\n');
+                await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    throw new Error('Failed to connect after multiple attempts');
+}
+
+async function seedDatabase() {
+    try {
+        // Connect to MongoDB with retry
+        await connectWithRetry();
+
+        // Clear existing data
+        console.log('🗑️  Clearing existing data...');
+        await Event.deleteMany({});
+        await Project.deleteMany({});
+        await Member.deleteMany({});
+        await Timeline_events.deleteMany({});
+        console.log('✅ Cleared all collections\n');
+
+        // Insert sample data
+        console.log('📝 Inserting sample data...\n');
+
+        await Event.insertMany(sampleEvents);
+        console.log(`✅ Added ${sampleEvents.length} events`);
+
+        await Project.insertMany(sampleProjects);
+        console.log(`✅ Added ${sampleProjects.length} projects`);
+
+        await Member.insertMany(sampleMembers);
+        console.log(`✅ Added ${sampleMembers.length} members`);
+
+        await Timeline_events.insertMany(sampleTimeline);
+        console.log(`✅ Added ${sampleTimeline.length} timeline events`);
+
+        console.log('\n🎉 Database seeded successfully!');
+
+        // Close connection
+        await mongoose.connection.close();
+        console.log('✅ Connection closed');
+
+        process.exit(0);
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('❌ Error seeding database:', error.message);
+        process.exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
+seedDatabase();
diff --git a/scripts/seedEvents.js b/scripts/seedEvents.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a9cd49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/seedEvents.js
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import mongoose from 'mongoose';
+import { ENV } from '../config/env.js';
+import Event from '../models/Event.js';
+
+const sampleEvents = [
+    {
+        name: "IoT Workshop: Getting Started with Arduino",
+        date: "2024-02-15",
+        time: "10:00 AM - 2:00 PM",
+        location: "Tech Lab, Building A",
+        description: "Learn the basics of IoT development with Arduino. Hands-on workshop covering sensors, actuators, and basic programming.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518770660439-4636190af475?w=800"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Smart Home Automation Hackathon",
+        date: "2024-03-20",
+        time: "9:00 AM - 6:00 PM",
+        location: "Innovation Center",
+        description: "24-hour hackathon focused on building smart home solutions using IoT devices and cloud platforms.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1558002038-1055907df827?w=800"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Guest Lecture: Future of IoT in Healthcare",
+        date: "2024-04-10",
+        time: "3:00 PM - 5:00 PM",
+        location: "Auditorium Hall",
+        description: "Industry expert discusses the transformative role of IoT in modern healthcare systems and medical devices.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1576091160399-112ba8d25d1d?w=800"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "Raspberry Pi Project Showcase",
+        date: "2024-05-05",
+        time: "11:00 AM - 4:00 PM",
+        location: "Exhibition Hall",
+        description: "Students showcase their innovative Raspberry Pi projects ranging from home automation to robotics.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1553406830-ef2513450d76?w=800"
+    },
+    {
+        name: "IoT Security Workshop",
+        date: "2024-06-12",
+        time: "2:00 PM - 5:00 PM",
+        location: "Cyber Security Lab",
+        description: "Learn about security challenges in IoT and best practices for securing connected devices.",
+        image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1563986768609-322da13575f3?w=800"
+    }
+];
+
+async function seedDatabase() {
+    try {
+        // Connect to MongoDB
+        await mongoose.connect(ENV.MONGO_URI);
+        console.log('✅ Connected to MongoDB');
+
+        // Clear existing events
+        await Event.deleteMany({});
+        console.log('🗑️  Cleared existing events');
+
+        // Insert sample events
+        await Event.insertMany(sampleEvents);
+        console.log(`✅ Added ${sampleEvents.length} sample events`);
+
+        console.log('\n📋 Sample events added:');
+        sampleEvents.forEach((event, index) => {
+            console.log(`${index + 1}. ${event.name} - ${event.date}`);
+        });
+
+        process.exit(0);
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('❌ Error seeding database:', error);
+        process.exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
+seedDatabase();