What is INSPIRE AWARDS?
INSPIRE AWARDS is one of the flagship programs conceptualised and developed by the
Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India. DST is successfully
implementing 'Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) scheme
since 2010. The scheme covers students in the age group of 10-32 years and has five
components
(INSPIRE Awards MANAK, INSPIRE Internship, INSPIRE Scholarship, INSPIRE
Fellowship and INSPIRE Faculty). For more details about INSPIRE Internship, INSPIRE
Scholarship, INSPIRE Fellowship and INSPIRE Faculty please click on
www.online-inspire.gov.in
What is INSPIRE AWARDS – MANAK?
The INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge)
is executed by Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India and
National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF) and is aligned with the action plan for
"Start-up India" initiative launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India.
The scheme aims to help build a critical human resource pool for strengthening,
expanding science and technology system, and increasing the research & development
base on the same by inviting students (class 6 to 10) from all government and private
schools throughout the country and enabling them to send their original & creative
technological ideas/innovations on the same.
What is the basic objective of INSPIRE Awards-MANAK?
The basic objective is;
- To motivate students at early age and studying in classes 6 to 10.
- To attract talent, have them exposed to science at an early age and foster a culture
of creative and innovative thinking among school children to address the societal
need through Science and Technology.
- To help towards building a critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding
the science and technology system and increase the research and development base.
How is the scheme beingoperationalised?
- Awareness and capacity building of District, State and School level functionaries
across the country through regional workshops, audio-visual tools and literature.
- Organising internal idea competitions in schools and nominations of two to three
best original ideas, in any Indian language, by the respective Principal/Headmaster
online through E-MIAS (E-Management of INSPIRE Awards MANAK Scheme) portal. The
schools should register themselves on E-MIAS portal.Shortlisting of top 1,00,000
(one lakh) ideas, with potential to address societal needs through Science & Technology
by NIF.
- Disbursement of INSPIRE Award of INR 10,000 into the bank accounts of short-listed
students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme.
- Organisation of District Level Exhibition and Project Competition (DLEPC) by District/State
authorities and shortlisting of 10,000 best ideas/innovations for State Level Exhibition
and Project Competitions (SLEPC).
- Organisation of State Level Exhibition & Project Competition (SLEPC) for further
shortlisting of top 1,000 ideas/innovations for the National Level Exhibition and
Project Competition (NLEPC). At this stage, NIF will provide mentoring support to
students for development of prototypes, in coordination with reputed academic and
technology institutions of the country.
- Selection of ideas/innovations will be based on novelty, social applicability, environment
friendliness, user friendliness and comparative advantage over the existing similar
technologies.
- Showcasing 1,000 best ideas/innovations at the National Level Exhibition & Project
Competition (NLEPC) and shortlisting of top 60 innovations for national awards and
future direction.
- Consideration of top 60 ideas/innovations by NIF for product/process development
and their linkage with other schemes of NIF/DST and their display at the Annual
Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (FINE).
Who can participate?
Individual students (not groups) of class 6 to 10 from all recognized schools, government
or private, aided or unaided, from any National or State Education Board, may submit
their original and innovative ideas in any one of the 22 languages from the 8th
schedule of constitution to their school.
What is the process of idea/innovation submission?
The principal/headmaster of the school will call for submission of ideas in the
form of synopsis from the students of the designated classes and age groups. For
this purpose, an Idea Competition can also be conducted in Schools.
What is an Idea Competition?
The Idea competition can be organized by assembling students and enabling them to
think of an idea/innovation related to:
- machine or a gadget, which is not available but the students desires to have such
a machine or a gadget
- Improvement required in any existing/available machine or gadget, so that it becomes
multi-functional, improves efficiency or output, reduces drudgery etc.
- An ideato solve a local technological problem, which a student may be seeing everyday
around him/her. After the students have thought of idea(s), they may note them down
on a piece of paper and submit it to the Principal/Headmaster/Teacher. The submitted
ideas may be reviewed at the school level and shortlisted ones submitted for INSPIRE
AWARDS-MANAK as per the process described above.
How will the Principal/Headmaster submit the nominations?
All nominations (2-3 most innovative ideas from each school) can be submitted online
by the Headmaster/Principal through E-MIAS (E-Management of INSPIRE Award Scheme)
portal on
www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in.
New schools may also register themselves on this portal.
Registration for all eligible school required every year?
No. School should be registered only once on the E-MIAS portal after that they will
be able to nominate their students every year.New schools may also register themselves
on this portal.
How new school can registered themselves on E-MIAS Portal?
Kindly follow the below mentioned guideline for the new registration.
How registered school can recover their User ID and Password? If forgotten?
If school have forgotten or lost their LOGIN ID, Password, Application ID and registered
email id, kindly follow these steps.
The competition period:
For nomination date and any other update please visit on E-MIAS website.
What kind of submissions are invited under INSPIRE AWARDS – MANAK?
Original and creative technological ideas/innovations of students that solve any
daily problem, be it household or for farmers, porters, labourers, society or the
like. Children may be urged to look around for common problems and come up with
solutions on their own.
Are any photos, videos, sketches of the idea/innovation required?
Yes, if available. These would help the reviewers to properly understand and evaluate
the submission.
Things to be taken care of while nominating student ideas
- All fields have to be filled properly and carefully on the E-MIAS portal.
- The personal and bank account details of the student (including IFSC code and account
number) should be rechecked.
- Student name and Name in Bank account should matchexactly
- In the title of the project, a suitable title describing the project should be given
(for example “A device to climb Areca nut trees”, “An assistive walking aid for
the elderly”, etc.) and not a broad theme like Agriculture, Swatcha Bharat, Swastha
Bharat, Digital India, etc.
- In the Summary of the project, the following points need to be included – what is
the project about, what problem it addresses, and what the advantage is. Please
see the example below
Title of the Project: Travelling bag with folding seats
Project Summary: Many a times travellers have to stand while waiting for a bus or
train at the bus/train station as the number of seats available are few. The student
has developed a travelling bag where a folding seat has been incorporated. This
can be unfolded and used for sitting while waiting for the bus/train thereby eliminating
the discomfort while standing for long time. It will be especially useful for ladies
and elderly.
- Other documents, if available, may be uploaded.
For more details please click on the following link
http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/download/manual/Title-Project-Synopsis-Eng.pdf
When will the awards be announced and given?
- Processing of the nominations and disbursements of funds in August.
- Organisations of DLEPC in September
- Organisations of SLEPC in October
- Organisations of NLEPC 1ST Week of December
- Display of top 60 ideas/innovations at the Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship
(FINE) in next year March month
How will the award money be disbursed?
Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme in student’s bank accounts. Hence name
of student and name in bank account should be properly matched. If student does
not have a bank account, a new individual account or a joint account with one of
the parent may be opened. This may be done before the submission of nomination details
so that correct details are entered in the nomination form.
What kinds of submissions are not encouraged?
As the aim of this scheme is to promote original and innovative thinking among school students, common ideas/concepts of textbooks/others, which includes: energy generator, generation of electricity through turbines/waste batteries/ dung/ transport/ wave etc. rain water harvesting; earthquake; soil erosion; water level indicator; alarms-burglar alarms, gas alarms, fire alarms etc; vermicompost/vermin wash; letter box farm; conversion of wind energy, solar energy to electricity; hydraulic lift; drip irrigation; vacuum cleaner; RFID and sensor based readymade projects; automatic on/off of street light; smart city; essay on topics; demonstration of volcanic eruption; food adulteration; carbon cycle/ water cycle; food chain; eco system; photosynthesis; zoo model; kitchen garden; model on human body parts; solar system; planet; earth movement; general methods of water filtration; self-watering system for plants, etc. may also NOT submitted.
Children should be encouraged to come up with creative ideas on their own. Parents or teachers may propose a problem to the child or help in converting his/her idea into a prototype/model but NOT suggest the idea themselves. The teachers may also look up the web link below to check if the projects being developed by their wards have been not recognized already. This will help ensure originality and maintain the standard of the competition.(
http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov,in/UserP/inspire-downloads.aspx)
What should the principals and jury members bear in mind while selecting ideas/innovations?
The degree of novelty of the idea, its social applicability, environmental implications,
potential impact, scope for diffusion through commercial and/or non-commercial channels,
relevance to existing government schemes etc. may be considered.
Guidelines for the Selection Procedure
The student idea/innovation nominated by the school authorities through the E-MIAS portal and those selected at District/ State/ National level are evaluated independently by jury members based on pre-defined criteria of evaluation viz. Degree of Novelty, Solving Existing Problem, Social Applicability, Cost-Effectiveness/ Scope of Diffusion, Relevance in Current Govt. Schemes. The average of the individual markings of jury members is used to calculate the final score of idea/innovation, based on which the decision to shortlist the idea/innovation (or not) for the next level is taken.
Re-evaluation Policy
The decision of the independent expert jury members, at all levels of the evaluation process, is final and binding. No communication about the re-evaluation/re-checking of results will be entertained by District/ State/ National Authorities.
Under the INSPIRE Award Scheme, how is award money is to be utilized by Awardees?
Award money includes cost of making a project / model as well as cost of bringing
the project / model at District level Centre for Exhibition / Display Competition.
How to update U-DISE Code on the E-MIAS portal?
To know about the process of U-DISE implementation, please click on the following
link (
http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/download/Guideline-U-DISE-Code.pdf)
How to download the certificate of selected student from the E-MIAS Portal?
How to know the project title of awardees?
What is the web address of the Department of Science & Technology from where information
about the INSPIRE can be obtained?