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

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.

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.

• 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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kindly follow the below mentioned guideline for the new registration.

• Go to website - http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in.
• Click on School Authority and do ONE TIME Registration (http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/UserP/school-registration.aspx?view=vwSearchExistingForm).
• After Registration you will get Application Number and when District Authority will approve, you will get User Id and Password.
• Now go to School Authority and Login. (http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/UserC/login.aspx?to=1)

If school have forgotten or lost their LOGIN ID, Password, Application ID and registered email id, kindly follow these steps.

• Click on the following link http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/UserP/Contact-detailsAtPublicDomain.aspx and check Application code and registered email ID.
• After getting Application number and registered email please click on School Authority in Authorised Login section. To retrieve password please click on forgot password section (http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/UserP/ForgetPwd.aspx?to=1) and fill the Application and Captcha.
• Once you reset the password, you will receive User Id and Password link to generate new password on your registered email id. Please check your spam folder for the email too.
• If your registered email id is not valid and you wants to change it, please send a request email on inspire@nifindia.org along with Application No., State, District, Sub district, school name, old and new email id.
  
  For more details please click on the following link.
  
  http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/download/manual/Recover-User%20ID-Password-Eng.pdf
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=dePsf8TIyL0

For nomination date and any other update please visit on E-MIAS website.

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.

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

• 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

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.

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)

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.

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.

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)

To know about the process, please click on the following link (http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/download/guidelines-certificate-download.pdf)

To know about the process, please click on the following link (http://www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in/download/guidelines-to-project-nominated.pdf)

www.dst.gov.in