Team size
Minimum 3, maximum 4 students. Solo entries and pairs are not accepted — fieldwork, evidence collection and collaborative thinking need a shared workload.
Guideline 01
Who can participate, and what to know before you begin.
This competition is open to school students in Classes 7 to 12 — young people who are curious about the world around them and willing to step out, observe civic problems, and think about solutions.
Eligibility at a glance
The essentials in one table. If your team fits every row here, you can take part.
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Class / Grade | Classes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 (academic year 2026–27) |
| School type | All schools are eligible — government, private, aided, central (KV/NV), international boards, open schooling |
| Location | Open to students from any state or union territory in India. Not restricted to Andhra Pradesh. |
| Team size | 3 to 4 students per team |
| Team composition | All team members must be from the same school. Students from different classes within the same school may form a team together. |
| Faculty mentor | Not mandatory. Teams may optionally list a teacher coordinator from their school. |
| Multiple teams | A school may register multiple teams. Each student can be part of only one team. |
| Theme selection | Each team must choose one of the nine themes. Multiple teams may choose the same theme. |
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Team formation rules
Forming the right team is your first step. Here is what you need to know.
Who can team up
Cross-class teams are allowed within the same school. Cross-school teams are not. Each student can be a member of only one team.
Team name
Every team must have a unique name, used in registration, your submission file name and all correspondence. It need not relate to your problem or theme.
Tip for forming a strong team
The best teams are not always groups of friends. Look for teammates who bring different strengths — someone who is good at observation, someone who can talk to people, someone who thinks analytically, and someone who is good at design or presentation. Diverse teams produce stronger submissions.
Teacher coordinator (optional)
A faculty mentor is not mandatory. Students are expected to do the work themselves — the observation, evidence gathering, analysis and solution design.
- Helping with administrative matters such as registration and submission
- Facilitating school-level permissions if needed, for example for field visits
- Providing general guidance without directing the team's work
Important
The teacher coordinator must not write, design or create the submission on behalf of the students. The evaluation panel will assess the authenticity of student work. Submissions that appear to be adult-driven will be flagged during review.
Choosing your problem
Your team must select one of the nine themes. Within that theme, you identify a specific civic problem based on your own observation.
No geographic restriction
Your problem can be from any location in India — your neighbourhood, your town, your district, or another state.
Same theme, different problems
Multiple teams may select the same theme. What matters is the specific problem you identify and how you approach it.
Original observation required
Your problem must be based on real observation. Do not pick a problem from a textbook or a list you found online.
Civic problems only
Your problem must affect a community, not a personal or private matter.
How to register
Registration details, including the link and deadline, will be announced on the official PAN-IIT Amaravathi website and communicated through participating schools.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Team name | A unique name chosen by the team |
| School name & location | Full name of the school and its city / district / state |
| Team members | Full name, class and section of each team member (3–4 students) |
| Chosen theme | One of the nine themes |
| Contact details | Email address and phone number of one team member or the teacher coordinator |
| Teacher coordinator (optional) | Name and contact details of the teacher, if applicable |
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Note
Teams may change their chosen theme after registration if they discover a stronger problem in a different theme area. However, each team submits only one final presentation under one theme.
Key dates
All deadlines are final.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | To be announced |
| Registration deadline | To be announced |
| Submission deadline | To be announced |
| Shortlisted teams announced | To be announced |
| Top 10 finalists announced | To be announced |
| Finalist showcase at PAN-IIT Amaravathi event | To be announced |
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Late submissions
Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered, regardless of the reason. Teams are encouraged to submit at least 2–3 days before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues.
How to submit
The submission method — portal, email or form — will be communicated along with the registration details. These rules apply to every submission.
- One submission per team. Each team submits one PowerPoint presentation (.pptx file) only.
- File naming: SchoolName_TeamName_Theme.pptx
- Maximum file size: 50 MB.
- Resubmission is allowed before the deadline. Only the latest submission will be evaluated.
- If your submission includes YouTube video links, keep the videos 'Unlisted' and accessible. Do not delete them or make them private after submission.
What happens after you submit?
- 01EvaluationAll submissions are reviewed by the evaluation panel using the rubric — Problem Understanding (25%), Evidence & Research (20%), Solution & Creativity (20%), Feasibility (15%), Impact & Vision 2047 (10%) and Presentation Quality (10%).
- 02Top 10 finalistsThe top 10 scoring teams will be announced as finalists.
- 03Finalist showcaseFinalists are invited to the PAN-IIT Amaravathi event to showcase their ideas in person. Details on format, travel and logistics will be shared directly with the finalist teams.
- 04AwardsWinners and special recognitions will be announced at the PAN-IIT Amaravathi event.