Shared impact
It affects a group of people, not just one person.
The challenge
Find a real problem worth solving.
This is not about building a working product. It is about thinking clearly: observing a real civic problem, gathering evidence that it exists, and proposing a creative solution that could realistically be implemented.
Ground rules
What is a civic problem?
Any issue that affects the daily life of people in a community. Not a personal problem, not a homework problem — something that impacts many people and could be improved through better systems, technology, awareness or governance.
Observable
You can see it, measure it, or document it with photographs, data or observations.
Solvable
There is a realistic way it could be improved, even if the full solution takes time.
This counts
- Overflowing dustbins in a market area
- Waterlogging on a road every monsoon
- Long queues at a government hospital
- Stray animals causing accidents
- Rural schools with no digital learning tools
This doesn't
- “My phone battery dies too fast”
- “I don't like my school uniform”
These are personal preferences, not community-level issues.
How big should the problem be?
There is no restriction on scope. Your neighbourhood, your city, your district, your state — or even a problem you have read about elsewhere in India. What matters is that it is real and that you can present credible evidence that it exists.
That said, problems rooted in your own lived experience tend to produce stronger presentations. If you have personally seen the overflowing drain, stood in the hospital queue or walked past the unlit street, your evidence will naturally be more convincing.
Where to look
The nine themes
Starting points to help you begin thinking — not boundaries. A strong idea outside these categories will always be valued over a weak idea that fits a theme perfectly.
Before you start
Important notes for students
Freedom to explore
The nine themes are suggestions, not restrictions. You are free to explore any real civic problem that matters to you.
Examples are inspiration
The examples come from NIF IGNITE, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and Youth Ideathon. You do not need to match their complexity.
Team composition
Teams of 3–4 students. A faculty mentor is welcome but not mandatory.
Submission format
Your submission is a PowerPoint presentation. Detailed guidelines follow in a separate document.
Found your problem?
Form a team of 3–4, gather your evidence and tell the story of a better Andhra.
Register your team