Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026: Registration deadline extended to November 6; eligibility, themes

The Ministry of Education has extended the registration deadline for the Seva First Innovation Challenge (SFIC) 2026 to November 6. Students from schools, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), polytechnics, colleges and universities can now submit their innovation ideas through the official website, sevafirst.mic.gov.in.

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the Seva First Innovation Challenge at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, on September 25. The initiative aims to encourage young people to identify problems in their communities and develop practical solutions to address them.

The challenge covers five states and three Union Territories: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

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The challenge has three participation levels: Junior, Technical and Open.

Junior level: School students from Classes 6 to 12 can participate by identifying local problems and developing simple working solutions or service-related ideas.

Technical level: Students enrolled in ITIs and polytechnics can develop engineering, fabrication, electronics and process-related solutions.

Open level: Undergraduate and postgraduate students, along with research scholars, can participate by presenting prototypes or pilot projects.

The registration process is institution-based. Students cannot register independently. Educational institutions must nominate a coordinator to complete the registration and submit student entries.

How to register for Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026?

Eligible educational institutions can complete the registration process through the official website by following these steps:

• Visit sevafirst.mic.gov.in.
• Select the institution registration option.
• Enter the required institutional details, including the institute identification number.
• Provide the nominated coordinator's details.
• Verify the registration using the code sent to the institution's official email address.
• After account activation, the coordinator can submit student entries under the relevant participation level, theme and innovation track.

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Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026: Five themes

Participants can submit their innovation ideas under the following five national themes:

• Clean and Sustainable Bharat
• Prosperous Farmers, Prosperous Bharat
• Healthy and Inclusive Bharat
• Educated and Skilled Bharat
• Secure Bharat

The challenge also has two innovation tracks. Track A focuses on products and technology, including devices, software and engineering solutions. Track B covers business models, service delivery and governance-related innovations.