INSPIRE MANAK: how school students' ideas reach a national exhibition
How does a student's idea get from a school notebook to a national exhibition? Under INSPIRE MANAK, it begins with a school nomination. Selection for project support comes next, followed by selection at exhibitions. Knowing these steps helps students prepare and families understand what each shortlist means.
INSPIRE MANAK is a Department of Science and Technology (DST) scheme implemented jointly with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), India. MANAK stands for Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge. The scheme offers support to develop and present an original idea. School nomination is the first step.
Who can participate
The official FAQs say that individual students in Classes 6 to 12 from all recognised government or private schools, aided or unaided, can participate. Entries are individual, rather than group submissions. Students in the senior-secondary classes must meet the condition below.
Older information can cause confusion. DST's notice of 29 May 2025 expanded the class range for the 2025-26 cycle: “Thus, from this year onwards school students studying in class 6-12 will be eligible to submit their ideas.” The 2026-27 circular retains that expanded range. Pages listing only Classes 6 to 10 give the older eligibility range.
For Classes 11 and 12, there is a specific condition. CBSE's circular of 14 August 2025 says “a maximum of two student ideas from Classes 11 or 12 (Science stream only) can be nominated from one school.” The current portal repeats that rule. These two places count towards the school's total nomination limit and cover both classes together. The Science-stream condition applies to these senior-secondary nominations.
The school makes the nomination
CBSE's circular of 31 July 2026 states the rule for 2026-27: “Schools may nominate up to five original and innovative ideas through the E-Management of INSPIRE-MANAK Scheme (E-MIAS) portal.” Five is the limit for the school as a whole.
Before that online step, the official Idea Competition guidance for schools suggests that students put their “ideas in a piece of paper and submit it to the teachers”. It then says: “These ideas can be further shortlisted by Principal/Headmaster of the school”. Start with a teacher to find out how the school selects ideas.
A school that already has an E-MIAS registration should use it. The school-authority page says: “If already registered please don't do new registration, directly proceed with the login option.” Registration gives the school access to the system. Award selection is a separate step for the student's idea.
Explain the idea clearly
The nomination's title and synopsis need to explain the idea clearly. The official title guidance says: “The title should clearly describe the idea or innovation,” while the synopsis guidance asks for what the “Idea/innovation is about, the problem it addresses, and the advantage or benefit it offers.” When reviewing a draft, check that a reader can identify the proposed idea, the problem and the benefit.
Students can explain their ideas in an Indian language they can use clearly. In its January to February 2026 newsletter, Innovation Frontline, NIF explains: “The school’s Principal or Headmaster invites students to submit ideas in the form of a synopsis in any Indian language.” The submission goes through the school.
What makes an idea worth considering
The official selection criteria are “novelty, social applicability, environment friendliness, user friendliness and comparative advantage over the existing similar technologies.” These criteria ask what is new, how the idea could serve people, how environmentally friendly and user friendly it is, and what advantage it offers over something similar that already exists.
The scheme publishes a list of ideas that have already been submitted to INSPIRE MANAK several times earlier. The list leaves room for improvements to familiar ideas: “Incremental innovation, which involves a certain degree of novelty, on any of the ideas above, may be considered for nomination.” An improvement needs some novelty. The words “may be considered” leave nomination and selection subject to assessment of the idea.
When students and teachers review an idea together, they can focus on what it adds. The title and synopsis should show the proposed benefit and how the idea differs from an existing approach.
What the ₹10,000 award supports
DST's published scheme design says “one lakh ideas are eligible for INSPIRE Award of Rs. 10,000/-each.” This figure describes the scheme's selection plan. Actual payments in a particular year depend on award selection; school nomination alone does not secure funding.
A Ministry of Science and Technology reply published by PIB on 1 April 2026 explains the payment and its purpose: “selected students receive ₹10,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer to develop and present their projects at district, state, and national exhibitions.” The award funds work on the project and its presentation, rather than recurring tuition costs.
After receiving support, students face further selection at exhibitions. Award selection and entry to the national exhibition are separate milestones.
District and state exhibitions
At the District Level Exhibition and Project Competition (DLEPC), selected students present their innovations. The official workflow states: “Top 10% of ideas move forward to the state level.” This is the first exhibition selection step on the published route.
At the State Level Exhibition and Project Competition (SLEPC), students exhibit refined models. Here the workflow says: “Top 10% ideas are selected for the national level.” A project at the state exhibition must pass another assessment to advance nationally.
Those percentages describe how ideas are shortlisted at each stage. Each student's progress depends on selection. Use the published selection criteria to understand what the scheme looks for in an idea.
Development and the national stage
Support for developing ideas includes mentorship. DST's opening notice of 13 July 2026 says: “Shortlisted students are also provided mentorship at premier academic and research institutions”. The mentorship helps students develop ideas and prototypes. Admission to those institutions is a separate matter.
The official scheme description sets out the national stage as “Showcasing 1,000 best ideas/innovations at the National Level Exhibition & Project Competition (NLEPC) and shortlisting of top 60 innovations”. These are planned selection numbers, rather than attendance figures for a particular exhibition. Participation in the national exhibition and winning a national award are separate achievements.
Where to begin in practice
Start by explaining the idea to a teacher in a form the school can consider. Give it a specific title and a synopsis that makes the problem and proposed benefit clear. Schools should check the current nomination guidance, including the total limit and the condition for Classes 11 and 12. Families can follow each stage: school nomination, award selection, district exhibition, state exhibition and national selection.
For separate practice in developing ideas, One Young India's Entrepreneurship in Action describes an activity in which students direct AI in plain language to turn an idea into a working product.