INSPIRE-MANAK Scheme
INSPIRE 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 MANAK, INSPIRE Internship, INSPIRE Scholarship, INSPIRE Fellowship and INSPIRE Faculty). For more details about INSPIRE Internship, INSPIRE Scholarship, INSPIRE Fellowship and INSPIRE Faculty).
The INSPIRE–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 12) 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 of the INSPIRE MANAK is:
-To motivate students at early age and studying in classes 6 to 12.
-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.
Implementation of INSPIRE-MANAK Scheme
For effective implementation of the INSPIRE – MANAK Scheme, schools need to follow the action points given below:
1. Announcement: Widely publicize this technological innovation competition among students of Classes 6-12 through assemblies, notice boards, etc. so that once the nomination dates are announced, students should be ready with their innovative ideas.
2. Idea Generation: Guide students on how to develop original ideas, emphasizing that submissions must be their own work. Share examples of quality innovations and utilize the “Abhinav Kahaniya” A Comic book based on ideas/innovations as a resource. Students can read the comic book below on this page in English as well as in Hindi medium.
3. Summer Break Assignment: Assign students the task of identifying a new problem and conceiving a novel and original idea to solve it during the summer break.
4. Idea Box: Set up an Idea Box where students can submit brief description of their innovative technological ideas.
5. Selection of Ideas/Innovations: Following the summer vacation, organize an idea competition and/or review submitted ideas to select the top five technological ideas/innovations based on novelty, social relevance, potential impact, and scalability. Teachers may refer to the book “Teachers Handbook for nurturing Students Ideas/Innovations” for a comprehensive understanding of ideas and innovation. It is crucial to verify the originality of student ideas through web searches and by checking previously submitted entries before final submission. Teachers can read the handbook below on this page in English as well as in Hindi medium.
6. U-DISE Code Verification (Mandatory): Ensure the school’s U-DISE code is current/updated for participation.
7. Registration of New Schools: The new schools may register themselves on the INSPIRE-MANAK web portal https://inspireawards-dst.gov.in/. Once the school submit registration, they receive an Acknowledgement at their registered e-mail id. The District Authority will approve the registration of the school, if all the entries made by the school found correct. In case of any update or correction is required, the school may contact to their respective District Authority or District Nodal Officer.
8. Student’s Account: Advise students to have their bank account details readily available if they wish to participate in INSPIRE-MANAK 2026-27.
9. Nominations: Submit the five best nominations from class 6th to 12th with accurate details of the students through the portal or app. Double-check that each student’s name precisely matches their bank passbook, and ensure the correct account number and IFSC code are provided.
10. Forwarding Nominations: Forward the nominations to the District Authority and download the acknowledgment for your records.
