3,878 apply so far for Seva First Innovation Challenge; Lodha urges more to take part

Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has appealed to as many contestants as possible to take part in the Seva First Innovation Challenge. He was speaking at a press conference held in the Legislature Correspondents' Room at Mantralaya. Present on the occasion were Dr Apurva Palkar, Vice-Chancellor of the Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skills University; Registrar Dr Vaibhav Narwade; Srujan Trust trustees Deepak Mukadam and Dr Amit Nehete; and Anupama Kulkarni of Vigyan Bharati Konkan Prant.

Lodha said the Union skills department is running the Seva Sankalp campaign across the country on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. As part of it, a multi-state innovation competition named the Seva First Innovation Challenge has been organised. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation department has organised it in Maharashtra too.

The application process began on September 21, and applications can be submitted online till October 17, 2026. So far, 3,878 contestants from Maharashtra have applied. Participants are being given guidance by the skill development department.

According to the minister, the competition will give school and college students a chance to understand problems in areas such as agriculture, health, women's safety, urban development, environment, conservation, artificial intelligence, education and employability, and to present creative solutions. Innovators, students, groups of students, researchers, professors, startups, MSMEs, companies, social organisations, educational and research institutions and other innovation teams can take part. There is no age limit for the competition, so everyone's creativity will get a chance.

Lodha also said that, as per the Chief Minister's directions, the department is working to increase the participation of children from rural areas in particular.

The application process is entirely online. Those interested can submit their projects by visiting https://sevainnovationchallenge.in/ or scanning a QR code. At the first level, basic information has to be registered on the portal. At the second level, while submitting the project, candidates must provide personal details linked to Aadhaar and information about the project. A chatbot facility is also available on the website to resolve candidates' queries.

To increase student participation, the Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation department has entered into an agreement with Srujan Trust, Pune, and Vigyan Bharati Konkan Prant. With the help of these organisations, students from rural areas will also be encouraged to join the competition, and both organisations will help ensure their maximum participation.

Students will get the guidance needed for preparing project reports and for the competition from Vigyan Bharati Konkan Prant. Srujan Trust will widely publicise the competition to increase youth participation. Every year, Srujan Trust organises a conference under its Dipex initiative for young people in the fields of innovation, startups and entrepreneurship. It was said that the initiative will give a platform to young people working in these fields.