DTU launches nationwide challenge for rural and civic solutions, Rs 2 crore in prizes

Delhi Technological University, or DTU, has launched a new opportunity for young people called the Seva First National Youth Innovation Challenge, aimed at giving youth a chance to find new and workable solutions to everyday problems. Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood launched the challenge at DTU on September 19. The challenge will run for 100 days and carries a total prize pool of Rs 2 crore.

Participants will not be able to stop at just proposing an idea. They will have to complete the entire process, from identifying the problem to finding a solution, building a prototype, testing it and trying it out in real conditions. The aim of the challenge is to produce solutions that can actually be put to use later.

Under Seva First, separate sectors have been identified for working on problems at both the national level and those linked to local communities. These include agriculture and rural development, education, health, waste management, energy, environment, urban issues and transport. Participants can also work on innovations related to artificial intelligence, robotics, manufacturing, smart mobility, infrastructure, disaster management and national security. Those taking part in local-level challenges can identify a real problem around them and look for a solution to it.

Students from the school and ITI level up to diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD levels can take part in the challenge. Startups, MSMEs, research institutions and government labs can also participate according to set categories. Anyone wishing to take part can enter alone or as a team. DTU is handling the north zone for the entire programme, which covers Delhi along with Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Ladakh.

In the first stage of the challenge, problems and ideas will be identified. After an initial screening, selected teams will be given mentorship and expert advice. Participants will then build a prototype of their solution, which will undergo technical evaluation. The solutions will then be tested in real or similar conditions. In the final stage, prototypes will be presented and evaluated. According to DTU, the entire process emphasises completing the full journey from idea to testing and proving its impact.

During the programme, DTU also announced a Rural Technology and Community Engagement Programme. Under this, engineering students are planned to be sent to villages starting from the 2027-28 academic session. There, students will identify local problems and work on solving them with the help of technology. The programme emphasises linking engineering, entrepreneurship and social development in villages. The aim is to understand the needs of villages and develop workable technological solutions for them. Candidates selected and performing well in the Seva First challenge will receive prize money as well as guidance from experts and people from the industry and startup sectors.