• 'Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025' officially entered Guinness World Records as the “largest innovation solution competition” with 2,87,967 project entries
  • Buildathon empowers students to think creatively, identify problems and develop solutions: Mr Jayant Chaudhary
  • Mr Jayant Chaudhary called for collective action on e‑waste management and highlighted the role of ‘Ullas’ in promoting adult literacy

Union Minister of State for Education Mr Jayant Chaudhary today in New Delhi honoured the ten national‑level winning teams and innovators of ‘Viksit Bharat Buildathon (VBB) 2025’. VBB 2025 also received a Guinness World Records certificate as the “largest innovation solution competition”, a historic achievement for school education and grassroots innovation in India. During the event the minister also released the “Guidelines for Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs)” under the ‘Ullas – New India Literacy Programme’. He also presented awards to the student winners of the e‑waste quiz competition.

Addressing the programme, Mr Jayant Chaudhary stressed the importance of fostering confidence, creativity, innovation and independent thinking in children so that they can become future leaders. Referring to the ‘Buildathon’ initiative, he explained that it encourages students to identify problems and devise solutions on their own, without any pre‑set problem or solution. He praised the participation of millions of students from across the country and highlighted the guiding role of teachers.

Expressing concern over the growing e‑waste challenge, Mr Chaudhary said involving school students in tackling the issue is essential to pave the way for systematic management. He added that solving this problem is a collective responsibility of institutions, communities and citizens.

Acknowledging the role of ‘Ullas’ in promoting adult literacy and restoring respect and confidence to learners, he said the new guidelines will enable student‑teachers to play a vital role in empowering the nation.

The event was attended by DARP​G Secretary Ms Nivedita Shukla Verma, DOS​EL Secretary Mr T K Anil Kumar, senior officials of the Ministry of Education, representatives and heads of autonomous bodies, and officials of state/UT education departments and partner institutions.

Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025

Organised by the School Education and Literacy Division (DOS​EL) of the Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), ‘Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025’ (VBB 2025) aimed to promote creative problem‑solving, entrepreneurship and scientific curiosity among school students. Based on four pillars – ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, ‘Swadeshi’, ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Samriddh Bharat’ – the initiative received unprecedented grassroots response. A total of 2,87,967 project entries were submitted in both the ‘Idea’ and ‘Prototype’ categories.

To evaluate the solutions, a rigorous three‑tier assessment framework was prepared at district, state and national levels, conducted by panels of experts from various fields. After comprehensive evaluation, 10 national award winners, 100 state award winners and 1,000 district award winners were selected.

Prize money exceeding ₹1 crore was earmarked at district, state and national levels. The ten teams winning at the national level received a total cash prize of ₹17.50 lakh. In the prototype category, each of the top five winning teams was awarded ₹2,50,000 for their functional models. In the idea category, each of the five winning teams received ₹1,00,000 to further develop and scale their creative concepts. The honoured winners today hailed from Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Special Campaign 6.0

Under ‘Special Campaign 6.0’, initiatives by both ministry divisions (DOS​EL and the Higher Education Department) aimed to raise awareness about e‑waste and promote its collection. These initiatives were presented during the programme. DOS​EL Secretary Mr Anil Kumar handed over the e‑waste collected during the campaign to an authorized recycler/re‑processor.

Through this campaign, DOS​EL undertook extensive efforts across schools nationwide to promote responsible e‑waste management. Today several activities were organised in schools, including handing over collected e‑waste to authorized recyclers/re‑processors, morning assemblies on e‑waste and e‑waste‑based quizzes.

Guidelines for TEIs under Ullas

In this programme, ‘Ullas – New India Literacy Programme’ issued ‘Guidelines for Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs)’. The guidelines envisage student‑teachers enrolled in NCTE‑recognised teacher‑education programmes (such as B.Ed., B.P.Ed., M.Ed., M.P.Ed. and other recognised courses) participating as ‘volunteer teachers’.

According to the guidelines, each student‑teacher must help 5 to 8 illiterate persons become literate and obtain certification; successful literacy volunteers will also receive academic credit. After extensive stakeholder consultation, DOS​EL’s guidelines clearly define the roles and responsibilities of NCTE, NCERT, CNCL, SCERT, DIET, State Literacy Mission Authorities (SLMA), district authorities, TEIs and student‑teachers for effective implementation.