CAG–ICSSR Research Article Competition 2026
Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)
📌About the Event
The CAG–ICSSR Research Article Competition 2026 is a national research writing competition organized by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). The competition encourages students and research scholars to study CAG audit reports and write original, policy-focused research articles on governance, public finance, social development, employment, MSMEs, and local administration.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Mode of Conduct: Online submission through the ICSSR portal
- Competition Level: State/UT level and National level
- Participation Type: Individual entries only
- Eligible Categories: Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and Doctoral students
- Article Themes:
- Fiscal Federalism and Governance
- Social Sector Spending
- Skilling, Employment and MSMEs
- Empowering Urban and Rural Local Bodies
📅 Important Dates
- Registration Opens: 1 June 2026
- State/UT Level Submission Window: 1 July 2026 to 31 August 2026
- State/UT Level Result Declaration: By 15 September 2026
- National Level Competition Window: 1 August 2026 to 30 September 2026
- National Level Result Declaration: By 30 October 2026
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility:
- Open to students currently enrolled in a recognized Undergraduate, Postgraduate, or Doctoral programme
- Participants must be full-time bona fide students at the time of submission
- The institution should be recognized under UGC 2(f)/12(B) or be an Institute of National Importance
- Participation Rules:
- Only one entry per participant is allowed
- Only individual participation is allowed
- Co-authored articles are not allowed
- Participants must submit entries from the state of their affiliating institution
- A bonafide certificate must be uploaded as proof of enrolment
- The article should not reveal the participant’s identity
- Submission Requirements:
- UG/PG articles: 4,000–5,000 words
- Doctoral articles: 5,000–6,000 words
- Article must be original and unpublished
- Article must follow MLA 9th Edition citation style
- Submission should be in PDF format
- Evaluation Process:
- Evaluation will be conducted by domain experts
- The process will be blind evaluation
- Articles will be judged on:
- Policy relevance
- Originality
- Methodological rigour
- Citations
- Analysis and interpretation
- Use of AI-generated content or plagiarised content can lead to disqualification
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- State/UT Level Prizes:
- 1st Prize: ₹75,000
- 2nd Prize: ₹50,000
- 3rd Prize: ₹25,000
- National Level Prizes:
- 1st Prize: ₹1,25,000
- 2nd Prize: ₹1,00,000
- 3rd Prize: ₹75,000
- Key Incentive:
- Students get a chance to contribute research-based ideas on public finance, governance, accountability, and Viksit Bharat 2047.