📌About the Event

The Gems of India Challenge 2026 is a digital storytelling competition launched by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, to discover and promote grassroots content creators. For the pilot phase, creators from Ladakh and selected other States/UTs are invited to create short videos highlighting their district’s culture, heritage, tourism, traditions, history, people, hidden gems, and achievements.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Submission Platform: MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT platform
• Video Duration: 1–3 minutes
• Format: Original digital storytelling video
• Theme: Showcase the unique identity of your district through culture, heritage, tourism, traditions, history, local stories, or achievements.
• Pilot Locations: Ladakh, Goa, Chandigarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
• The initiative is supported by Prasar Bharati, MY Bharat, State/District Administrations, with Meta and YouTube supporting creator outreach.

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📅 Important Dates

• Challenge announced: July 21, 2026
• Submission starts: August 1, 2026
• Last date to submit: August 31, 2026

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibilty:
• The current pilot is open to creators from the participating States/UTs, including Ladakh.
• No specific educational qualification or student-only requirement is mentioned in the official announcement.
• Participants should create content connected to the unique identity of their district.
• Submission Rules:
• Submit an original 1–3 minute video.
• Content can focus on local culture, heritage, tourism, traditions, history, people, achievements, or lesser-known stories.
• Entries are submitted digitally through MyWAVES/WAVES OTT.
• Evaluation Process:
• Entries will be evaluated through District and State/UT Jury Committees.
• Jury members will include experts from culture, heritage, tourism, media, and academia.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• District Level: Up to 20 awards of ₹50,000 each per district.
• State/UT Level: One exceptional creator from each district may be selected for an award of ₹2 lakh.
• National Level: Selected State/UT entries can compete for ₹5 lakh national awards during the subsequent nationwide rollout.
• Participants also get an opportunity to showcase their local stories through a Government-backed national creator platform.