About the Competition
ICMR-SHINE 2026 (Science and Health Innovation for the NextGen Explorers) is a national-level competition by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that encourages school students to apply scientific thinking to real-world public health challenges.
Eligibility Criteria
The competition is open to:
- Students studying in Grades 9 to 12
- Students from schools across India
Entry Fee: No entry fee
Competition Theme
“Igniting Scientific Curiosity Among Youth for a Viksit Bharat 2047”
Students are required to identify a relevant public health challenge and propose solutions based on existing evidence.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to support research, ideation, developing or refining research questions, and exploring solutions. However, students must develop and present their own arguments and transparently acknowledge any use of AI in their submission.
What Students Have to Do
Each participant must:
- Identify a relevant public health challenge
- Explore the background and causes of the problem
- Develop a meaningful research question
- Explain why the problem was selected
- Define the gap between the current situation and the desired outcome
- Suggest up to three solutions
- Present the idea in a simple and understandable pitch
Students are encouraged to use classroom or peer discussions, scientific literature, and observations to develop their research question.
Submission Format
Participants must prepare a two-page document in PDF format.
The submission should contain the following sections:
1. Background
Students should explain the identified public health problem, its context-specific and root causes, health behaviours associated with it, existing government/non-profit/for-profit efforts, and why the problem continues to persist.
2. Problem Identification
Explain why the public health problem was selected and how the student arrived at the research question.
3. Problem Statement
Clearly define the public health problem and the gap between the current situation and the desired goal.
4. Suggested Solutions
Students can suggest up to three solutions, including innovative ideas, personal actions, or approaches they would like to see implemented.
5. Pitch
Present a simple explanation of the problem and proposed solutions that can be easily understood by friends, peers, teachers, and parents, with minimal technical jargon.
Language of Submission
Submissions can be made in:
- English
- Any of the 22 Scheduled Languages of India
These include Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese, Odia, Urdu, Sanskrit and other Scheduled Languages.
How to Submit
The submission process is managed through the student's school.
- The student prepares the two-page PDF submission.
- The school’s designated nodal person uploads the submission through the ICMR-SHINE web portal.
- The submission is screened and evaluated by an expert panel.
- ICMR Headquarters shortlists the top 100 entries.
Recognition & Prizes
Participants can receive:
- Certificate of Participation issued by ICMR
- Top 100 recognition
- ₹1,000 cash prize for each of the top 100 winners
- Certificate from ICMR for the top 100 winners
Important Dates
|
Event |
Date |
|
Official National Launch |
11 August 2026 |
|
Closure of Nominations & Submissions |
11 September 2026 |
|
Announcement of Results |
17 November 2026 |
Registration / Official Website
https://shine.icmr.org.in/
Note
ICMR-SHINE 2026 provides students in Grades 9–12 with an opportunity to investigate real-world public health challenges and propose meaningful solutions using scientific thinking. With no entry fee, a two-page submission format, and participation open to schools across India, the competition offers a valuable platform for students interested in science, healthcare, medicine, research and public health to showcase their ideas at a national level.
