India’s innovation surge will drive the vision of Viksit Bharat: Shri Pralhad Joshi

Union Minister for Education Shri Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the Seva First Innovation Challenge (SFIC) for the South Zone at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and launched its official website and registration portal. The initiative urges youth to combine the spirit of 'Seva' with innovation to create practical solutions for real-life challenges. SFIC is open to students from schools, ITIs, polytechnics, colleges, and universities across five national themes and two solution tracks. IISc Bengaluru acts as the South Zone Nodal Institute, while the National Finale is scheduled for New Delhi in December 2026. The Minister also highlighted government efforts like Atal Tinkering Labs, Institutions Innovation Councils, Smart India Hackathon, and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in fostering an innovation ecosystem.