India currently stands as a fast developing economy and being a country with a major proportion consisting of young population, positive actions by people of this age group will have a large impact globally. Each one of us has ideas for positive change. This campaign aims at encouraging the youth to express their ideas and see them take shape.

We invite ideas or solutions to some problems that are plaguing our dear country in some way. Following are the broad themes in which you can suggest your ideas. The solutions can be at an individual level, community level, for a city or for the entire nation. These can include innovative technology solution, a marketing solution, practice, or a way of impacting behavior for positive change.

Education

India though is emerging as a super power with impressive industrial growth and economic development; it is falling behind on human development index. The education scenario is alarmingly dismal.

We invite ideas for ways to promote child education, adult education, home education, distance education for betterment of the society. Also ideas related to spreading awareness regarding education will be welcomed. Some problems that can be given a thought are

1. Awareness and accessibility of a newly formulated right like Right to Education (RTE).
2. Despite of thousands of colleges in the country the number of jobs is relatively few.
3. Suggest different ways to promote education among people and enable them to earn a proper livelihood.
4. How resources can be distributed for 'education for all', providing quality education to all, promoting 'educate the girl child' or 'each one teach one' etc.
5. Providing on impetus to rural students for their preparation during competitive exams. Also make courses for vocational learning easily available to them.

RTI

Knowledge and information ensures transparency which is fundamental for smooth functioning of the government. The Right to Information Act passed in 2005 is the most effective tool available to citizens of India in this direction. Its achievements so far have been numerous, ranging from checking corruption; expediting long winding bureaucratic processes and making the public machinery open to public scrutiny. For the citizen, it's a tool which empowers him to seek any information from the Government and inspect any Government document; it makes the public body liable to furnish the information sought within a stipulated period of time. Yet, even after 5 years only a limited number of people are aware of the existence of such a right.

Here are some problems you may think of:

1. To what extent the filing of RTI Applications increased the overall efficiency and functioning of public authorities?
2. What role can youth play in taking the movement forward?
3. What more can be done to make a larger impact and increase the efficacy of the movement?
4. How to make RTI a mass weapon i.e. increase awareness about its potency and correct usage?
5. How can it be made easily accessible especially in Rural Areas?
6. How can RTI be made accessible to citizens with little education and understanding of complex government processes?
7. How government systems can be made transparent and accountable by use of RTI?

Local Governance

The aim behind the creation of such bodies was to provide convenient services to the people as it caters to their daily problems and holds a rather important place in the state departments. These corporations work at the grass root level and their brilliance encourages the sustainable and true development of the entire nation.

1. Even though theses bodies works with the citizens, the involvement of citizen is not up to the mark and should be increased, so as to truly underline the meaning of democracy and the true definition of development. Ideas can be inclined to improve the level and quality of participation of the citizens in these institutions of governance.
2. Ideas to create and increase the level of awareness regarding the role and functions of municipal corporations within the common man.
3. Ideas to solve problems regarding public transportation, water conservation and harvesting, public health and hygiene, slum improvement, poverty alleviation (urban or rural), better implementation of development schemes etc.

Urban Waste Management

Do you know that there is an estimated 30 million tons of solid waste and 4,400 million cubic meters of liquid waste generated the urban areas of India!
Cities are grappling with the problems of high volumes of waste, the costs involved, the disposal technologies and methodologies, and the impact of wastes on the local and global environment like water, air and soil pollution. These wastes includes sewage waste, electronic waste, recyclable waste like paper, plastics, metal; non- recyclable waste, bio-medical waste and a lot more. And it just goes on and on. With the ever increasing population and man's never ending hunger, it's just painting a sick picture of the whole scenario. We need to find solutions in quick and effective way. Seeing this, there is -

1. Urgent need of much improved medium term planning at the municipal and state level for development of investment projections and implementation.
2. Utilization of resources by the implementing bodies as effectively as possible.
3. New and efficient ways of treatment and disposal of waste.

We need solutions involving the community and the private sector; involving innovative technologies and disposal methods; and involving behavior changes and awareness spreading; planning and management of proper disposal methods and ways to convert this waste into some other useful forms like energy, products etc.

Please note that solutions need thorough understanding, application of efficient combination of waste handling equipment in cost effective manner and streamlining of the handling of waste at various stages throughout its journey from source of generation to ultimate safe disposal site, without intermediate dumping and accumulation of waste for days together.

Also you can think of other problems and ideas to solve the same! Any such idea with strong essence of social responsibility will be welcomed.

Click here to download VeriZon Themes.

View the Competition Structure.

Outline of the Programme

Questionnaire Stage	August 31st, 2010	Submission of questionnaire in the format specified.
Questionnaire Results	September 5th, 2010	Declaration of shortlisted candidates for telephonic interview.
Interview Stage	September 5th, 2010 to September 10th, 2010	Shortlisted candidates would be interviewed via telephone.
Interview Result	September 15th, 2010	Declaration of candidates selected for mentorship stage.
Mentorship stage	September 15th, 2010 to November 30th, 2010	Mentors will be allotted to shortlisted participants. Participants have to work on their ideas and prepare a project report under the guidance of mentors.
Report Submission	November 30th, 2010	The final report has to be submitted in the format specified.
Result	December 10th, 2010	Declaration of shortlisted candidates for presentation during Techfest 2011.
Improvisation Stage	December 10th, 2010 to January 6th, 2010	Shortlisted participants to improve upon the report of their project and prepare a presentation of 5 minutes for the same.
Presentation Stage	January 7th-9th, 2011	Final presentation of their idea.

Questionnaire

All the submitted questionnaires will be screened and teams shall be shortlisted. The next hurdle for the shortlisted teams would be the telephonic interviews. Our Questionnaire will judge the following qualities:

1. Thought process
2. Problem that you want to solve
3. Idea to solve the problem

Teams can categorize their ideas into a particular category Like Education, Urban Waste Management, RTI, Local Governing Bodies, etc. Also there will be a category called others in which they can place their ideas as per the problems that they wish to address.

The questionnaire should be mailed to verizon[at]techfest[dot]org with the subject "Prayaas: VeriZon Questionnaire Reg. No. xxxx " (For ex. Prayaas: VeriZon Questionnaire 1243). Please do not forget to mention your registration number in your questionnaire while sending it. Please follow the following details for questionnaire:

Format of questionnaire should be same as in the sample questionnaire.
Font: Tahoma
Font Size: 14
Spacing between two line: Zero
Spacing between two paragraph: 0.6 inch
Top Margin: 1 inch
Bottom Margin: 1 inch

Click Here to download the Sample Questionaire (pdf).
Click Here to download the Sample Questionaire (doc).

Questionnaire should reach us by 31st August 23.59 Hours IST.

Telephonic Interviews

Telephonic Interviews will be conducted from 5th to 10th of September. Candidates will be informed about their slots accordingly. Candidates will be interviewed only in their respective slots. If any change in slot is required, then they can forward their request, with suitable reasons, to verizon[at]techfest[dot]org with the subject "Prayaas: VeriZon Interview slot change".

Mentoring

The role of mentors is indispensable for the success of this initiative. We feel that the participant is not aware of the ground realities. They can only see the tip of the iceberg. It is the experience and the expertise of the mentors that will guide the teams to work on their ideas and mold their dreams into reality. The mentorship would start from September 15th and will continue till the culmination of Techfest (January 7- 9, 2011).

Mentee has to give regular updates (at least fortnightly) to the mentors regarding his work progress via telephone, messaging, mails or meetings. Mentor will be providing guidance on planning, marketing, financial systems, funding/finance sources, managing people, networking and other issues. Also they will be helping mentees to deal with specific issues and problems as they arise. A report has to be submitted which will be assessed by mentor with the details specified below

Report Content

Report should be as concise addressing the following points:

1. Introduction
   a) Problems the idea is addressing.
   b) Idea, a great solution to problem addressed.
   c) Description of the idea.
   


2. Social Impact Assessment
   a) The effectiveness of the idea as a solution to the problem.
   b) Relative analysis of the idea over the existing solutions.
   c) Impact of the idea on society.
   d) Target mass that idea affects.
   e) Quantified Impact.
   


3. Execution Analysis
   a) Long term plans (1 year) for the idea.
   b) Capital required for the initial execution of idea with justification on requirements.
   c) Revenue generation model.
   


4. Comment on the sustainability of the idea in brief.


5. Define your idea as for-profit / non-profit.


6. Changes which you visualize that your idea will bring in next ten years.

Report Submission

Report should be mailed to verizon[at]techfest[dot]org with the subject "Prayaas: Verizon Report Submission Reg no. xxxx" (For ex. Prayaas: VeriZon Report Submission 1243). All submitted reports will be screened by mentors.

Report should reach us by November 20th 23.59 IST .

Results for the shortlisted candidates with the feedback from judges and mentors will be announced on 10th December. These shortlisted candidates will be finally presenting during the culmination of techfest i.e. 7th January.

Final Presentation

After declaration of the finalists, participants will be required a 5 minutes presentation of the idea covering all the aspects in a detailed manner. The teams will have to make a presentation to be judged at Techfest 2011.

Judging

Our judges are fellow social entrepreneurs, venture philanthropists, academicians, foundation chairpersons, leaders of successful NGOs, legal experts, and policy-makers.

Click Here to download the Sample Questionaire (pdf).
Click Here to download the Sample Questionaire (doc).

View the Rules

General Rules

1. The competition is open to all (students, research scholars and professionals). All projects being displayed will have a fair chance of receiving further development opportunities offered by funding organizations and venture capitalists. However, the prize money can be claimed only by student teams.
2. Every team has to register online on our website for the competition. A registration number will be allocated to the team on registration which shall be used for future reference.
3. A team can participate at any point of time before 31st August 2010.
4. Decision of judges shall be treated as final and binding on all.
5. Note that at any point of time the latest information will be that which is on the website. However, registered participants will be informed through mail about any changes on the site.

Certificate Policy

Those teams who give a final presentation about their work during Techfest would be awarded a Certificate of Participation.
The top entries from this event would be provided with Certificate of Excellence.

Team Specification

The participating entries must be in a team of a maximum of three people. If the participating team feels that their idea requires more participants in their team, they can forward their request, with suitable reasons, to verizon[at]techfest[dot]org with the subject "Prayaas: VeriZon team number increase".

View the Results

Results

The following teams have been selected for the Interview round

VZ 1006	VZ 1092	VZ 1151	VZ 1196	VZ 1233
VZ 1009	VZ 1098	VZ 1154	VZ 1197	VZ 1234
VZ 1011	VZ 1100	VZ 1159	VZ 1200	VZ 1235
VZ 1014	VZ 1106	VZ 1163	VZ 1202	VZ 1237
VZ 1017	VZ 1108	VZ 1164	VZ 1204	VZ 1242
VZ 1023	VZ 1112	VZ 1165	VZ 1205	VZ 1243
VZ 1032	VZ 1119	VZ 1168	VZ 1207	VZ 1246
VZ 1034	VZ 1121	VZ 1172	VZ 1208	VZ 1247
VZ 1040	VZ 1123	VZ 1177	VZ 1209	VZ 1248
VZ 1043	VZ 1129	VZ 1178	VZ 1212	VZ 1250
VZ 1049	VZ 1130	VZ 1182	VZ 1213	VZ 1252
VZ 1050	VZ 1132	VZ 1186	VZ 1214	VZ 1253
VZ 1051	VZ 1133	VZ 1187	VZ 1216	VZ 1256
VZ 1064	VZ 1135	VZ 1190	VZ 1218	VZ 1260
VZ 1066	VZ 1138	VZ 1192	VZ 1219	VZ 1263
VZ 1074	VZ 1140	VZ 1193	VZ 1223	VZ 1269
VZ 1089	VZ 1145	VZ 1194	VZ 1225	VZ 1271
VZ 1090	VZ 1148	VZ 1195	VZ 1227	VZ 1273

Acknowledgement

Unlimiited India	TiE