Pondicherry University yesterday actively participated in the nationwide launch of the prestigious Seva First Innovation Challenge (SFIC), organized under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan initiative by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC), Government of India, in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants Commission (UGC), and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
The national inauguration took place at IISc Bengaluru, where Union Minister for Education, Shri Pralhad Joshi, officially inaugurated the event and launched the SFIC registration portal. Addressing students, startups, and faculty members, the Union Minister highlighted the importance of connecting the spirit of Seva (service) with youth-led innovation to develop practical, real-world community solutions.
The inaugural program commenced with welcome remarks by Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc Bengaluru—the regional nodal institute for the initiative. During the proceedings, Shri Anandrao V. Patil, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, provided a detailed briefing on the structure of the competition. He outlined the three participation levels—Junior (Classes 6–12), Technical (ITIs/Polytechnics), and Open (UG/PG/Research Scholars)—and detailed the five core national themes: Clean & Sustainable Bharat, Prosperous Farmers, Healthy & Inclusive Bharat, Educated & Skilled Bharat, and Secure Bharat. The event was also graced by Prof. Shyama Rath, Secretary of UGC, alongside heads of premier national institutes, industry leaders, and student innovators.
The central live telecast and university-wide launch event was organized at the Seminar Hall, Department of Earth Sciences, Pondicherry University Main Campus, The event was graced by Vice-Chancellor Prof. P. Prakash Babu, alongside statutory officers, deans, heads of departments, nodal officer, faculty members, research scholars, and students.
Prof. B. Charumathi, Nodal Officer for SFIC at Pondicherry University, highlighted the multi-campus execution designed to maximize outreach. To ensure inclusive participation across the region, live streaming sessions were broadcast simultaneously across satellite campuses, centers, and affiliated units, including Karaikal Campus, Sri Vijayapuram Campus (Andaman & Nicobar Islands), Mahe Center, Pondicherry University Community College (PUCC) and over 100 affiliated colleges across the UT of Puducherry.
The event witnessed overwhelming enthusiasm across the university system. As per the official schedule released by the Ministry of Education, student registration on the national portal opens on September 25, 2026 and will remain open until October 24, 2026, leading up to the National Finale in New Delhi in December 2026. The Nodal Officer urged all eligible students and research scholars to submit their innovative proposals through the official portal at https://sevafirst.mic.gov.in.