Apply for Peyjal Gatha National Water Stories and Water Ideas Challenge (India)

Deadline: 08-Dec-2026

Peyjal Gatha is a proposed national competition inviting students in Classes VIII–XII across India to document and share stories, traditional knowledge, local water wisdom, and practical ideas related to drinking water and water security. The competition aims to preserve community knowledge, highlight the importance of local water bodies, and encourage students to develop youth-led ideas for water conservation and sustainable drinking water sources. Peyjal Gatha is designed to engage school students in documenting authentic experiences, traditional practices, and innovative approaches related to drinking water. The initiative seeks to create a curated collection of student-generated stories and ideas that can contribute to educational activities and public awareness about drinking water and water conservation.

The competition focuses on:

Peyjal Gatha features four categories through which students can document and present their ideas and experiences. Students can document authentic stories connected to drinking water in their families or communities. Entries should highlight the importance of drinking water and its impact on people’s lives and communities. Students can document traditional knowledge, practices, and methods related to water. This category provides an opportunity to preserve local water wisdom and share practices that have been passed down through communities. Students can present practical and affordable ideas for improving water management. The ideas should demonstrate how communities can address drinking water challenges, conserve water, or support the sustainability of water sources. Students can study and document local water bodies and explain their importance for drinking water. Entries may focus on the role of local water sources and their connection with community water needs. The competition is open to students studying in Classes VIII–XII in schools across India. Eligible students must be enrolled in schools recognized by: Participants are grouped according to their class level. Entries are assessed according to age-appropriate expectations and the analytical depth demonstrated by the students. The proposed competition aims to encourage young people to understand and document drinking water issues within their communities.

The initiative seeks to:

A significant focus of the competition is expected to remain on drinking water and its importance to communities. Shortlisted students will receive a Certificate of National Recognition in recognition of their contributions to the competition. The recognition is intended to acknowledge students who contribute meaningful stories, knowledge, documentation, or ideas related to drinking water. Students must ensure that their submissions meet the competition’s documentation requirements.

Entries must be:

Only one entry per participant is allowed. Submissions will be evaluated by an Expert Committee. The assessment will consider factors such as: Students are therefore encouraged to present authentic, relevant, and well-documented material connected to drinking water. Peyjal Gatha provides students with an opportunity to explore water-related issues within their own communities. By documenting local experiences and traditional knowledge, students can contribute to preserving information that may otherwise be overlooked. The competition also encourages students to think about practical solutions for water conservation and sustainable drinking water sources. The focus on local water bodies, community stories, traditional practices, and low-cost solutions allows students to connect their learning with real-world water challenges. Peyjal Gatha is a proposed national competition that invites students in Classes VIII–XII across India to document stories, traditional knowledge, local water bodies, and practical ideas related to drinking water and water security. Students enrolled in Classes VIII–XII in eligible schools across India can participate. Students from schools recognized by State/UT Boards, CBSE, KVS, NVS, NIOS, and other eligible school systems in India can participate. The four categories cover personal or community drinking water stories, traditional water wisdom, practical low-cost water management ideas, and local water bodies and their relevance to drinking water. Entries should have a significant focus on drinking water and its importance to individuals and communities. Students can explore local experiences, traditional practices, water bodies, conservation approaches, or practical water management solutions. Yes. One of the competition categories specifically focuses on documenting traditional water wisdom. Yes. Students can present practical and low-cost ideas related to water management and water security. Yes. One category is specifically dedicated to local water bodies and their relevance to drinking water. Entries must be submitted in PDF format exclusively through the MyGov website. No. Entries must be original and unpublished. An Expert Committee will evaluate the entries based on factors including originality, relevance to drinking water, quality, local knowledge value, and ethical documentation. Shortlisted students will receive a Certificate of National Recognition. The proposed Peyjal Gatha competition provides students in Classes VIII–XII with an opportunity to document and share meaningful stories, traditional knowledge, local water resources, and practical ideas related to drinking water. By encouraging students to explore water issues within their communities, the competition aims to preserve local water wisdom, increase awareness of water bodies, and promote youth-led thinking around water conservation and source sustainability. The resulting student-generated content can also contribute to educational and public awareness efforts focused on drinking water and water security. For more information, visit MyGov.