National Award for Individual Excellence 2026

This award celebrates outstanding Indian contributions to telecom innovation, services, and applications, offering cash prizes and national Read More... recognition. Read less

Details

The Department of Telecommunications, under the Ministry of Communications, has introduced the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Excellence Award. This initiative is all about recognizing and rewarding the best minds and efforts in India's telecom sector.

What Is This Award?

This award is a special recognition by the Indian government for individuals and organisations that have made significant strides in the field of telecommunications. It aims to boost innovation, improve skills, and acknowledge excellence in telecom services, manufacturing, and its applications across various crucial sectors of the country.

Who Can Benefit?

The award is open to Indian citizens, as well as organisations and institutions that are registered in India. It's for those who have actively contributed to the telecom sector in the last three years, focusing on areas like new innovations, skill development, service delivery, manufacturing, or using telecom for the betterment of sectors such as agriculture, health, education, and commerce.

Why This Award Matters

The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Excellence Award plays a vital role in encouraging further development and adoption of advanced telecom technologies. By highlighting successful contributions, it inspires others to innovate and work towards a more connected and technologically advanced India. It also provides a platform for showcasing impactful work that benefits the common citizen.

Objective

This award celebrates outstanding Indian contributions to telecom innovation, services, and applications, offering cash prizes and national recognition.

Benefits

Sarvashreshth Divyangjan (Most Outstanding Persons with Disabilities):Certificate, medal, and cash award of ₹2.00 lakh for each awardee.

Shreshth Divyangjan (Outstanding Persons with Disabilities):Certificate, medal, and cash award of ₹1.00 lakh for each awardee.

Shreshth Srijansheel Divyang Bal/Balika (Outstanding Creative Child with Disabilities):Certificate, medal, and cash award of ₹1.00 lakh for each awardee.

Most Outstanding Person working for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities:Certificate, medal, and cash award of ₹1.00 lakh.

Most Outstanding Rehabilitation Professional/Personnel in the field of disability:Certificate, medal, and cash award of ₹1.00 lakh.

Most Outstanding Research/Innovation/Product Development in the field of disability:Certificate, medal, and cash award of ₹1.00 lakh.

Sources and references

Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

You must be an Indian citizen, or an organisation/institution registered in India.
Your significant contributions to the telecom sector should have been made within the last 3 years.
Your work should involve telecom innovations, skilling, services, manufacturing, or practical applications of telecom in other sectors.
Your contributions should show a positive impact in areas like agriculture, health, education, or commerce.
You need to provide evidence of work done within India.
You should not have received this award in the past 3 years.
Government employees are generally not eligible for work done as part of their regular duties, unless it's after retirement.

How To Apply

Applications for the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Excellence Award must be submitted online. Visit the official National Awards Portal to submit your application. Ensure all required documents are uploaded accurately before the deadline.

Apply Online Here: https://awards.gov.in/

Documents Required

A detailed description of your contribution or work.
A recommendation letter from your organisation, if applicable.
Proof of identity (for individuals).
Registration certificate of your organisation (for institutions).
Supporting documents and evidence to prove your work.
Annual reports for the last 3 years (for organisations, if requested).
Memorandum and Articles of Association (if applicable).
A self-certification statement from the applicant.
Proof of the period during which the contribution was made (last 3 years).

Official Sources

For the most current and detailed information, please refer to the official announcements and the National Awards Portal.

FAQ’s

Can I nominate myself for this award?

Yes, both individuals and organisations have the option to nominate themselves for this award.

What kind of contributions are considered for this award?

The award recognises contributions in areas like telecom innovation, skill development, service delivery, manufacturing, and the application of telecom technology in sectors like agriculture, health, education, and commerce.

Is there a limit on how many awards are given each year?

Up to five awards can be given annually, provided there are deserving candidates who meet the criteria.

What are the monetary benefits for the awardees?

Each recipient gets a cash prize of ₹2,00,000, along with travel reimbursements and an incidental expense allowance of ₹7,500.

Can the award title be used in professional profiles?

No, the award cannot be used as a title, prefix, or suffix. Misusing the award title may result in its forfeiture.

What is the timeframe for the contributions that are eligible?

The contributions considered for the award must have been made within the last three years leading up to the application period.

Are there any age restrictions for applying?

The scheme does not specify any age limit for applicants. Both young innovators and experienced professionals are welcome to apply.

Who is responsible for choosing the awardees?

An Award Committee is formed to evaluate the nominations and select the final awardees based on the merits of their contributions.

Can someone who has already received this award apply again?

An individual or organisation that has received this award in the last three years is not eligible to apply again.

Are government employees eligible to apply?

Government employees can apply if their work is not part of their regular official duties or if it's done after their retirement. Work performed during active service and as part of their job is generally not considered.

Is it possible to receive the award after passing away?

The award is generally not given posthumously. However, in extremely rare and exceptional circumstances, the government may consider it.

What is the official website to submit applications?

Applications should be submitted online through the National Awards Portal, accessible at https://awards.gov.in/.