Anveshan

International Student Research

Convention

Rules & Guidelines

Research Division
Association of Indian Universities
16, Comrade Indrajit Gupta Marg, New Delhi - 110002

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 Anveshan: International Student Research Convention
Rules & Guidelines
Preamble
Spirit of inquiry, creativity and innovativeness are some of the natural endowments
bestowed upon human beings, which are the keys to transformation of life. These
factors, when manifested in the form of research, open new frontiers of knowledge,
which is instrumental for all forms of development. Perhaps, this is the reason for
which research is recognized as one of the core functions of the
universities/institutions of higher learning and the universities have been rendering
this responsibility with utmost diligence. India’s noteworthy progress in the field
of Information Technology, Energy and Space, etc., are the outcome of consistent
endeavour of our intellectual resources. India, currently producing a solid core of
knowledge workers in tertiary and scientific and technical education and its
economy and industrial sector set for an unparalleled growth is poised to become
the future global knowledge hub. However, the onus lies largely on our Higher
Education System and particularly on our universities. But, of late, research has
become a subservient component in the university functioning. Resource
constraints, lack of commitment, proper incentive, etc., are the impediments that
are affecting the quality of research in our institutions of higher education. Other
important factors for the deterioration of the quality of research are the absence of
adequate training and other capacity building endeavors in our system, which have
restricted students’ creativity only to rote memory. On the contrary, their potential
should be nurtured and harnessed for the benefit of the society. The current boom
in Indian economy signaling an era of transformation should provide ample
opportunity for success to innovative young brains to become trend setters and role
models of a vibrant India.

With a view to inculcating research culture in our higher education institutions and
strengthening the Research Ecosystem in higher education, the Research Division
of the Association of Indian Universities has been organizing Student Research
Conventions for aspiring researchers throughout the country. These Conventions
aim at identifying the young and rising talents who would be promoted through
proper encouragement and incentives. Also, an attempt shall be made to
commercialize their research projects with industrial collaboration. The endeavour
may accelerate scientific research and innovation and their application towards
community development percolating to the grass root level. Anveshan: The
Student Research Convention was applauded across the country for providing an
innovative platform for students and generating a great deal of enthusiasm among
the young and emerging breed of researchers in the country. Nevertheless, the
initiative is an attempt to inculcate and strengthen a culture of research in the
universities and other institutions of Higher Learning.

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Launched in 2007, Anveshan: Student Research Convention is an annual activity
of the Research Division which is organized at zonal and national level. Although,
one of its original mandates was to internationalize Anveshan, due to certain
limitations in the initial years the scope of Anveshan was confined to zonal and
national level. With the experience of organizing the conventions in more than one
and half decades, this major activity has been institutionalized and has received
accolades from the member universities and the academic stakeholders not only
nationally, but internationally too. With the growing interest of the researchers,
institutions, and other stakeholders, the scope of Anveshan was expanded to the
international level in 2023 during which the newer/upgraded version of the
Anveshan was introduced reaching out to international students and inviting them
to participate in Anveshan so that exchange of knowledge and submission of joint
and collaborative projects can be promoted. Earlier, Anveshan was being
organized in a conventional mode wherein most of the activities were being
manually done. For making the process more efficient the newer version of
Anveshan has been completely digitalized. The entire process will be executed in
hybrid mode, giving opportunity to researchers from remote places of the country
to participate in the convention and also reach out to international researchers for
network and collaboration. The objective is to expand its scope and provide a
pathway to Indian researchers to network and collaborate with international
students. As such the mandate of NEP 2020 and its recommendations on
promoting internationalization has necessitated expanding the scope and reach of
Anveshan to the International level.

Anveshan: Background and procedure

Anveshan, as the name signifies, is a platform launched by the Association of
Indian Universities in the direction of identifying and nurturing the Research
aptitudes of young researchers. The principal objective of Anveshan is to
strengthen the Research Ecosystem in Higher Education by capacity building and
catalyzing the talents of young researchers. It is a competition wherein young
researchers are invited to present their innovative research projects and showcase
their talents. The competition is held in Six areas/fields namely – (i) Basic Science,
(ii) Engineering and Technology, (iii) Agricultural Sciences and Allied subjects,
(iv) Health Science & Allied Fields, (v) Social Science; Humanities, Business
Management, commerce; Law and (vi) Interdisciplinary Research. The
organization of Anveshan follows a structured procedure and is conducted by
following the guidelines.

The process begins with the preparation of the Anveshan calendar for the particular
year. The member universities are advised to organize a competition of Research
projects in the six categories mentioned above and select best three projects in each
category and send them to the Zonal level Convention. One university in each zone
is identified as the host university. The Zonal level conventions are organized in
four Zones – East, West, North and South. Each University can send 18 Projects
(three projects in each field) to the zonal level convention wherein the research
projects pass through two stages of evaluation, namely, poster and podium
presentation. The projects are assessed by a panel of three Experts in each field on
well-laid criteria mentioned in the Anveshan Guidelines. The Selected projects are

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finally given entry at the final Convention i.e International Research Convention.
The research projects selected in the First, Second, and Third positions in each
category/field are incentivized with cash awards, certificates and mementos. The
objective and detailed procedure of participating in the Anveshan International
Research Convention is as follows:

Objectives
 To identify young talent with research aptitude and interest to take up research
as a career option.
 To promote the talent in research throughout the country.
 To nurture talent through specialized training and education in some of the
nationally and internationally reputed premier institutions of higher learning in
the country.
 To augment financial and physical resources through collaboration with
different sponsors to support education and training of young researchers.
 To provide proper incentives to enhance the skills of potential students.
 To initiate an intensive research culture in a selected group of institutions.

 To promote collaboration at the National & International levels.

 To promote interdisciplinary

 To promote entrepreneurship and encourage students to establish their startups.

Areas/Fields /Categories
The areas/fields/ categories in which Projects (Individual and collaborative
Projects*) are invited:
1. Agriculture
2. Basic Sciences
3. Engineering & Technology
4. Health Sciences and Allied Subjects, Pharmacy, Nutrition, etc.
5. Social Sciences, Humanities, Commerce and Law
6. Interdisciplinary Research Projects
 In the case of collaborative projects, a maximum of three members [one lead
presenter and up to two major contributors] are allowed to participate in the
zonal/ International convention.
 For participating both in Zonal and International Anveshan, the student has to
apply online on the portal either individually or as a team for collaborative
projects.
 For collaborative, three types of collaborations are allowed:

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  Teams of students from Indian and foreign universities (for International
Anveshan) – Researchers from Indian Universities can collaborate with any
international student (s) and can take part in International Anveshan

 Teams of Indian and foreign students studying in India (Zonal Anveshan)-

Individual Researchers or Teams of Researchers of Indian universities
including Foreign Students Studying in Indian Universities have to participate
at Zonal Level Anveshan

 Teams of Indian students: Individual Researchers or Teams of Researchers from

Indian Universities shall have to participate at Zonal Level Anveshan

The students need to register directly in the portal, but the project will be accepted
for competition only if it is endorsed on the portal by the Anveshan coordinator
/Competent Authority of their respective universities/Institutions. Both Zonal and
International Conventions shall be organized in hybrid mode. The result of
competitions would be uploaded on the Anveshan Portal of AIU.

Competition Phases and Duration

 The convention will be held in three phases.
i. In the First Phase, all universities in the country will be requested to
organize a competition/ exhibition of research projects at the university
level in which students from Affiliated/Constituent Colleges, Research
Institutions, and University Postgraduate Departments will be invited to
participate. The exhibited projects will be scrutinized by a team of experts
nominated by the university in the respective areas. The best three (3)
Projects in each of the six (6) areas/fields (total 18) shall be selected and
sent by the University to the Zonal Level Convention, latest by 30th
November 2024.
ii. In the Second Phase, the Convention will be held at the Zonal level for
which four universities, one in each zone, will be identified by AIU to host
the Convention. The Zonal Level Convention shall start with a Poster
presentation followed by a podium presentation. The Research projects will
be assessed by a panel of three experts in each area/field. From each zone,
best 18 projects (1st, 2nd and 3rd in each of the 06 categories) will be
selected and be given entry to compete at the international level. The Zonal
convention for each zone will be held for two days on a staggered
scheduled across the four zones.
iii. In the Third Phase, Convention will be held at the international level. The
winners of the zonal competitions will be eligible to participate in the
international level competition. A total of 72 selected projects will
participate at the International Level through the Zonal conventions. The
international convention will be held over three days.

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 iv. The Best Project across all six categories adjudged by the experts (in all
areas/fields) in consensus shall be awarded Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan
Gold Medal (2024-25).
University set-up:
 Each participating university will need to nominate a Coordinator who will
verify, steer and guide the participating students and teams from the
university.
 Each university is allowed to send a maximum number of 18 projects for the
zonal level Student Research Convention, a maximum 3 from each category.
 The students have to apply online on the portal for the projects duly endorsed
by the competent authority of the university by a stipulated date every year as
mentioned in Anveshan Calendar and uploaded on AIU Website:
http://www.aiu.ac.in

 The projects will be assessed by a panel of experts drawn from various

disciplines based on laid down criteria for assessment. The students whose
projects will be selected in the final stage at the International Convention will
be given all prizes. All efforts will be made to promote them for career
development in research.

 There will be an additional route for participating in International Convention.

This will comprise of International Students studying in foreign universities
who can apply as individual or in collaboration with an Indian University.
Criteria for Assessment of Projects
All the projects will be assessed based on the following criteria. Each criterion is
assigned some weightage. The final selection of projects will be based on the
cumulative weightage given on all criteria.

Criteria and Weightage

 Scientific Thoughts and Principles 20
 Creativity 20
 Thoroughness 10
 Skill 10
 Relevance to the society 20
 Cost Effectiveness 10
 Scope for Commercialization 10

In case of the projects having scored equal cumulative weightage points the
scalability of the project shall be the additional evaluation for making the final
decision.

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Eligibility for Participation
Entries of the research projects will be purely INSTITUTIONAL and only
BONAFIDE full-time Students/Research Scholars from Undergraduate to
Doctoral Degree level are eligible to take part in the convention. Those who are
below 30 years of age are only eligible to take part in the Convention. The age
of the participating student will be calculated till the date of the Registration.

Entry/Registration Fee for Zonal level Convention

 Registration/Entry for Indian Students - Rs. 500/- (Per Student)

 Registration/ Entry Fee for International Students - $10 (Per student)

 The Registration/Entry Fee shall be paid online on the AIU/Anveshan

portal, and the payment will be received directly by AIU.

 Entry fee will be accepted only one time. The students who have paid at the
Zonal level need not pay again for participating in the International
Anveshan for the same project.

Board and Lodging

At zonal level, the host university will make the arrangements for Accommodation,
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, and Session Tea (twice) for the participants
including their escorts without any charge during the two days of the event.
Those requiring such facilities may contact the coordinator of the host university.
The name and contact details of the Anveshan Coordinators shall be available
on Anveshan Portal.

Responsibility of Organizers
(A) Association of Indian Universities (AIU)
 Association of Indian Universities shall have Exclusive Right on the
Anveshan – Research Convention.
 The Convention shall be organized under the banner of Association of
Indian Universities.
 Identifying Universities at the Zonal/International level for organizing the
Conventions.
 Financial support to the host university. (AIU will pay Rs 2.50 (Two
Lakhs Fifty Thousand only) as Financial Assistance to each University
for conducting the Convention at the Zonal level and Rs. 4.00 (Four
Lakhs) to the University for hosting International Level Convention).
 The Host Universities are free to take sponsorship for hosting the events.
 Promoting the Event through rigorous outreach.

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  Reaching out to International Organizations for inviting their Member
University Students to take part in the Convention.
 Coordinating the convention and post-convention activities.
 Compiling and bringing out the Compendium of Presented Research
Projects.
 In the event of unsatisfactory arrangements or no-compliance of rules of
Anveshan, AIU reserves the right to withdraw or cancel or reschedule the
Research Convention at zonal or international level.
(B) Host University
 The Host University shall develop a separate short brochure for promoting
the Event. The Name of the Association of Indian Universities shall appear at
the Top in the Brochure. The name and logo of AIU shall be mentioned in all
promotional materials developed for the purpose. The Logo of AIU shall be
placed on top left side of the promotional Materials.
 The Host University shall abide by the Rules and Guidelines of Anveshan.
No change or modification in the rules and procedures is allowed
without the approval of AIU.
 The Host University shall reach out to universities in their respective zone to
encourage participation from the students.
 Providing Boarding, lodging (without any charge during the two/three
days of the event) and other logistics for participants, experts, observers,
Local Coordination in organizing the programme.
 Selection of experts: The Host University Shall consult AIU in inviting the
Experts for assessment of Projects. The panel of experts (preferably retired or
serving academicians from the adjoining institutions, personnel from local
industries) shall be invited to assess the projects. Three experts in each area/
field will constitute the panel in each area/field. In order to avoid the conflict
of interest, NO Expert shall be engaged from the host university and the
institutions from where the students are participating in the Convention.
 TA and token honorarium of around Rs 3000/- (per day) to each expert will
be covered from the seed money paid by AIU.
 Arrangement of adequate space and Mount Boards for poster presentation
and auditorium or seminar hall for podium presentation with reasonably good
facilities with required electronic gadgets shall be done by the host university
 The Host University shall submit the Utilization Certificate for the Financial
Assistance provided by AIU within two weeks of the execution of the
Convention.
 The Host University Shall submit a complete report (English version with
editable content) with photographs to AIU within two weeks of the
completion of the Event. The Report shall be submitted to AIU along with
the Utilization Certificate.

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  All correspondence and coordination shall be done with Joint Director &
Head of Research Division of AIU who shall be the Chief Convenor of the
Anveshan.

(C) Participating Universities in Anveshan:

 Appoint Anveshan coordinator who will be the Single Point of Contact
(SPOC) for coordination of Anveshan from the respective university
 Holding competition at university level within the university
Teaching/Research Department and also inviting projects from constituent/
affiliated colleges/institutes to participate in university level Convention.
 Endorsement of Selected Projects through competent authority
 Facilitating the participation of selected projects and related researchers in
International Convention

Step by Step Guideline for Participating in Anveshan and

Submission of Projects.
1. Go to https://projectset.com/anveshan;
2. Select the track you wish to participate in;
3. Select your Country and university name;
4. [A new page opens for registrations from your university] Enter your email id
5. Enter the password of your ProjectSet account (or enter details to sign up for
a free account on ProjectSet)
6. [Proceed to form your team] Enter your team’s name (we strongly
recommend that you enter the project title as the team name);
7. To participate solo, turn the radio button to Private and you’re done!
8. To participate in a team, select any ONE of the following options:
• Select “Create a team” to form a new team and invite your friends
to join in by adding their email ids; it will trigger an email
instructing them to join your team (you may invite students from
other AIU-member universities in your zone only, including your
own university). You can send out invites any time from the
ProjectSet by clicking View Team Members and the + button to
enter their email ids. Keep the radio button on Public mode to allow
other participants to join your team.

• OR select Join a Team to review the project title and members of

existing (public) teams and select any one to join

• OR select to be assigned to a team with other students from the

same zone and track. With this option, you may change your

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 preference to form or join a team anytime till you are assigned to a
team on the registration deadline day.

9. You are now all set to participate in AIU Anveshan 2024. Please email
[email protected] if you have any question.
Guidelines for Participants
1. Registration is compulsory and all participants are required to register online
on the nominated Anveshan portal. Students who do not register online prior to
the stipulated deadline will not be eligible to participate in the competition.

2. Entries of the research projects will be purely INSTITUTIONAL and only

BONAFIDE fulltime Students/Research Scholars from Undergraduate to
Doctoral Degree level are eligible to take part in the convention.

3. Projects should be original and based on new/innovative ideas and must have
undergone some exploration and ground-work to prove its feasibility and show
impact.

4. The Projects are invited in six Categories/areas – i) Agriculture, ii) Basic

Sciences, iii) Engineering & Technology, iv) Health Sciences and Allied
Subjects, Pharmacy, Nutrition, etc. v) Social Sciences, Humanities,
Commerce and Law, v) Interdisciplinary Research.

5. In case of a Group project, up to four members (the principal investigator and

three major contributors) are allowed to participate – and only one member
will be allowed to present – in the zonal/ International convention. But. The
team should confirm the name of Lead Presenter to the convention organiser in
advance.

6. The Projects can be presented in the form of posters or live demonstration

models as well as a presentation in any aforementioned areas/ fields. The
Posters should:

a. Have 1m X 1m dimension (Length and Width)

b. NOT have any identification mark such as name of the student/

presenter, affiliating institutions, names of supervisor/mentors, etc.

c. Clearly mention of the problem statement, objective (s), methodology

employed, a brief summary of major findings.

7. Each university is allowed to send a maximum number of six projects for the
zonal level Student Research Convention.

8. All registered participants will progress through the competition in three

phases. In the First Phase, you will participate in a competition/ exhibition of
your research projects with those from other students in affiliated Colleges,

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 Research Institutions, and Departments in your university. A team of experts
nominated by the university will then select the best three (3) Projects in each
of the six (6) areas/fields (total 18) to represent the University at the Zonal
Level Convention. The date and details of this phase will be announced by
your respective universities.

9. In the Second Phase, up to 18 teams nominated by each university will be

invited to participate in the Zonal Convention for your zone. The host
universities for the zonal convention in each zone will be identified by AIU.

10. The Zonal rounds in the Second Phase will:

a. Require all participating teams to be duly endorsed by a competent

authority of the university prior to the stipulated date mentioned in
Anveshan Calendar and uploaded on AIU Website: http://www.aiu.ac.in.
Teams without such endorsement will not be allowed to participate in the
zonal round. Please contact your university coordinator for such approval.
b. Require participants to present in two rounds. In the first round the
participants will display their projects in poster presentations before a panel
of judges. If selected in the first round, the project will be allowed for
podium and oral presentation before the panel of Judges in the second
round. The total time allowed for oral/ podium presentation is 10 minutes
including Seven Minutes for presentation and Three Minutes for
question-answer. The Specifications of Poster presentation are as stipulated
in point-6 above.
c. Involve evaluation by a panel of three experts in each area/field. From each
zone, best 18 projects (1st, 2nd and 3rd in each of the 06 categories) will be
selected to compete at the international convention in phase 3.
d. Offer all participants the required infrastructural facilities like
Display/Mounting Boards, space for display, LCD/ overhead projector, etc.,
required for presentation. In case any special assistance is required the
participants may request the coordinator of the host university for the same
at least three days before the Convention starts.
e. Be held for two days on a staggered scheduled across the four zones. The
details of the Zonal conventions will be communicated to the nominated
teams from each university closer to the date.
f. Require a nominal Participation Fee of Rs. 500/- per student. Participants
can pay Fee in the form of RTGS/ NEFT/ Online to Association of
Indian Universities (saving Bank A/C. No- 0158101000975, Beneficiary
Name-Association of Indian Universities, Canara Bank, Branch-DDU
Marg, New Delhi -110002, IFSC-CNRB0000158) and Registration form
should be sent to the coordinator of the Organizing University under
intimation to AIU (the details of the Host/ Organizing University will be
announced soon). There is no registration fee for international level
convention.

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 g. Offer all participants and their mentor (one for Each Team), experts’
accommodation, Breakfast, working lunch and dinner at the host university
free of cost.
11. In the Third Phase, the winners from all Zonal Conventions will be invited to
participate in the International Convention. A total of 72 teams from the 4
zones will participate at the International Convention along with teams from
select international universities. The international convention will be held over
three days. The details of the international convention will be communicated to
the winning teams from each zone closer to the date.

12. The Third Phase will:

a. Include, in addition, entries from International Students studying in

foreign universities. These teams may include participants from an Indian
University.
b. Require participants to present in two rounds. In the first round the
participants will display their projects in poster presentations before a panel
of judges. If selected in the first round, the project will be allowed for
podium and oral presentation before the panel of Judges in the second
round. The total time allowed for oral/ podium presentation is 10 minutes
including Seven Minutes for presentation and Three Minutes for
question-answer. The Specifications of Poster presentation is as stipulated
in point-6 above.
c. Involve evaluation by a panel of three experts in each area/field based on
laid down criteria for assessment. From each zone, best 18 projects (1st,
2nd and 3rd in each of the 06 categories) will be selected to compete at the
international convention in phase 3.
d. Offer all participants the required infrastructural facilities like
Display/Mounting Boards, space for display, LCD/ overhead projector, etc.,
required for presentation. In case any special assistance is required the
participants may request the coordinator of the host university for the same
at least three days before the Convention starts.
e. Be held for three days in a host university to be selected by AIU. The
details of the International Convention will be communicated to the
relevant teams closer to the date.
f. Offer all participants accommodation, Breakfast, working lunch and dinner
at the host university free of cost.
13. The students whose projects will be selected in the final stage at the
International Convention will be given all prizes. All efforts will be made to
promote them for career development in research.
14. Certification of Participation and mementoes with endorsement of both AIU
and Host University will be issued to all the participants.
15. Unless extraordinary circumstance so warrants the results of the competitions
will be declared in the last day of the Convention preferably in the valediction.

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16. The dates and venues for Zonal and International Conventions will be
announced in due course. All participants should monitor announcements in the
online portal for updates.
17. Winning Projects will be invited for International Student Research
Conventions as per the schedule decided by Association of Indian
Universities.
18. Winners in the International Student Research Convention will be awarded
Cash Prizes along with Certificates and Mementos. The amount of Cash Prize
for first position holders is Rs 75,000, second Position Rs. 50,000 and third
position Rs 25,000.
19. The Best Project across all six categories adjudged by the experts (in all
areas/fields) in consensus shall be awarded Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan
Gold Medal (2024-25), along with the cash Prize and certificate.
20. All these rules shall be strictly adhered to by the students failing which the
participant shall be disqualified and debar from participation in the Convention.
21. The decision of judges will be final and binding on all participants.
22. In case of any dispute relating to selection and assessment of Projects the
appellate authority is the Secretary General, AIU.

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