Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct. 7: The deadline for creators in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to submit entries under the “Gems of India” pilot initiative has been extended to October 31, 2026, giving young creators and digital storytellers more time to present the Islands’ culture, heritage, tourism potential, traditions, cuisine, art and local stories on a national platform.
The national initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is being implemented through Prasar Bharati to identify and encourage emerging creators from districts across the country and provide them with a national digital platform.
The pilot phase covers six States and Union Territories — Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa and Ladakh.
Participants from the Islands can register and submit their digital entries through the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT Platform by October 31. The submission window originally ran from July 21 to August 31, 2026, before being extended to September 30 and subsequently to the current deadline.
The Directorate of Information, Publicity and Tourism, in a press release, has invited young creators, storytellers and digital content creators from the Islands to participate. The initiative seeks entries that document the distinct cultural heritage, natural beauty, tourism potential and local stories of the participating districts.
The programme offers awards at district, State or Union Territory and national levels. At the district level, participation is based on the number of entries, ranging from 500 to more than 15,000 entries per district, scaled according to population. Up to 20 district awards may be given, with each award carrying prize money of ₹50,000.
At the State or Union Territory level, the best entries from districts will compete for up to one award per district, with a proposed prize of ₹2 lakh for each award.
At the national level, the best entries from States and Union Territories will be considered for up to four awards per State or Union Territory, with the number scaled according to population. Each national award carries proposed prize money of ₹5 lakh.
The initiative is intended to bring district-level stories and emerging creators into a wider digital space while giving participants an opportunity for recognition at the national level.
Participants who require technical assistance while uploading their digital content may contact the In-charge, IT Cell.
The Directorate has urged eligible creators to complete their registration and submission through the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT Platform before the October 31 deadline.
