PJMT National Green Earth Challenge

The Prem Jain Memorial Trust National Green Earth Challenge invites students of Engineering, Architecture, and Design colleges across India to tackle critical environmental challenges by developing innovative and sustainable design solutions for the built environment. With the mounting pressures of climate change, resource depletion, and urbanization, this challenge emphasizes the importance of a transdisciplinary, integrated approach. Participants will blend insights from various disciplines to create solutions that are not only eco-friendly but also socially inclusive. The PJMT National Green Earth Challenge this year will focus on two distinct themes: 

• The Arch-Eng Challenge: The Arch-Eng theme encourages Architecture and Engineering students to create sustainable design solutions that are rooted in evidence and address issues related to the environment & people. The challenge emphasizes a transdisciplinary approach, integrating the environmental, social, and technological aspects while designing the solution. Participants should bring their innovative ideas and subject matter expertise to reinvent conventional practices or provide an alternate solution to enhance efficiency. 
• The Design Challenge: The Design category of the PJMT National Green Earth Challenge aims to promote sustainability by transforming available materials into innovative products that benefit humanity, communities, society, and the environment as a whole. Our planet faces escalating environmental challenges, from resource scarcity to mounting waste and pollution. Designers have a unique ability to shape how products are created, used, and discarded. In this challenge, we ask you to reimagine design processes through the lens of circularity—creating innovative solutions that keep materials in use for as long as possible, minimize waste, and regenerate natural systems. 

Who can participate? 

• The challenge is open to undergraduate students currently enrolled in architecture, engineering, or design programs. 
• You can participate individually or form teams of 2 or 3 members. Teams can consist of students from different batches or colleges, as long as all members meet the eligibility criteria. 
• Eligibility is restricted to Indian citizens. 

Stages of Evaluation 

• First Stage: A panel of experts in the field will review all applications and rank the top solutions from four zones - North, East, South, and West. 
• Second Stage: The top solutions will present their submissions online to a distinguished jury in each zone. Per zone, three prizes will be awarded at this stage: zonal winner, zonal first runner-up, and zonal second runner-up. 
• Third Stage: The zonal winners and first runners-up advance to the third stage, competing in Delhi for the National Prize. They will present their solutions while incorporating feedback from previous stages. A national winner and national runner-up will be announced at this stage. 

Awards: 

The following awards* are available for both categories: 

• National Round:  
  • Winner: ₹1,50,000 
  • Runner-Up: ₹50,000 
• Zonal Rounds:   
  • Winner: ₹25,000  
  • First Runner-Up: ₹18,000  
  • Second Runner-Up: ₹12,000 

Key Dates: 

• 13th November 2024 – Applications Open 
• 6th January 2025 – Applications Close 
• 1st-2nd March 2025 – Zonal Rounds: Top entries from the North, East, South, and West zone will present their ideas to judges. 
• 28th-29th March 2025 – National Round: Zonal winners and first runners-up will compete at the Grand Finale in Delhi.