INTACH Awards for Interdisciplinary Heritage Documentation 2026
1. INTRODUCTION
Heritage encompasses natural, built and intangible components that intersect to create integrated ecosystems of significance. The value of heritage does not lie only in the physical resources but also in the embedded knowledge systems and practices that have evolved around them. India is a country rich in heritage though not much of it has been documented. A large segment of this heritage is under threat due to development pressures, changing lifestyles, ignorance and lack of recognition.
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) offers a nation-wide awards programme for interdisciplinary documentation of heritage in India. The Awards programme has been established with an objective to develop and promote sensitivity and awareness towards heritage in undergraduate students across the country. The motivation is to encourage a holistic understanding of heritage by mapping and interpreting the intricate relationship between the built environment, cultural practices and natural surroundings.
| Name of the Award | No. of Awards | |
|---|---|---|
| Award of Excellence | 1 | |
| Award of Merit | 3 | |
| Commendation Award | 3 |
Winning entries will be published through INTACH publications and other relevant INTACH platforms, providing wider visibility and dissemination of the selected student work
2. ELIGIBILITY
2.1 The programme shall be open to undergraduate students of architecture, planning, anthropology, sociology, history, environmental studies, cultural studies, zoology, geography, geology and allied fields.
2.2 The term ‘Student’ shall mean a bonafide student of a recognised College or University that runs a full-time three to five year degree or diploma (equivalent to degree) programme on the above-mentioned subjects.
2.3 The documentation exercise can be done either individually or in a group (not exceeding 20 students).
2.4 The documentation study should not have been conducted more than 12 months before the last date of submission of the Awards cycle.
2.5 Each documentation entry/project must be submitted by the students with due consent of the Head of the Department or Head of Institute. The signed and stamped consent form (available as Annexure 1) must be uploaded on the submission portal.
2.6 Students are required to work under the guidance of a Faculty Representative.
3. IMPORTANT DATES
The competition will be run in accordance with the following time-table:
| Date Launch of Awards Cycle | 25 September 2026 |
| Last Date for Submission | 15 January 2027 |
| Jury Shortlisting and Evaluation | January 2027 |
| Declaration of Winners | February 2027 |
| Awards Ceremony and Exhibition | March 2027 |
4. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The award challenges participants to explore and recognise the interconnected richness of heritage at a chosen site. The geographical area taken up for documentation should be clearly defined. The students should select a lesser-known/vulnerable/unprotected site that represents an overlay of built, natural and intangible heritage.
The submission should include four to six A2 size panels orone Video (8 to 12 mins) and one Report (3,000 to 5,000 words). Revealing identity through participant(s) name, college name/stamp, or any other means would amount to misconduct and the submission would be disqualified. Anonymity is to be maintained for unbiased evaluation.
- Minimum four but not more than six A2 size panels.
- The panels can contain to-scale drawings with graphical scale (plan, section, elevation, views), sketches, pictographs, diagrams and photographs, supported with textual information.
- Panels in portrait mode will be preferred.
- Minimum of 8 mins but not exceeding 12 mins.
- Video documentation of the site could provide a context to the communities highlighted or natural habitat, to aid in narrating the story. It could record in-progress festivals, rituals, craft practices etc., and could also contain interviews.
- Video Quality: 1080p
- Orientation: Landscape (16:9)
- File size should not exceed 1GB in mp4 format.
- Word Limit: 3,000 to 5,000 words (including abstract and references)
- File format: PDF and Word (both)
- The first two pages must be in accordance with Annexure 2.
- The report can contain to-scale drawings with graphical scale (plan, section, elevation, views), sketches, pictographs, diagrams and photographs, with relevant captions
- The report may contain but not be limited to the following aspects: Introduction (past and present use, typology, ownership and justification for site selection, methodology), context, history, evolution, detailed description, analysis, interpretation, significance, conclusion
- The report must include in-text citation and end with a list of references (including previous documentation/secondary sources)
- The similarity index of the report must not exceed 15%
- See Annexure 3 for writing guidelines/stylesheet
i. The contents of the documentation must be original. Non-original material must not be used unless absolutely essential for the study. In such cases, due credits are to be given and copyright permission must be taken. The data should be collected using ethical means.
ii. If the documentation project is part of a studio/used in any other competition it should be clearly mentioned in the abstract.
iii. The documentation work must not be plagiarised, in part or full. In case the work is found to be plagiarised, it would lead to immediate disqualification of the entry. Even if the plagiarism is detected post declaration of the award, the award would be revoked.
5. JURY & DECLARATION OF AWARDS
5.1 A jury of three members shall be constituted by INTACH from amongst eminent professionals and academics. The Jury shall adjudicate on the documentation projects submitted and finalise the award-winning entries under the three categories.
5.2 The results of the awards will be declared on the day of the Jury decision.
5.3 IHA will publish all eligible entries online in a digital format through the official website. Names of participating colleges will be displayed on the website.
5.4 Representative(s) from the winning institution will be invited for the Award Ceremony at INTACH, New Delhi.
7. STEPS FOR SUBMISSION
i. Refer to the detailed guidelines and the following checklist to make sure all documents are ready in the required formats and sizes:
- A2 Size panels (min 4; max 6) (Acceptable formats: .pdf/ .jpg/ .jpeg/ .png) (max. 1 GB)
OR
Video (only 1) (Acceptable format: .mp4) (max. 1 GB) - Institution Consent Form signed and stamped(Annexure 1) (Note: The application will be rejected if the form does not have the official signature accompanied by institutional stamp.)
- Report including Annexure 2 (Acceptable formats: .pdf/ .doc/ .docx) (max. 5 MB)
ii. Register at the submission portal by filling all the required fields
iii. Take note of your application number as allotted on the portal
iv. Login to submission portal
v. Fill all the fields in Section 1: General Details
vi. Read carefully and check all boxes in Section 2: Student(s) Declaration Form
vii. Upload signed and stamped Annexure 1 in Section 3: Institution Consent Form
viii. Upload panels/video in Section 4: Upload Submission
ix. Upload report in Section 4: Upload Submission
x. Check all particulars thoroughly and click on submit, yes.
Note: The submission will be subject to acceptance or rejection based on its compliance with the guidelines. Participants can check the status of their application through the submission portal.
8. LAST DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES
The last date for submission of entries is 03:00 PM, 15th January 2027. For further queries, please reach out to us on awards.iha@gmail.com / 011-24627371
6. TRAINING WORKSHOP 2024
A two-day introductory workshop was conducted for participants in an online mode. The workshop introduced the different heritage ecosystems and helped with site selection. The sessions also introduced the different tools and methodologies for documentation that may aid in the process. The recorded sessions can be viewed on our YouTube channel.
7. WINNERS 2025
