LUCKNOW, Oct. 14 -- Uttar Pradesh is set to join the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, a national initiative launched by the Union education ministry to promote innovation, creativity, and self-reliance among school students. The programme, which commences on Monday, seeks to engage students from Classes 6 to 12 in developing ideas and prototypes aimed at nation-building, officials said. Inaugurated by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the initiative is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which envisions transforming India into a global hub for innovation and research. "Students, guided by their teachers, will work on prototype solutions based on four key themes, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, Vocal for Local, and Samriddh Bharat," said Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, additional chief secretary, basic and secondary education, UP. "These themes embody the collective goal of building a self-reliant and developed nation." Registrations for the Buildathon were open from September 23 to October 11. According to official data, 68,940 schools, 1,75,777 teachers, and 2,26,144 students have registered across the country. "To ensure widespread involvement, the state government directed district basic education officers and district school inspectors to promote the initiative and coordinate activities at the school level through online meetings," he said. A virtual launch event, to be addressed by the Union education minister, will be held on Monday, from 10 am to 12 pm. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube for schools nationwide. After the launch, participating teams will develop short videos showcasing their innovative ideas and prototypes. Submissions will be accepted on the Buildathon portal until October 31. Director-general of school education, UP, Monika Rani, has directed all district education officers to ensure active participation in the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 programme. Students will work in teams to design innovative solutions and record video presentations of their prototypes. The Union education ministry has announced a Rs 1 cr prize pool to reward the most creative and impactful entries, including 1,000 district-level, 100 state-level, and 10 national-level winners....