Mascot Design Contest for Aadhaar

Background

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, invites citizens to participate in the Mascot Design Contest for Aadhaar through the MyGov platform. The mascot will serve as the visual ambassador of UIDAI, symbolising its values of trust, empowerment, inclusivity, and digital innovation.

Objectives:

The main objectives of the Mascot are to:

• Create a unique, memorable, and relatable mascot that represents Aadhaar’s values — inclusivity, security, accessibility, and empowerment.
• Create awareness among the audience about Aadhaar and drive engagement.
• Strengthen citizen engagement by involving the public in Aadhaar’s brand-building process.
• Build an emotional connection with all age groups, especially youth and children.
• Communicate complex systems & processes in an easy manner through a friendly, relatable, and appealing mascot.
• Use the mascot to humanise the brand and make Aadhaar communication more appealing across platforms.

For more details UIDAI’s Annual Report (https://uidai.gov.in/images/2023-24_Final_English_Final.pdf) may also be referred to.

By participating in this contest, entrants agree to abide by the following Terms & Conditions:

Eligibility

• The contest is open to all Indian citizens, irrespective of age, gender, profession, or background.
• Both individuals and groups (teams) are eligible. In case of a team submission, the entry must be submitted under a single name and, if selected, the prize will be awarded to the designated representative.
• A participant (individual or group) may submit only one entry. Multiple submissions from the same participant will not be entertained.

Mascot Design Guidelines

• The mascot must:
• Reflect the ethos and mission of UIDAI – trust, inclusivity, service, security, and digital empowerment.
• Be unique, original, and distinctive, avoiding resemblance to existing characters, mascots, or trademarks.
• Be simple yet engaging, appealing to all demographics, including children, youth, and senior citizens.
• Be suitable for deployment across multiple media: print, digital platforms, animation, merchandise, and large-scale branding.
• Allow flexibility for adaptation into 3D, animated, or stylised formats in future.
• Designs that contain offensive, discriminatory, derogatory, or inappropriate content will be rejected outright.
• The design must not violate or infringe upon any third-party intellectual property, copyright, or trademark.

Submission Requirements

• All entries must be submitted only through the official MyGov contest page. Submissions through any other channel will not be considered.
• Each entry must include:
  • High-resolution images of the mascot compiled in PDF format (minimum 300 DPI, with the resolution of minimum 1920x1080). File size should not exceed 10 MB.
  • A single word name of the Mascot is to be submitted along with the artwork
  • A short write-up (maximum 200 words) explaining the concept, symbolism, and rationale behind the design and in alignment to the objectives.
  • Any five Mascot actions & expressions should also be included out of the following actions & expressions need to be showcased:
    1. Standing in its signature gesture (For example, the signature gesture of Air India Mascot is folded hands, welcoming)- Mandatory
    2. Using laptop/mobile - Optional
    3. Greeting/Waving - Optional
    4. Laughing - Optional
    5. Happy/Satisfied - Optional
    6. Thums Up - Optional
    7. Running - Optional
    8. Sitting - Optional

Note: - Action & expressions at point no. (a) above is MANDATORY

• Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit editable source files (AI/CDR/EPS/SVG format) for final evaluation and further use, within one week of intimation. Non- submission of editable source files will be treated as disqualifier for participation.
• Submissions must be original and unpublished. Previously submitted, used, or published designs may be disqualified.
• Incomplete or non-conforming entries will not be evaluated.

Evaluation Process and Criteria

• UIDAI will evaluate the entries.
• The evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
• Creativity, originality, and uniqueness (30%)
• Alignment with UIDAI’s values and objectives (25%)
• Aesthetic appeal, simplicity, and universal relevance (25%)
• Adaptability and scalability for diverse formats (20%)
• UIDAI’s decision will be final, binding, and not subject to challenge or appeal.

Prizes & Recognition

• All the selected entries for Mascot Creative will be eligible for gratification as under:
  1. First prize (Winning Entry): INR 50,000/- and Certificate
  2. Second prize: INR 30,000/- and Certificate
  3. Third prize: INR 20,000/- and Certificate
  4. The next 5 entries will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a consolation prize.
• All the selected entries for Mascot Name will be eligible for gratification as under:
  1. First prize (Winning Entry): INR 20,000/- and Certificate
  2. Second prize: INR 10,000/- and Certificate
  3. Third prize: INR 5,000/- and Certificate
• UIDAI reserves the right to suitably modify, adapt, or enhance the artwork of 8 selected entries for further use.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

• The 8 selected entries/design will become the intellectual property of UIDAI.
• UIDAI will have exclusive rights to use, reproduce, adapt, distribute, publish, and display the mascot in any form, worldwide, in perpetuity.
• All the 8 selected participants shall not exercise any rights over the design after submission and acceptance by UIDAI.
• All the 8 selected participants shall be required to provide an undertaking declaring the design as original, free from third-party rights, and transferring all IPR to UIDAI.

Disqualification Grounds

Entries will be summarily rejected if they:

• Are plagiarised or violate intellectual property rights.
• Contain inappropriate, offensive, or derogatory content.
• Do not meet the submission or technical requirements

Timelines

• The contest will be open for submissions from [06.10.2025] to [31.10.2025].
• No entries will be accepted after the deadline.
• UIDAI reserves the right to extend or shorten the contest duration without prior notice.

Publicity & Promotion

• By participating, entrants grant UIDAI the right to use their names, photographs, and submitted content for promotional purposes related to the contest without additional compensation.
• UIDAI may showcase selected entries on its official website, social media channels, and promotional campaigns.

Liability & Indemnity

• The content must be original and should not violate any provision of the Indian Copyright Act, of 1957. Anyone found infringing on others’ copyright would be disqualified from the competition. UIDAI does not bear responsibility for copyright violations or intellectual property infringements carried out by participants.
• Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless UIDAI, MeitY, and MyGov against any third-party claims arising from their submissions.
• UIDAI assumes no responsibility for technical failures, lost submissions, or disruptions in the submission process.

Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

• The contest and its terms are governed by the laws of India.
• Any disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts in New

Acceptance of Terms

• Participation in this contest implies unconditional acceptance of all the terms and conditions.
• UIDAI reserves the right to cancel, amend, or withdraw the contest at any stage, without assigning any reason
• AI generated Mascot is not desirable