The following are the Rules and Regulations governing the Innovate for an Accessible India Program. We recommend that you go through them in detail before accepting the terms.

Forum thematic categories and definitions

The Forum’s thematic categories may be changed / modified / split / merged / increased or cancelled by the Forum management and / or Jury based on the number of entries received in any category, and the quality of the entries. The decision in this regard will be final and non-contestable. The Forum management will not entertain any queries in this regard.

In the event that no Participant in a category is found to be worthy of inclusion by the Jury, the Award category may be cancelled by the Jury. The Jury may decide to add nominees in the category to maintain high standards of participation. The decision of the Jury in this regard will be final and non-contestable. The Awards management will not entertain any queries in this regard.

IAI award process & Call for Applications

• Applicants can apply for the IAI award, by completing the necessary details on ‘Level 1 Form’ on the website www.iai.nasscomfoundation.org. Only applications submitted on the IAI website will be considered valid for the purposes of the program.
• The IAI team and / or the Jury have the right to nominate any person / organization in any thematic category to build the quality of applications in that specific category.
• An Applicant can apply in more than one category subject to fulfilment of rules and regulations mentioned herein.
• An Applicant can provide more than one entry in a thematic category if the entries are for different initiatives. A different application form needs to be used for each initiative.
• If separate application forms are received for the same initiative, from different individuals / organizations, such entries will be treated as one entry.
• There is no separate application form for the grant; all eligible projects by students, social enterprises and not for profits will be considered without bias for the grant & award process.
• There will be a 3-stage selection process with 2 juries – Initial and Grand Jury. Select applicants will be sent out a detailed application form. The jury will then review this form & shortlist the top 50 applicants for the program. These 50 applicants will then be invited to pitch sessions & other webinars, to finally select the 10 winners.

The IAI team has the right to reclassify application forms from one category to another, at its discretion.

Receipt of application forms

• Participation in the program in any manner will be construed as an acceptance to the Rules and Regulations stated herein.
• Level 1 form must be submitted on the IAI website by midnight on _______ (any changes in deadline will be posted on the website).
• Receipt of application forms after last date of receipt specified may be permitted only at the discretion of the IAI team.
• The IAI team may not consider / be responsible for application forms that are in incorrect format / received late / corrupt etc.
• Efforts will be made to adhere to the defined timelines. However, the defined timelines are subject to change based on circumstances.
• Awards Management and its sub-contractors shall not be held accountable / liable for any disruptions / stoppages / interruptions or cancellation of the Awards or its ceremony or any part of its processes or public voting on account of any factors beyond its control.

Form Completion / Disqualification

• Entries which are submitted without a declaration form may be disqualified from participation in the Forum.
• Entries will be accepted in English language only. The application form needs to be complete in all respects or it may be disqualified from participation in the forum.
• Entries will be accepted in English language only.
• Disqualification of entries is at the sole discretion of the IAI team / Jury, on a case-by-case basis.
• If at any time, any information provided by any applicant is found to be incorrect in any manner, then the applicant will be disqualified from the Forum.
• If after the conclusion of the IAI awards process, any information provided by any applicant is found to be incorrect in any manner, then the applicant will be liable to return the award.
• Determination of whether information provided by the applicant is incorrect or not rests with the IAI team.
• The IAI team has the right to ask for documentary proof of information provided/ audit the information provided. If such a request is made and the applicant does not comply within 3 days from the date the request is made, the applicant could be disqualified from participation in the Forum.

Screening of received application forms

• Applications received will be collated under each thematic category for evaluation by the IAI team.
• Determination of the Forum’s thematic category to which an application belongs, and eligibility for grant is at the discretion of IAI team and may be made in consultation with Jury members. The management reserves the right to make the final judgment in case of any ambiguity in rules / disputes over suitability.
• Any clarifications required will be obtained through interviews with the Applicants on a best effort basis.
• The IAI team would appoint experienced personnel to screen application forms to ensure eligibility criteria are met.
• Eligible applicants will receive a Level 2 form to complete and submit, within 10 days.
• Only completed ‘Level 2 Form’ applications will be considered for the next stage of the program. All rules mentioned in Form Completion/ Disqualification’ section of the Rules & Regulations are applicable to Level 2 Form.

Shortlisting of projects for each Forum category

• In the event no entries in a category are found to be worthy of inclusion in the Forum, the Forum category may be cancelled (final decision to be taken by the jury).
• Jury reserves the right to re-categorize any entry, which in their view was incorrectly categorized.
• Jury’s decision on the shortlisting and disqualifications will be final and binding on all the applicants.

Announcement of Finalists

• The names of the 50 Finalists will be announced on the IAI website after the initial jury process in _______.
• In case, the public makes any claims on the authenticity of the Finalists, the IAI team will follow the complaint management process as defined in these rules & regulations.

Complaint Management Process

In case of any dispute, complaint or claim relating to the Forum, the NASSCOM Foundation management will follow the following process:

• The complaint must be received, in writing, from the aggrieved entity (‘Complainant’).
• The complaint will be acknowledged by a formal e-mail or call from the IAI team.
• The concerned Finalist/Winner (‘Defendant’) will be informed about the complaint. The defendant will be provided a period of five working days to send, in writing, their response to the complaint. In case no response is received from the defendant in the stipulated time period, it will be concluded that the defendant has no response to the complaint.
• The IAI team will perform additional research, as required, via the internet & other sources.
• A committee (subset of the screening jury or final jury, as relevant) will be formed to review the case.
• The complaint, the defendant’s response and any additional research will be presented to the committee.
• The committee will decide the course of action to be taken; The committee can decide to:
  • Disqualify the application
  • Withdraw the prize
  • Re-award the prize or
  • Take any other course of action
• The decision of the committee will be communicated to all those concerned. The decision will be final and binding.

Validation of information provided

• The IAI team may appoint an independent agency or resource personnel to conduct field visits to the location of the project or telephone calls to all the Finalists and verify the details submitted by them.
• The team shall not be responsible if the persons do not participate, are unreachable or do not agree to the conduct of the verification.
• In such case, IAI management may, at its discretion, disqualify participation or continue in such other manner, as deemed fit.

Capacity Building and Mentoring

• The shortlisting of the applications from For Profit/Social Enterprises, Student group and Not for Profit categories will be at the discretion of the Initial Jury.
• Conducting webinars & pitch sessions through web conferences or any other medium will be at the discretion of the IAI team.

Winner determination

• The IAI team will contact the shortlisted Finalists for the IAI award. They will be informed of the next steps.
• Applicants may be contacted for any additional information or / and conduct field visits to verify the information provided.
• All information provided by the applicant will be confidential and will be used only for the limited purpose of evaluating the applicant.
• In case it is not possible to contact any applicant, interview them, etc., that applicant will be disqualified from further participation.
• The Jury’s decision is final and binding.
• Information provided by the Participant will be confidential and will be used only for the limited purpose of evaluating the Participant’s entry to these Awards.
• The participant hereby irrevocably authorizes the Awards Management to use the data gathered during and/or the Awards in respect of the participants. This shall be the property of NASSCOM FOUNDATION and NASSCOM FOUNDATION shall be entitled to use the same in its communications including marketing promotions and advertisements along with/without NASSCOM FOUNDATION’s brand. Awards Management shall not be liable in any manner for any mishap, accident, injury or damages etc. of whatsoever nature, caused to the participants during the Awards. Further, Awards Management shall not be liable in any manner for any loss, damage, theft, or any other mishap caused during the Awards.

Information pertaining to application sent

• At any time during the IAI award process, the team may contact the applicant for additional information if required, for the application form.
• The IAI team will make the best possible effort to contact the applicants, but shall not be responsible if the person does not reciprocate.
• If a verification of an applicant is not possible due to any reasons, the IAI team may disqualify participation or continue in such other manner as deemed fit.

General

• The applicant understands and agrees that merely applying to the IAI award, the Forum does not entitle the Applicant to an award/grant or to any other form of consideration.
• Participant agrees that the Participant is legally capable of entering and, if selected, participating in the Awards and agree to the Terms. Participant is competent (i.e. Participant are of legal age and mental capacity) and eligible to enter into this legally binding agreement on Participant.
• Participant warrants and represents to the Awards Management that all information including any communications, software, photos, text, video, graphics, music, sounds, images and other material submitted or recorded in any manner by the Participant or the partners of Awards Management including Awards Management for consideration for the Awards are solely owned by the Awards Management and do not infringe upon any other individual or organizational rights (including, without limitation, intellectual property rights). Participant shall be completely responsible for handling any infringement or alleged infringement and shall indemnify the NASSCOM FOUNDATION, and the Awards Management from any claims, costs or damages from infringement or alleged infringement of the logo or trademark or the defence of a claim or any costs payable thereof.
• Participant must enter the Awards at their own will and the Awards Management are not in any way obligated or liable for any loss or costs that the Participant may suffer or incur and nothing is payable to the Participants for participating in the Awards or any event prior to or following the Awards.
• The Participants indemnify NASSCOM FOUNDATION, its employees, officers, contractors, partner or other persons used by them in relation to this Awards and hold them harmless against any loss, claim, demands, costs, damages, judgments, expenses or liability (including legal costs) arising out of or in connection with any or all claims, that may be brought against the Awards Management by any third party in connection with the Participants participation in or winning the Awards, which is inconsistent with any of the warranties and representations made by the Participants, or due to breach of these Terms and shall reimburse NASSCOM FOUNDATION for any loss, costs, expense, or damage to which said indemnity applies. NASSCOM FOUNDATION shall give the Participant prompt written notice of any claim or actions covered by this indemnity, and the Participant shall have the right, at its own expense, to participate in any such action.
• Decision of Awards Management on all matters is final and binding on all Participants and no correspondence will be entertained on the same.
• The Participant agrees to give full consent unconditionally for NASSCOM FOUNDATION to share any information provided by the Participant with agencies working with them with regards to the program, its recording and broadcasting and related activities including agencies involved with NASSCOM Foundation
• Participation in the Forum will be taken as an acceptance of the Rules and Regulations stated herein.
• Decision of the NASSCOM Foundation team and Jury on all matters is final and binding on all Applicants and no correspondence will be entertained on the same.
• The process is not subject to review of any applicant. The management will not be liable or held responsible for loss of information submitted for participation on account of failure or delay by internet service provider.
• All applicants permit free of cost, the use of their name, information about them and their companies as sourced from public media, and factual information about their participation, in public media (for the build-up to the Forum, during the IAI process, etc.) and do not have any right to any revenues earned through intellectual property rights generated by the Forum, if any.
• The management shall not be accountable / liable for any disruptions / stoppages / interruptions or cancellation of the IAI award. The IAI management and its contractors cannot be held responsible for matters out of its control and for force majeure reasons.
• The IAI team reserves the right to make the final judgement in case of any ambiguity in rules / disputes. The management reserves the right to, at its discretion, withdraw or amend or add to the Rules of the Forum at any time, with prospective or retrospective effect, and does not take responsibility for any loss or damage that any individual or organization may suffer as a result of participating or attempting to participate in the Forum, the Forum being withdrawn or its rules amended.
• Should an Applicant wish to withdraw from the award process, he / she can inform the team at any time, up to one week prior to the final award ceremony. No reimbursement/refund of costs borne by the Applicant would be made.
• All disputes relating to or arising out of the Forum shall be subject to the laws of India, and shall be subject to the competent jurisdiction at Mumbai.
• The Applicants agree that they shall hold harmless the NASSCOM Foundation management, its employees, officers, contractors, partner or other persons used by them in relation to these Forum and shall defend them against any loss, claim, demands, costs, damages, judgments, expenses or liability arising out of or in connection with any or all claims whether or not groundless, that may be brought against the Forum management by any third party in connection with participation in or winning the award.
• In the event these rules do not cover any question or complaint in relation to the Forum, the same will be concluded on by the Jury (for winner determination issues) or IAI management (for all other issues).
• If applicants are unclear as to the rules or any element of the Forum or have any queries/concerns pertaining to the Forum, they can email their questions, problems or queries to IAI@nasscomfoundation.org or write to us at NASSCOM Foundation, #13-16, Ground Floor, Samruddhi Venture Park, Andheri (E), Mumbai 400 093.
• The IAI team shall endeavour to the best of its ability to respond thereto.
• NASSCOM Foundation will not be liable for any claims / disputes made by the Applicants or Nominees in relation to the Forum.

Website

• The website is only an informational website (www.IAI.nasscomfoundation.org ) (the “Website”) for the Awards. NASSCOM FOUNDATION or its subsidiaries or holding entities are not liable or responsible for any action or decision taken by Participant or anyone acting on Participant’s behalf or under Participant employment or under contract with Participant. NASSCOM FOUNDATION shall not be under any obligation to Participant and Participant shall have no obligation or rights in relation to the Awards and shall have no claims whatsoever against the NASSCOM FOUNDATION relating to the selection process or the running of the Awards
• NASSCOM FOUNDATION shall not be responsible for:
  1. any delivery, failures relating to the registration or uploading videos/presentations;
  2. any SPAM generated messages as result of Participant accessing the Website;
  3. Awards Management not receiving or rejecting any data;
  4. any lost, late or misdirected computer transmission or network, electronic failures of any kind or any failure to receive entries owing to transmission failures or due to any technical reasons and
  5. Other conditions/situations or failures beyond its control.

Disclaimers

Awards Management has no obligation to screen the entry material in advance, and is not responsible for monitoring entries for the purpose of preventing violation of intellectual property ownership rights, or violations of any law, rule or regulation. If Awards Management is notified of submissions or materials that may not conform to the Terms, it may investigate the allegation and determine in good faith and in its sole discretion whether to eliminate such an entry from consideration. The Awards Management has no liability or responsibility to Participants or other users of the Website for performance or non-performance of such activities.