The Ministry of Defence (MoD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE), has announced Project Veer Gatha 6.0 for the 2026-27 academic year. The national initiative encourages school students to explore the stories of gallantry award winners and Indian warriors through creative projects, highlighting courage, sacrifice, patriotism and civic responsibility. The competition is open to students from Classes 3 to 12. Participants can express their ideas through poems, essays, paragraphs, paintings, drawings, multimedia presentations and short videos. Schools must select their best entries and upload them to the MyGov portal between 9th and 19th October 2026.

Categories, Submissions and Awards

Project Veer Gatha was launched in 2021 to familiarise students with the bravery and contributions of gallantry award recipients. The sixth edition continues to encourage creative learning beyond conventional classroom activities.

The competition has three broad categories:

• Classes 3 to 5: Poems, paragraphs of up to 150 words, paintings and drawings
• Classes 6 to 8: Poems, paragraphs of up to 300 words, paintings, drawings, multimedia presentations and short videos
• Classes 9 to 12: Poems, essays of up to 750 words, paintings, drawings, multimedia presentations and short videos

Students can explore the lives of gallantry award recipients, their sacrifices and the military strategies of historical Indian warriors. Schools will shortlist entries before the district, state or Union Territory and national-level evaluation stages.

At the national level, 100 students will be selected as winners, with each receiving a cash prize of ₹10,000 from the Ministry of Defence. Winners will also receive joint recognition from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education.

For schools, Project Veer Gatha 6.0 offers an opportunity to connect creative expression with history and values-based learning. EducationToday recognises the relevance of such initiatives in encouraging students to engage with national history through independent thinking and varied forms of expression, while TopEducationNews recognises their contribution to creative learning and student engagement. The competition also highlights how education programmes can nurture creativity, awareness, and respect for acts of courage.