The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has unveiled an exciting new platform for young storytellers across India. The board officially launched the Budding Authors Programme 2025-26, a nationwide initiative aimed at nurturing creative talent and literary expression among school students. This programme promises to provide a structured national stage for students with a passion for writing and storytelling.
What is the CBSE Budding Authors Programme?
This initiative is designed to inspire students to discover the joy of creative expression while simultaneously strengthening their core writing abilities, language skills, and self-confidence. According to the CBSE, the programme offers a structured platform for students to develop critical thinking and self-expression through authentic writing experiences. A key highlight is the opportunity for selected outstanding works to be published, giving young authors a tangible goal and recognition.
The programme is exclusively open to students studying in CBSE-affiliated schools. It will be conducted in multiple phases, with the first activities kicking off on January 6, 2025. Students are encouraged to write on any theme they choose and can employ any style, genre, or format for their submissions. The only requirement is that the short stories must be original and unpublished.
Submission Guidelines and Categories
Participants can submit their work in either Hindi or English, but each student is restricted to participating in one language only. The submissions will be carefully categorized based on the student's class and corresponding word count, ensuring fair competition.
An official outlined the specific categories:
- For students in classes V and VI, the story must be between 500 to 600 words.
- For those in classes VII and VIII, the word limit is 600 to 900 words.
- Senior students in classes IX and X must craft stories of 1,000 to 1,500 words.
For entries in Hindi, students are required to write their name and school name in Hindi as well. The primary aim, as stated by the board, is to foster originality, imagination, and a lifelong appreciation for creative writing among the student community.
Phases and Evaluation Process
The journey for budding authors will begin at the school level. The first round will be held from January 6 to January 31, 2025. Each participating school is required to appoint a teacher as a nodal officer to coordinate the programme internally. There is no cap on the number of entries a school can accept per class, encouraging maximum participation.
Evaluation of the stories will be conducted using specific rubrics provided by the CBSE to maintain consistency and fairness in judging. Schools will then upload participation details onto the official CBSE portal and shortlist the best entries from this initial round.
The second round, scheduled from February 3 to February 27, 2025, will involve the registration and formal submission of these shortlisted stories for national-level consideration. This phased approach ensures a thorough and competitive selection process, giving every young writer a clear pathway from their classroom to a potential national accolade.
This initiative marks a significant step by India's largest educational board to move beyond academic rigour and actively cultivate the creative and soft skills that are crucial for holistic student development in the 21st century.
