Rules & Eligibility

Eligibility

• Open to school students in grades 3 to 10 studying in India.
• Students may enter through their school or independently.
• A student enters in the category matching their current grade and submits within that category.
• Each student submits their own project; a student may not submit multiple competing entries in the same season.

Categories

Projects are judged within three grade bands so that students are compared with peers at a similar stage of learning:

• Junior — grades 3 and 4.
• Intermediate / Middle — grades 5, 6 and 7.
• Senior — grades 8, 9 and 10.

Originality & conduct of the project

• The experiment and its write-up must be the student's own work. Mentors, teachers and parents may guide and ensure safety, but the thinking and the doing belong to the student.
• Submissions must be honest. Report what actually happened — including results that did not go as expected. An unexpected result is a valid finding.
• Any sources, references or external help must be acknowledged. Copied or plagiarised work is not eligible.
• Experiments must be safe for the student to perform under appropriate adult supervision. Do not attempt anything hazardous.

What to submit

Each entry should clearly present the question being investigated, the method used, the observations recorded, and the conclusion drawn — supported by photographs or a short video of the working experiment. Use the official registration and submission formats so reviewers can assess every entry consistently. You will find these, along with a sample submission and topic lists, in resources.

Evaluation criteria

Reviewers look beyond a polished result. Entries are assessed on qualities such as:

• Scientific thinking — a clear question and a sound, logical method.
• Experimentation — a hands-on experiment that genuinely tests the question.
• Observation & reasoning — careful recording of results and reasoning from the evidence.
• Originality — curiosity and an idea that is the student's own.
• Communication — explaining the work clearly and honestly.

Code of conduct

RYSI is a respectful, encouraging space for young scientists. All participants, parents, mentors and schools are expected to:

• Treat fellow participants, volunteers and judges with courtesy at every stage and at the finals.
• Use respectful language at all times. Abusive, demeaning or unparliamentary language has no place in the programme and may lead to disqualification.
• Compete with integrity — no impersonation, misrepresentation or attempts to influence the evaluation.
• Follow the instructions of organisers and judges during finals and events.

The decisions of the reviewers and jury are final. The organisers may update these rules between seasons; the version published for the current season applies.

Rules & format documents

Download the official formats and reference documents:

• Registration format (PDF)
• Submission format (PDF)
• Sample submission (PDF)
• Topic list (PDF)

For more downloads, including brochures and the bulk-upload format for schools, visit resources.