📋 Guidelines & Terms

🌟 About InstaStar Awards 2026

InstaStar Awards 2026 is India's first nationwide Reels competition organised by Mother India Today Group, recognising talent, social reform, creativity, and cultural expression through short video content.

The mega event will be held at a prestigious venue in Pune (venue details will be announced shortly). All registered participants will be invited to attend the grand awards ceremony and interact with fellow creators, industry leaders, and the Mother India Today editorial team.

✅ Eligibility

• Open to all Indian citizens residing in India or abroad (NRI category)
• Participants must be 13 years or older. Participants below 18 require parental/guardian consent
• Solo entries: single individual of any gender
• Couple entries: exactly 2 people
• Group / Skit: minimum 3, maximum 6 members
• A person may appear in multiple entries but each entry requires separate registration and fee
• The reel submitted must be publicly viewable on Instagram or YouTube at the time of submission

🎨 Entry Types & Themes

Entry Types

Themes / Categories

• 🌍 Social Reform — Awareness, community issues, social change
• 🎭 Talent Showcase — Dance, music, performance art, magic
• 📚 Education Reels — Teaching, learning, knowledge-sharing
• 😂 Comedy & Satire — Clean humour, social satire, parody
• 💪 Motivational — Inspiration, success stories, life journeys
• 🎨 Culture & Heritage — Indian traditions, folk arts, languages
• 🌱 Environment — Climate action, conservation, sustainability
• 👩‍🦺 Women Empowerment — Equality, strength, women's stories

💳 Entry Fees & Payment

All fees must be paid securely through Razorpay (UPI, Cards, Net Banking, Wallets). Payment is collected at the time of registration.

• Payment must be completed for registration to be confirmed
• Invoice will be emailed to the team leader's registered email
• NRI entries are charged the INR equivalent of $110 USD at the time of payment
• Multiple entries require separate payments for each entry

🏆 Prizes & Awards

📤 Submission Process

1. Register: Complete the registration form with team details and pay the entry fee
2. Confirm email: Check your inbox for the registration confirmation and invoice
3. Login to Dashboard: Use your registered mobile number (default password = mobile number)
4. Change Password: Mandatory on first login — a verification code will be sent to your registered email
5. Post your Reel: Upload your Reel to Instagram or YouTube — ensure it is set to public
6. Submit link: Paste the public Reel link in your Dashboard and click Submit
7. Approval: Our team reviews the reel within 48–72 hours. Approved reels appear on the Wall of Stars
8. Voting: Share your Wall of Stars link to gather public votes!

🗳️ Voting Rules

• Voting is open to the general public on the Wall of Stars page
• Voters must verify their Gmail ID using an OTP sent to their email
• One Gmail ID = one vote per entry. A voter may vote for multiple different entries but cannot vote twice for the same entry
• Only the "Like" button is available — there is no dislike or removal option
• Vote counts are displayed live on the Wall of Stars and on each participant's Dashboard
• Artificial vote manipulation (bots, multiple accounts, paid voting services) will result in immediate disqualification
• The organiser reserves the right to verify and nullify suspicious votes

⚖️ Judging Criteria

Final winners are determined by a combination of public votes and expert jury evaluation:

• Public Votes (50%): Total verified votes received on the Wall of Stars
• Creativity (20%): Originality, concept, and storytelling
• Production Quality (15%): Editing, visual quality, audio clarity
• Impact & Theme (15%): Relevance to selected theme, message strength

In case of a tie in vote count, the jury's combined score will determine the winner. Jury decisions are final and binding.

📵 Content Guidelines — What is NOT Allowed

• Obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit content
• Content promoting violence, terrorism, or self-harm
• Defamatory content targeting individuals, communities, religions, or castes
• Content that violates copyright (music, clips, or material without proper licensing)
• Misinformation, fake news, or content designed to deceive
• Political propaganda or content endorsing specific political parties
• Illegal activities of any nature
• Content involving minors in inappropriate situations
• Content that discriminates on basis of religion, caste, gender, nationality, or disability

⚖️ Disclaimer

The views, opinions, ideas, and content expressed in all submitted Reels are solely those of the respective participants and do not represent, reflect, or constitute the views, policies, or opinions of Mother India Today Group, MIT Publications, or the InstaStar Awards Organising Committee.

Mother India Today Group is not responsible for any legal, civil, or criminal liability arising from the content of submitted Reels. Participants are solely responsible for ensuring their content complies with all applicable Indian laws including but not limited to the IT Act 2000, IPC, and Copyright Act.

The organiser reserves the right to remove, reject, or disqualify any entry at any time without prior notice or reason.

📜 Terms & Conditions

1. By registering, participants confirm they have read and agree to all guidelines and terms stated herein
2. Participants grant Mother India Today Group a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display, share, and promote the submitted Reel on their digital platforms for the purpose of this competition
3. The organiser reserves all rights regarding the event format, schedule, venue, and prize distribution
4. The event may be rescheduled, modified, or cancelled in case of natural calamity, force majeure, government orders, insufficient registrations, or any other unavoidable circumstances. No claims or compensation will be entertained in such cases
5. If the number of valid entries falls below the minimum threshold required for the event, the organiser may modify the format, merge categories, or postpone the event — no refund will be issued
6. All winners must be present at the Pune venue (or designate a representative) to receive their award. Prizes not claimed within 60 days of the event will be forfeited
7. Participants must retain the copyright to their submitted Reel. Entries containing third-party copyrighted material will be disqualified
8. The organiser's decision in all matters of the competition is final and binding
9. Any disputes arising shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts in Pune, Maharashtra
10. For queries: motherindiatodaynews@gmail.com

💸 Refund Policy