The sixth edition of the ICT Award has started its selection process for the year 2021. Nominations will be done on the basis of the online applications that were open for 11 different categories. The application deadline was on the 31st of August 2021. So, the selection process has started speeding up to select the best candidates in the pool received since Friday. The ICT Award has established itself as a prestigious award in the field of information and communication technology.
As per the organizer living with ICT, more than 350 applications have been received on their website. Not to mention, their official website is https://ictaward.org where the applicants had to send their applications. Furthermore, a jury committee of 12 IT experts is known to look over this year’s selection process. Besides that, a 15 member special jury advisory committee has been created to oversee the process.
Additionally, the special jury committee includes members of the National Planning Commission Dr. Ram Kumar Phuyal, Vice-Chancellor of NAST Dr. Sunil Babu Shrestha, Former Minister Ganesh Shah, along with Prof. Dr. Subarna Shakya, who is the dean of Kathmandu University. Likewise, the other members include Prof. Dr. Manish Pokharel and the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Anil Dutta.
Earlier online nominations for the ICT award 2021 started in 11 categories.
Categories and description of the sixth ICT Award 2021
This year’s sixth ICT Award 2021 was differentiated into 11 different categories. The nominations ranged from Rising Star to Digital Governance Award and it covered various aspects and fields of technology. The startup and projects categories awards were:
- The Startup ICT Award
- The Product ICT Award
- The Rising Star Innovation ICT Award
Similarly, the individual awards include:
- The Pioneer ICT Award
- The Nepali Diaspora ICT Award
- The Entrepreneur ICT Award
- The Woman Icon ICT Award
The awards given to government organizations are:
- The Digital Education ICT Award (Public Sector)
- The Digital Governance ICT Award (Public Sector)
The awards given to the private sector organizations are:
- The Digital Services ICT Award (Private Sector)
- The Digital Education ICT Award (Private Sector)
Among the online nominations received by ICT, Rising Star Innovation received the most nominations- sixty nominations. On the other hand, the Startup ICT Award and Product ICT Award received altogether forty nominations. Prof. Dr. Subarna Shakya of Tribhuvan University stated that the ICT Award has been making a significant contribution in the field of information and technology. According to him, it is very popular in this field because it is a very transparent and fair award.
Also, Sunil Babu Shrestha, Vice-Chancellor of NAST, spoke at the meeting of the selection committee held on Friday. He said that this kind of award is important. It is because it encourages those working on new ideas and innovations to move forward.
The Selection Process of the ICT Award 2021
The selection in the sixth ICT Award 2021 completes after a series of five stages. According to the organizers, they will also hold a two-day exhibition in the Startup, Product, and Rising Star Innovation categories. Additionally, to conclude which of the top five startups, digital governance, and digital education competitors is the best, they will conduct field visits. Similarly, the selection process will also make use of Virtual media to determine the most deserving company. Finally, the ICT awards grand finale will take place on 17th of December 2021 at The Soaltee Hotel, according to Living with ICT.
The ICT Awards started in 2016 and since then they have been awarding the most deserving companies. They have already recognized over 50 individuals, organizations, businesses, and products in a variety of categories. Likewise, amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic last year, the ICT Awards continued their legacy by holding the award in a grand manner.
Don’t miss: Nepal Telecom launches Namaste Pay Digital Payment service
ICT Awards 2021
The winner of the sixth ICT Awards will receive special recognition from Rastriya Banijya Bank, including an unsecured loan facility of up to 1.5 million rupees. Furthermore, investment opportunities in startups and ideas, and other valuable services and facilities will be awarded to the winner in different categories. Thus, the companies who have contributed to this year’s ICT Award are:
- Ministry of Communications and Information Technology
- National Information Technology Center
- Nepal Telecommunication Authority
- NAST
- Genese Solutions
- Phone Pay
- Nepal Telecom
- Rastriya Banijya Bank
- Phone PAY
Have you participated in the ICT Awards 2021? What are your views regarding this sort of award? Let us know in the comments below.
