Competition Guidelines
International Tea Day 2026 Social Media Competition — Official Rules
1. About the Competition
Tea Board India, in partnership with Royal Global University (RGU), Guwahati, invites all enrolled students to participate in the International Tea Day 2026 Social Media Competition. The theme is Fostering Growth and Inclusion. Participants must create and publish original social media content reflecting this theme in the context of tea — its people, culture, economy, environment, and future.
2. Eligibility
- Open to all currently enrolled undergraduate and postgraduate students of Royal Global University.
- Each student may submit one entry only.
- Team entries are not permitted — individual posts only.
- Faculty, staff, and organisers are not eligible to participate.
3. Platforms Accepted
Posts must be made from a public profile. Private or restricted accounts will not be considered.
4. Content Format
📷 Photo Post
An original, high-quality photograph with a caption of at least 50 words. No stock photos. All required hashtags must be in the caption.
🎬 Video / Reel / Short
Duration: 30 seconds to 1 minute. Must be entirely original — no stock footage compilations. Voiceover or text overlay related to the theme is encouraged.
5. Required Hashtags
All four hashtags below are mandatory and must appear in the post caption:
6. Important Dates — All on 21 May 2026
7. Minimum Benchmark
To be eligible for judging and prizes, your post must achieve both of the following by 20 May 2026 at 11:59 PM IST:
Posts that do not meet the minimum benchmark will not be considered for prizes but may still receive a participation certificate.
8. Judging Criteria
A special jury prize for Best Video will be awarded by the Tea Board India panel based on theme depth, storytelling, and production quality.
9. Prizes
10. Disqualification
Entries will be disqualified for any of the following:
- Post made before 21 May 10:00 AM IST or after 21 May 6:00 PM IST
- Missing one or more required hashtags
- Posted from a private or restricted account
- Use of purchased views, bot-generated likes, or engagement pods
- Plagiarised content or AI-generated images presented as original photography
- Use of copyrighted material without permission
- Content that is defamatory, offensive, or unrelated to tea
- More than one submission per participant
- Failure to submit the post URL by the deadline
- Deleting or privatising the post before winners are announced on 22 May 2026
11. Content Ideas
Your content must reflect the theme Fostering Growth and Inclusion. Here are some ideas (not exhaustive):
- A day in the life of an Assam or Meghalaya tea farmer
- Women's empowerment in tea gardens
- Small tea growers and their role in India's economy
- Indigenous fermentation and tea culture (e.g. Mizo, Garo, Singpho traditions)
- Tea as a bridge between communities and cultures
- Sustainability and organic farming in tea estates
- Tea tourism in Assam, Meghalaya, or Darjeeling
- The science of Orthodox vs. CTC processing
- Tea and wellness — Ayurvedic and indigenous perspectives