On 22nd November 2025, Data Security Council of India (DSCI) in collaboration with Kautilya School of Public Policy (KSPP) conducted the semi-final and the final rounds of the National Policy Challenge 2025 on “Generative AI: Crafting Policy for Future”. As a proud knowledge partner for this initiative, SCC Online witnessed how the next generation of policymakers is poised to address some of the “teething challenges” in AI Governance including intellectual property rights ownership, deep fakes, maintenance of academic integrity, compliance with DPDP through practical and effective policy solutions creating a harmonized framework in line with the existing global frameworks such as the EU AI Act and OECD guidelines.
The response to the challenge is a testament to the growing interest in tech policy among Indian students:
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50+ teams across the nation expressed interest in the challenge.
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40+ teams submitted comprehensive Policy Briefs for the Virtual Round.
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15 teams were shortlisted for the Semi-Finals.
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9 teams competed in the intense in-person Semi-Final & Final rounds at the KSPP campus.
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4 teams advanced to the Grand Finale.
The expert panel that served as the jury for the competition for the semi-final and final rounds comprised Aditya Gupta from SCC Online Ms. Kriti Trehan Dr Srinivas Yanamandra, Dr. Venkat Nadella , Dr. Vishnu Sivarudran Pillai, PhD, Mr. Sai Krishna Singupuram. Their industry expertise and sharp incisive inquiries added immense value to the evaluation process, pushing the students to engage in a rigorous debate and think on their feet to bridge the gap between theory and practical legal and policy decision making.
The judges did not just evaluate the legality of the solutions; they grilled the participants to step into the shoes of stakeholders including the government, corporations’, startups, and civil society—forcing them to think from a 360° perspective beyond their written briefs and questioning the underlying assumptions of the team’s policy definitions. Participants had to further defend their proposals against “stress tests,” exploring deeper nuances of the problems and the feasibility of their proposed solutions.
Teams also had to delve upon the accuracy, need, and efficiency of existing regulations including the DPDP Act, 2023 along with the recently notified DPDP Rules 2025, Information Technology Act, 2000, The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 along with the recent amendments and the India AI Governance Guidelines, 2025.
Celebrating the Hard work of the Future Policy Makers
🏆 Winners (₹60,000): Winners: Siddharth Aiyar and Prathiksha Rao— National Law University (NLU), Odisha
🥈 Runners-Up (₹40,000): Abhijeet Raut and Anoushka Sharan — Kautilya School of Public Policy (KSPP)
Unlocking Opportunities
At SCC Online, we believe that access to the right resources, insights, and knowledge is the foundation of good legal and policy decision making. We are pleased to support the growth of these students:
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9 Finalist Teams have been awarded a 6-month SCC Online Subscription to empower their future legal and policy research.
Competitions like these are essential to ensure that industry and academia are vital participants in the policy decision-making process. SCC Online remains committed to being the trusted knowledge partner for all stakeholders of nation-building.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our Director, Mr. Sumeet Malik, for his constant support, encouragement and enthusiasm in driving these initiatives forward.
Congratulations to all the participants!