Platform Terms of Service
Terms governing citizen problem reporting, institutional project creation, academic research participation, and CSR sponsorship on the ManThan portal.
Version: MANTHAN-TOS-2026.1 • Jurisdiction: Ranchi, Jharkhand
1Acceptance of Terms & Authority
By registering on, accessing, or reporting challenges through the ManThan Portal (Societal Innovation Collaboration Portal), all users (Citizens, Higher Education Institutions, Faculty, Students, CSR Partners, and Government Officials) agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.
The portal operates under the regulatory supervision of the Department of Higher & Technical Education, Government of Jharkhand.
2Citizen Problem Submission Code of Conduct
- All reported challenges must represent bona fide societal, infrastructural, agricultural, ecological, or developmental issues in Jharkhand.
- Submissions must not contain defamatory, obscene, politically motivated, or commercial advertising content.
- Uploaded photographic and GPS evidence must accurately reflect the ground reality at the time of submission.
3Intellectual Property & Open Innovation Framework
The ManThan portal promotes an Open Societal Innovation philosophy:
Academic Solutions: Student-faculty teams retain authorial credit and academic publishing rights for prototypes developed under the platform.
Public Sector Royalty-Free License: The Government of Jharkhand and local Panchayati Raj bodies receive a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to deploy, replicate, and maintain the solution across all 24 districts of Jharkhand.
Commercialization: If a solution transitions into a commercial startup or patent, the standard incubation policies of the host institution (e.g., BIT Mesra TBI, IIT ISM Dhanbad CIIE) apply.
4CSR Co-Funding & Grant Disbursement Rules
Corporate CSR contributions channeled through the portal are earmarked for specific verified societal projects under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 and Schedule VII priorities.
Disbursement is strictly phased upon digital submission and PRI ground-truth validation of project milestone deliverables.
5Governing Law & Legal Jurisdiction
These Terms shall be construed and governed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India. Any disputes or proceedings arising out of or in connection with the ManThan portal shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts at Ranchi, Jharkhand, including the High Court of Jharkhand.