{"id":3620,"date":"2026-03-05T21:01:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T21:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mymahotsav.com\/knowledgebase\/?post_type=docs&p=3620"},"modified":"2026-03-05T21:01:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T21:01:37","password":"","slug":"contests-judging-criteria-process","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/mymahotsav.com\/knowledgebase\/docs\/policy-hub\/contests\/contests-judging-criteria-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Contests Judging Criteria & Process"},"content":{"rendered":"

Module:<\/strong>\u00a0Utsav Contests\u2122 (Core)
\nDocument Type:<\/strong>\u00a0Policy
\nTrademark:<\/strong> Utsav Contests\u2122 is a trademark of MyMahotsav Futuretech Ltd
\nEffective Date:<\/strong>\u00a024th February 2026
\nVersion:<\/strong>\u00a01.0<\/p>\n

\n

Part A: Plain English Summary<\/h2>\n

How Winners Are Selected<\/h3>\n

Fairness and transparency are at the heart of Utsav Contests\u2122. This policy explains how entries are judged, who the judges are, and how winners are chosen.<\/p>\n

The Simple Truth<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • \n

    Clear Criteria<\/strong>: Every contest publishes its judging criteria so you know what we’re looking for\u00a0.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Qualified Judges<\/strong>: Our jury members are experts in their fields\u2014photographers, chefs, cultural scholars\u00a0.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    No Conflicts<\/strong>: Judges disclose any relationships with entrants and recuse themselves if needed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Decisions Are Final<\/strong>: Judges’ decisions are binding and not subject to appeal\u00a0.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Transparency<\/strong>: We publish winner selections and may share judges’ comments.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \n

    Part B: Legal Terms and Conditions<\/h2>\n

    1. JUDGING METHODS<\/h3>\n

    1.1<\/strong>\u00a0Each Contest announcement will specify the method of winner selection:<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    <\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Method<\/th>\nDescription<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Jury Selection<\/strong><\/td>\nPanel of qualified judges evaluates entries based on published criteria<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Public Voting<\/strong><\/td>\nRegistered users vote for entries; votes may be weighted or combined with jury scores<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Hybrid<\/strong><\/td>\nCombination of jury scores and public votes (e.g., 50% jury, 50% public)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Random Draw<\/strong><\/td>\nFor sweepstakes elements; winners selected at random from eligible entries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

    2. JUDGING CRITERIA<\/h3>\n

    2.1<\/strong>\u00a0Contest-specific judging criteria will be published in each Contest announcement. Typical criteria include\u00a0:<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    <\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Criterion<\/th>\nWeight<\/th>\nDescription<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Creativity & Originality<\/td>\n[XX]%<\/td>\nUnique approach, fresh perspective, innovative interpretation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Adherence to Theme<\/td>\n[XX]%<\/td>\nHow well the entry addresses the contest theme<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Technical Quality<\/td>\n[XX]%<\/td>\nComposition, lighting, resolution (photos); clarity, production (videos); grammar, structure (essays)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Cultural Authenticity<\/td>\n[XX]%<\/td>\nAccurate representation of cultural elements, traditions, practices<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Presentation<\/td>\n[XX]%<\/td>\nOverall impact, storytelling, emotional resonance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

    2.2<\/strong>\u00a0Criteria and weights may vary by contest type (photo, video, recipe, essay).<\/p>\n

    3. JUDGE SELECTION AND QUALIFICATIONS<\/h3>\n

    3.1<\/strong>\u00a0Jury Composition<\/strong>: Judges are selected based on their expertise relevant to the contest theme. This may include:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      Professional photographers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Culinary experts and chefs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Cultural scholars and academics<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Community leaders<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      MyMahotsav representatives (non-voting where appropriate)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      3.2<\/strong>\u00a0Independence<\/strong>: Judges are independent contractors, not employees of MyMahotsav, except where noted.<\/p>\n

      4. CONFLICT OF INTEREST<\/h3>\n

      4.1<\/strong>\u00a0Disclosure<\/strong>: All judges must disclose any relationships with entrants, including:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        Family relationships<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Business associations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Close personal friendships<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Professional collaborations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        4.2<\/strong>\u00a0Recusal<\/strong>: Judges with conflicts of interest must recuse themselves from evaluating any entry where a conflict exists.<\/p>\n

        4.3<\/strong>\u00a0Confidentiality<\/strong>: Judges agree to keep all entry information confidential and not to disclose or use entries for any purpose outside the judging process.<\/p>\n

        5. JUDGING PROCESS<\/h3>\n

        5.1<\/strong>\u00a0Preliminary Round<\/strong>: All eligible entries are reviewed. Top-scoring entries (typically 10-20) are selected as finalists\u00a0.<\/p>\n

        5.2<\/strong>\u00a0Final Round<\/strong>: Finalist entries are evaluated in depth. Winners are selected based on final scores.<\/p>\n

        5.3<\/strong>\u00a0Tie-Breaking<\/strong>: In case of ties, the following tie-breakers apply in order\u00a0:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Higher score in [primary criterion]<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        2. \n

          Higher score in [secondary criterion]<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        3. \n

          Judges’ collective discussion and vote<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          5.4<\/strong>\u00a0Documentation<\/strong>: Judges may provide brief comments on winning entries, which may be published.<\/p>\n

          6. PUBLIC VOTING<\/h3>\n

          6.1<\/strong>\u00a0Eligibility to Vote<\/strong>: Public voting is open to registered Utsav World\u2122 users.<\/p>\n

          6.2<\/strong>\u00a0Voting Limits<\/strong>: Each user may vote [once per day \/ once per contest] as specified.<\/p>\n

          6.3<\/strong>\u00a0Vote Integrity<\/strong>: Automated, bot, or fraudulent voting is prohibited and may result in disqualification of affected entries\u00a0.<\/p>\n

          6.4<\/strong>\u00a0Tie-Breaking<\/strong>: In case of ties in public voting, jury scores will determine final rankings.<\/p>\n

          7. JUDGES’ DECISIONS<\/h3>\n

          7.1<\/strong>\u00a0All judging decisions are final and binding on all entrants\u00a0.<\/p>\n

          7.2<\/strong>\u00a0No correspondence or appeals will be entertained except as provided in the Disqualification & Appeals Process (CT-9).<\/p>\n

          8. TRANSPARENCY<\/h3>\n

          8.1<\/strong>\u00a0After the Contest concludes, we may publish:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • \n

            List of winners<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Judges’ names and qualifications<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Brief comments on winning entries<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Aggregate voting data (where applicable)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Module:\u00a0Utsav Contests\u2122 (Core) Document Type:\u00a0Policy Trademark: Utsav Contests\u2122 is a trademark of MyMahotsav Futuretech Ltd Effective Date:\u00a024th February 2026 Version:\u00a01.0 Part A: Plain English Summary…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[270],"glossaries":[],"doc_tag":[240,31,262],"knowledge_base":[199],"class_list":["post-3620","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-contests","doc_tag-guideline","doc_tag-policy","doc_tag-process","knowledge_base-policy-hub"],"year_month":"2026-04","word_count":574,"total_views":"56","reactions":{"happy":"0","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"MyMahotsav Admin","author_nicename":"support-team","author_url":"https:\/\/mymahotsav.com\/knowledgebase\/author\/support-team\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Contests","term_url":"https:\/\/mymahotsav.com\/knowledgebase\/docs\/mm-guides\/contests\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[{"term_name":"Guideline","term_url":"https:\/\/mymahotsav.com\/knowledgebase\/docs-tag\/guideline\/"},{"term_name":"Policy","term_url":"https:\/\/mymahotsav.com\/knowledgebase\/docs-tag\/policy\/"},{"term_name":"Process","term_url":"https:\/\/mymahotsav.com\/knowledgebase\/docs-tag\/process\/"}],"yoast_head":"\nContests Judging Criteria & Process | Utsav Contests - MyMahotsav<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Complete judging criteria and process for Utsav Contests\u2122. 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