The Special Awards Committee has opened nominations for this year's President's Award for Special Achievement and today published the award guidelines and eligibility criteria in the Government Gazette.

Applications must be submitted exclusively through “Form Submission" portal on the president’s office website(http://apply.presidency.gov.mv), by 14:00 on 31 August 2026.

This year, the President's Award for Special Achievement will be conferred in four categories.

The first category recognises outstanding achievement in academic or professional training programmes. This includes attaining a Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA) Level 10 qualification, as well as graduating with the highest academic honour from an educational institution offering an MQA Level 7, 8 or 9 programme.

The second category recognises individuals who have achieved distinction in international competitions and exhibitions while representing the Maldives.

The third category recognises outstanding achievement in innovation and academic research aimed at addressing issues of national importance.

The fourth category recognises talented young people aged 18 to 35 for outstanding innovation and contributions to national development.

The Special Awards Committee advises applicants to ensure that all required supporting documents are duly completed, attested, and submitted in accordance with the requirements set out in the application form. Applicants are encouraged to review the accompanying guidelines before submitting their applications.

The President's Award for Special Achievement will be conferred at the official Republic Day ceremony.