1. Eligibility: Open to artists nationwide in both Student and Professional categories. 2. Categories: Student Category: Participants must be enrolled in a school or college and provide a valid ID displaying their age (Age limit 23). Professional Category: Artists of any age are welcome to compete, including students who may also apply for this category. 3. Medium of Artwork: Artists can use any medium they prefer, including but not limited to watercolor, charcoal, pencil sketches, oil paint, acrylic, cloth and fabrics, mixed media, and other techniques. 4. Artwork Details: Each submission must include the artwork's title and a brief description (maximum 100 words) detailing the inspiration or technique used. 5. File Naming: Image files should be named after the participant's full registration name without special characters. 6. File Size: Image files must not exceed 10 MB. Participants are encouraged to optimize their images for web upload. 7. Submission Requirements: Both Student and Professional Category participants must submit a total of three images: one final image and two progress shots (at 25% and 75% completion). Prior artwork is allowed, but progress photos are mandatory for all submissions. The artwork must be original and, for professionals, created within the last two years. Submitting additional images beyond the required three will result in disqualification. 8. Final Round for Professionals: The top 10 artists from the Professional Category will advance to the second round, where they will paint from a live model within a 4-hour limit on December 22nd in Delhi. Selected artists must bring the artwork submitted in Round One, which will be verified and displayed. Artworks will be returned after the competition. 9. Finalists: Professional Category finalists will be invited to the final event. Students will be judged solely on their online submissions, with no additional rounds. The number of finalists may vary based on submissions received. 10. Selection Process: Judging will be conducted by a panel of esteemed professional artists who will evaluate submissions based on a fair and transparent process. Criteria for selection will not be disclosed. Any attempts to violate rules or present false information will lead to immediate disqualification. 11. Conduct: Participants must maintain a respectful attitude towards judges, other artists, and the competition organizers. Disrespectful behavior may result in disqualification. 12. Copyright: All submitted artwork must be original. By participating, artists grant the competition the right to use their work for promotional purposes with appropriate credit. 13. Communication: Participants must keep their contact information up-to-date and regularly check their email for competition announcements. 14. Artwork Ownership: The final painting created by the winner of the Portrait Artist of the Year competition will become the sole property of the organizers, who will have exclusive rights to display, reproduce, and use the painting for any purpose. 15. Consent to Record: All artists participating in the live competition must consent to being recorded throughout the event, including performances, interviews, and Q&A sessions. Participants agree to cooperate fully with the recording process. 16. Competition Ineligibility: Winners of the Professional Category will be ineligible to participate in the same competition for the following three years. 17. Rule Modifications: The organizing committee reserves the right to modify or add rules during the competition as necessary. Changes will be announced promptly and will be binding for all participants. Participants agree to abide by any additional guidelines introduced. 18. Event Cancellation: If competition standards are deemed insufficient, organizers reserve the right to cancel or postpone the event. Participants will be notified promptly, and entry fees will be refunded. 19. Artist Submission Agreement: All artists agree that their submissions are original and do not contain unauthorized third-party content. Non-compliance will result in disqualification.