International Jury Award , an initiative promoted by Jaydeep Mukherjee , a certified International Travel Consultant by IATA and his spouse Mrs. Swaguna Mukherjee of Meghdutam Travels with its global presences in Montreal , Madrid , Barcelona , Lisbon , Paris and Kolkata . It is an agency privately committed to the International promotion of Durga Puja since 2010 and has been inviting dozens of journalists from International media houses photojournalists , bloggers and famed International opinion makers from France, Spain, Portugal , UK , USA , Uruguay and Canada have made up the jury for International Jury award with an open call to which more than 250 creations which applies every year . It is solely judged by the International Judges as they visit all the Pandals by themselves and select the best according to the merit .
The aim is highlighting globally the best creations of the Durga Puja artists with the support of the club from a neutral point of view, away from political or business interests.
Jaydeep and Swaguna have taken the sensitization drive to portray Durga Puja on a global platform as the world's biggest Socio Cultural Event where the entire city of Kolkata and its adjoining areas transforms into the biggest Open Art Gallery on earth . They have invited National Geography in 2016 which was filmed by the award winning filmmaker Leandro Blanco and telecasted globally , France II TV in 2012 filmed by Pierre Monjier which was shown all across Europe and was invited by the Canadian Parliament on 06 June 2013 to give a presentation on Durga Puja at the East Block in Ottawa.
The contest was developed to be judged exclusively by the International Judges for five days. During the first three nights, the jury gets divided into different teams visiting different areas of the city to carry out the first screenings. Afterwards, the 15 finalists 'pandals' are visited by the full jury on the fourth and fifth night On the last day the winners were decided.
The evaluation, free and individual, is based on seven criteria that each member of the jury weighted from 1 to 10: welcome, ambience , presentation , concept and ideas, execution, materials, idol (the sculpture of the goddess Durga), light , color , security measures and social commitment.