4th NLUO-CLS Essay Writing Competition

ABOUT NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY ODISHA

National Law University Odisha, Cuttack was established by Act 4 of 2008 by the Odisha State Legislature keeping in mind an enunciated vision of advancement of learning, teaching, research, diffusion of knowledge in the field of law and catering to the needs of society by developing the professional skills of those intending to take up the professions of Advocacy, Judicial Services, Legal services, and so on. National Law University, Odisha is committed to providing an atmosphere in which academic excellence is the foremost priority for students. Along the lines of this vision, NLUO has significantly catered to the needs of the research in various legal fields by paving way for various dedicated research centres and societies. Such endeavours enable students to pursue individual interests and take part in various literary and recreational activities throughout the academic year.

ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW SOCIETY

The Constitutional Law Society (CLS) is one of NLUO’s initiatives to promote study, research, and informed deliberation in constitutional law and allied subjects with a policy and application-oriented purpose. It was founded in 2018. Its mission is to facilitate discussions and research in constitutional law and related areas, focusing on practical applications. CLS NLUO provides a platform for intellectual discourse through rigorous scholarship, public lectures, seminars, independent research projects, conferences, and collaboration with like-minded individuals and institutions dedicated to constitutional studies.

COMPETITION THEMES: There shall be a total of two themes for the Essay Writing Competition.

1. The Proportionality Test: Rights, Restriction, and Dissent in Constitutional India

The Indian Constitution treats liberty as a foundational value while allowing the State to impose reasonable restrictions. Contemporary practices, however, raise questions about how this balance is practiced in application. Practices such as prolonged internet suspensions, restrictions on public assembly, etc., have sparked debate over whether such restrictions satisfy the constitutional doctrine of proportionality. Participants are invited to critically examine whether the proportionality test functions as an effective safeguard against excessive State action or has become a largely formal judicial exercise.

INDICATIVE TOPICS:

1. The Threshold for Bail under the UAPA and the presumption of guilt.
2. Regulating Hate Speech in India: Doctrinal Gaps Between Free Expression and Public Order.
3. The Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls: Verification or Disenfranchisement?
4. Morality and Decency: An Unreasonable Restriction on Freedom of Speech in India?
5. The Right to Protest, Civil Disobedience, and the Doctrine of Constitutional Morality.
6. Borrowed Constitutions: Transplant, Translation, and Transformation in Comparative Constitutionalism

Constitutions are often the product of borrowing, adaptation, and reinterpretation across jurisdictions. The constitution of India itself stands testament to this, it has drawn inspiration from the British, Irish, Canada, USA, among others. However, when a right or legal doctrine is taken out of the social and political setting where it originally developed, it inevitably changes as it adapts to a new constitutional system. Constitutional provisions may acquire different meanings when transplanted into new social and political contexts. Participants are invited to critically assess whether constitutional borrowing strengthens constitutional interpretation or undermines its legitimacy and local relevance.

INDICATIVE TOPICS:

1. Judicial Borrowing: Comparative Reasoning and the Use of Foreign Precedent by the Supreme Court of India.
2. Federalism Re-Imagined: Comparative Lessons from Cooperative and Competitive Federal Models.
3. Constitutional Amendment Design: Rigidity, Flexibility, and Comparative Amendment Procedures.
4. The use of U.S. First Amendment jurisprudence in Indian free speech cases: consistent doctrine or selective application?
5. The Directive Principles of State Policy: an indigenous innovation or a transplant without context?

For the other details, kindly refer to the attached Competition Brochure.

ELIGIBILITY

• Students pursuing Five-Year/Three-Year LLB Discipline
• Students pursuing One-Year/Two-Year LLM Discipline
• Students pursuing any other undergraduate or postgraduate law degree from any recognized university

IMPORTANT DATES:

1. Call for Submissions: July 30, 2026
2. Last Date for Registration: August 28, 2026
3. Last Date for Submission: September 18, 2026
4. Declaration of Results: October 18, 2026

REGISTRATION

The registration fee is as follows for Non-NLUO participants:

• Single Authorship: ₹300
• Co-Authorship: ₹500

The registration fee is as follows for NLUO participants:

• Single Authorship: ₹250
• Co-Authorship: ₹400

After payment, you are requested to register your participation here.

For submitting your manuscript, after successful registration, please visit here.

PRIZES

The competition offers attractive prizes for the winners, runners-up, and second runners-up, including:

1. Winners: ₹ 7,500 Cash Prize
2. Runners Up: ₹ 5,000 Cash Prize
3. Second Runners Up: ₹ 2,500 Cash Prize

The top three winning entries will also be eligible for publication in the NLUO-CLS Blog. Further, all participants will be given certificates of participation.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to contact

• Email: editorial.cls@nluo.ac.in
• Phone: +91 85828 02714

We look forward to enthusiastic participation from your side!