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!

This is a 33-hours (30 + 3) double credit course designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Mediation, Restorative Justice (RJ) and Restorative Practices (RP). The course blends theory with practical tools, offering participants the skills to foster healing and accountability in various settings, including schools, families, and communities. Through a series of interactive modules, participants will explore the principles of restorative justice, its relationship with criminology and penology, restorative approaches such as victim-offender mediation, conferences and circles, and its integration into the criminal justice system, with particular emphasis on the Indian context. Practical learning is facilitated through simulation exercises and role-plays on mediation, mediator’s opening statements, restorative conferences, and restorative circles. The course also encourages participants to critically examine the differences between restorative justice and the traditional adversarial criminal justice system while developing the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate constructive dialogue and promote peaceful dispute resolution.
For more details, please refer to the brochure.

Brochure

Tentative Schedule

CDLA 3 Credit Course Brochure

The report titled Legal and Policy Gaps in Implementing WHO FCTC and MPOWER in India, prepared by Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Pratap Singh, Vice Chancellor, National Law University, Tripura, was submitted to the National Law University Odisha as a part of the Project on ‘Supporting Stronger and Evidence-Based Tobacco Control Initiatives through Capacity Building and Strengthening Laws, Policies and Institutional Mechanisms with Multi-Stakeholder Engagement towards Tobacco-free India’, under the guidance of Dr. Amit Yadav, Deputy Director, Vital Strategies, New Delhi.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of India’s position in implementing WHO’s MPOWER tobacco control measures, identifies key policy gaps, and offers recommendations to strengthen tobacco regulation. The report further presents strategies for achieving the highest MPOWER compliance, which can help the country enhance its tobacco control measures.

NLU Odisha and NLU Tripura hope that this report serves as a valuable resource and contributes towards the ongoing efforts to strengthen tobacco control in India.

Report

The Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights (CCJHR), National Law University Odisha, is organizing a Double Credit Course on “Cyber Crime and Cyber Forensics through the Lens of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam” from 4 July to 2 August 2026 in virtual mode. Designed to bridge the gap between law and technology, the 32-hour course offers a comprehensive understanding of cybercrimes, digital forensic investigation, electronic evidence, and the legal framework under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. Through expert-led sessions and discussions on emerging trends in cyber forensics, participants will gain valuable insights into contemporary challenges in cyber law and digital evidence. Open to students, legal professionals, academicians, practitioners, and other interested learners, the course aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to effectively navigate the evolving landscape of cybercrime investigation and digital justice.

Brochure

Shyni S, ADG of Police, CAW & CW, flags urgent need for addressing biases while dealing with children in conflict with law at the 11th foundation day celebration of Centre for Child Rights, NLUO and unveiling of its flagship Journal

NLUO, Cuttack | 12 April, 2026: The Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National Law University Odisha (NLUO) celebrated its 11th anniversary on 11^th April 2026 and unveiled its internationally indexed flagship journal – Journal on the rights of the child of national law university Odisha.

The event was headlined by Smt. Babita Patro, Chairperson, Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR). She emphasized on the importance of addressing mental health and digital safety of children in Odisha. She underscored the need to engage directly with children in their lived environments to understand the challenges they face and to develop orders, directives, and policies that respond effectively to these realities.

Other dignitaries present in the event were Smt. Shyni S, IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Odisha (Crime Against Women and Children Wing), Shri Subhendu Bhattacharjee, Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange, Child Rights and You (CRY); Prof Ved Kumari, the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal on the Rights of the Child of National Law University Odisha and former Vice Chancellor of NLUO, Prof Rangin Pallav Tripathy, Vice Chancellor (I/C), NLUO and Patron-in-Chief, CCR-NLUO; Prof Biraj Swain, Chief Minister’s Chair Professor cum Director of Centre for Child Rights (CCR), NLUO.

Smt Shyni S, IPS, ADGP, CAW & CW underlined the class and caste bias in dealing with children in conflict with law (CiCL), and called for self-awareness amongst child protection cadre (state and non-state) for self-awareness of inherent prejudices while handling such cases and sensitivity, keeping best interest of the child in mind, while dealing with such cases. Raising concerns about gaps in the implementation of legal frameworks, she pointed to the lack of clarity around diversion under the Juvenile Justice system and questioned certain procedural practices. She further emphasized the need to rethink approaches toward adolescents, particularly in sensitive contexts, and highlighted the importance of making law enforcement systems more child-friendly to reduce fear among children.

Speaking of the event, Prof Rangin Pallav Tripathy talked about the importance of not just starting an initiative but sustaining and strengthening them over time, despite changes in leadership and vision and highlighted that the CCR of NLUO is one such Centre.

Prof Ved Kumari envisioned the Chair professorship on Child Rights, the only Chair Professorship on Child Rights in the country with a focus on the entire spectrum/continuum of child rights and not just juvenile justice. She also acknowledged the support of Govt of Odisha is supporting not just the position of a Chair Professor but a multi-member team including two researchers and administrative support. She described the centre’s progress as “nothing short of a miracle” amidst high expectations and recalled how timely decisions and institutional support played a key role in shaping the initiative. She also emphasized the importance of integrating the Centre’s work with academic life of NLUO rather than the CCR functioning as a parallel entity without engagement with students and the university.

Shri Subhendu Bhattacharjee shared that Child Rights and You (CRY) focus and interventions in 22 states and 150 districts in the country, focusing on last-mile delivery. He further shared that they see a lot of value in engaging with academic institutions where buddying lawyers and journalists are being prepared to build their perspective around child rights.

The publication of the Journal on the Rights of the Child Volume VII, Issue I, marks a significant step forward in the academic and practical pursuit of child rights in India. By combining rigorous research with lived experiences, it serves as a valuable resource for practitioners, scholars, policy makers, advocates and the judiciary. The Editorial Advisory Board of the journal Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice Gita Mittal, Prof Bernd-Dieter Meier, Prof Christopher Birbeck, and Prof Bhabani Prasad Panda. The Editorial Board led by Prof Ved Kumari (Editor in Chief), Prof Biraj Swain (Editor), Prof Ravinder Barn, Dr Frederick de Moll, Dr Damanjit Sandhu, Dr Asha Bajpai, and Dr Kalpana Purushothaman who ensure the quality, integrity and inter-disciplinary depth of the publication.

The Journal on the Rights of the Child of National Law University Odisha, Vol -VII, Issue -I brings together 11 original contributions from across the country. The volume includes the Presidential address by Hon’ble Justice Savitri Ratho, Judge, Orissa High Court and Chairperson – Juvenile Justice Committee, Orissa High Court and papers on juvenile justice jurisprudence, right to education, new education policy, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO, 2012), and mental health. It also includes an infographic on child budget in Union Budget analysis with fact sheet. It is an open access journal, it can be accessed at – https://nluo.ac.in/journal-on-the-rights-of-the-child/.

The event was attended by representatives from government officials, Dr Santosh Rout, Joint Director, Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA), Dept of School and Mass Education, Shri Pritikanta Panda – Programme Manager, Odisha State Child Protection Society (OSCPS), Smt. Pragati Mohanty, District Child Protection Officer-Cuttack, and Shri Pamod Acharya, former Chairperson – CWC, Cuttack. Dr Sandhya Rani Pal from XIM University and Mr Udit Narayan Mishra from KIIT School of Law also were present in the event. Eminent representatives from important civil society organizations present were Dr Avijeet Bhadra from Bal Raksha Bharat, Pratyush Panda from Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), Smt. Sneha Mishra from AIINA, Smt. Bishakha Bhanja from National Alliance for Women’s Organisation (NAWO), Mr. Anwoya Avinab from Utkal Sevak Samaj, Jitendra Kumar Nayak from WaterAid, Smt Biraj Laxmi Sarangi from PCI Global, Ms Virajitha Chimalapathi from World Resources Institute, Pradyut R Rout from PLAN International-India and selected student members of CCR i.e. Avismrita, Suraj, Kashish, Sushant, Akshat, Amit, Ashwani, Shahnaaz, Jyotirmay, Subhadra and students, staff and faculty of NLUO.

The Centre for Child Rights is the oldest centre of NLUO, the second oldest child rights centre at any NLU, and the only Chair Professorship on child rights amongst any university in the country, law and non-law included. It is a research, teaching, advocacy and practise centre and fully integrated with NLUO. The Centre is led by the Chief Minister’s Chair Professor cum Director Prof Biraj Swain. Other faculty and staff members of the CCR are Mr M Vijay Bhaskar (Co-Director), Ms Akanksha Yadav (Co-Director), Dr Swagatika Samal (Researcher, Chief Minister’s Chair Professor team), Dr Pradipta Kumar Sarangi (Researcher, Chief Minister’s Chair Professor team), Mr Amulya Kumar Swain (Office Assistant, Chief Minister’s Chair Professor team) and Mr T Swaraaj (Member).

The 11th anniversary celebration event of CCR was organised in collaboration with the leading child rights organisation – Child Rights and You (CRY) and the State Bank of India was the sponsorship partner.

The Centre for Research and Management of Natural Resources (CRAMON) of NLUO is pleased to offer a Single credit course on “Just Transitions and Energy Justice – An Indian Perspective” in online mode from 8^th May, 2026 – 30^th May, 2026.

The course builds on emerging issues and conflicts around the transition to clean energy. Through various case studies of different sectors like electricity, solar power, EV, etc., this course will contextualise the theoretical discussions and give a very nuanced understanding of the concepts with the help of fact-specific case scenarios.

This course also brings together not just an academic perspective, but also policy makers’ and practitioners’ perspectives on energy ‘just’ transitions in India. The course will also provide interdisciplinary insights, as the resource persons are drawn from various disciplines beyond law, like public policy, economics, and management studies, etc.

Brochure

Theme-Governance, Law and Public Interest

 On 10 March 2026, the Informal Discussion Group of NLU, Odisha, hosted a session on “Governance, Law and Public Interest” featuring noted public policy commentator and former civil servant Dr. E. A. S. Sarma. A former member of the Indian Administrative Service (1965–2000), Dr. Sarma served as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministries of Power and Finance and later as Principal Adviser (Energy) to the Planning Commission.

The discussion began with a brief exchange on the idea of development, before expanding into a broader conversation on governance, public accountability, and civic engagement. Drawing from his post-retirement public interest work, Dr. Sarma spoke about issues ranging from environmental advocacy in the Vedanta mining controversy in the Niyamgiri Hills to the human rights concerns surrounding the Salwa Judum case. He also emphasised the role of informed public discourse and litigation in strengthening democratic institutions and protecting public interest.