The Kautilya Society, NLUO Chapter is organising an essay writing competition with registration open until September 13, 2026.
About National Law University Odisha
National Law University Odisha, Cuttack was established by the Odisha State Legislature in 2008. The University focuses on legal education, research, professional development and the advancement of knowledge in the field of law.
About the Society
Kautilya Societies are student initiatives established in universities across India by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. These societies aim to widen access to legislative drafting and analysis and encourage students to explore public policy as a career path.
The Kautilya Society, NLUO Chapter has been established at National Law University Odisha in association with Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
About the Competition
The Kautilya Society, NLUO Chapter is organising the 2nd Kautilya Society NLUO Essay Writing Competition 2026.
The competition invites participants to showcase their analytical and writing skills through essays dealing with law, public policy, governance or other subjects of contemporary relevance. The essay must include a clear public policy perspective.
Participants may write on international events, provided that the essay establishes a strong connection with Indian public policy.
Theme
The competition follows an open-theme format. Participants may choose a topic from any area of law or a related field, provided that the submission has a strong nexus with public policy.
For example, an essay on competition law may examine the public policy implications of hub-and-spoke arrangements in cab-hailing services.
Eligibility Criteria
- Students pursuing a five-year or three-year LL.B. programme may participate.
- Students pursuing a one-year or two-year LL.M. programme may participate.
- Students who are not pursuing law but are interested in the subject area may also participate.
- Single-author and co-authored submissions are permitted.
Submission Guidelines
- Submissions must be made in .doc or .docx format.
- The manuscript should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words, excluding endnotes.
- Each submission must contain an abstract of 50 to 100 words, which will not be counted within the total word limit.
- The title of the essay must be used as the filename.
- The name of the author must not appear in the filename or anywhere in the manuscript.
- Times New Roman, font size 12 and 1.5 line spacing must be used.
- The text should be justified.
- Hyperlinking is the preferred mode of referencing. Endnotes may be used where hyperlinking is not possible.
- The submission must be original and free from plagiarism.
- The similarity index must be below 10%.
- The competition follows a strict AI policy and requires 0% AI-generated content.
- The essay should be free from grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors.
Important Dates
- Last date for registration: September 13, 2026
- Last date for submission: September 28, 2026
Registration Fee
- NLUO students:
- Single author: ₹200
- Co-authorship: ₹300
- Non-NLUO students:
- Single author: ₹300
- Co-authorship: ₹500
Prizes
- Winner: ₹6,000
- Runner-up: ₹4,000
- Second runner-up: ₹2,500
The winners will also receive an internship opportunity at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
The top submissions may be published on the Vidhi Blog, subject to approval by the external panel.
Contact
Email: ksociety@nluo.ac.in
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Application Procedure
Interested candidates may register through the following:
After registration, participants must submit their essays through the prescribed Google Form. The essay must be submitted in .doc or .docx format and should comply with the prescribed word limit, formatting requirements and anonymity rules.
Participants must also complete the fee payment process applicable to their category.
The registration deadline is September 13, 2026, and the submission deadline is September 28, 2026.
