The International Law and Policy Society at NLU Odisha invites undergraduate and postgraduate law students to participate in its 4th Essay Writing Competition.
- About National Law University Odisha (NLUO)
- About International Law and Policy Society (ILPS)
- About the Opportunity
- Central Theme
- Indicative Sub-Themes
- Eligibility Criteria
- Submission Guidelines
- Also Read
- Evaluation Procedure
- Awards & Recognition
- Registration Fee
- Important Dates
- Deadline
- Contact
- Application Procedure
About National Law University Odisha (NLUO)
National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack, was established in 2009 under the National Law University Odisha Act, 2008. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission and approved by the Bar Council of India. It focuses on legal education, research and interdisciplinary learning.
About International Law and Policy Society (ILPS)
The International Law and Policy Society (ILPS) at NLU Odisha provides a platform for intellectual dialogue on contemporary issues of international law and foreign policy through research, publications, seminars, conferences and related projects. Its areas of focus include public international law, international affairs and the foreign policies of different countries.
About the Opportunity
The International Law and Policy Society at National Law University Odisha is organising the 4th ILPS Essay Writing Competition 2026. The central theme of the competition is “Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL): Rethinking the Discipline from the Global South.”
Participants are required to submit original essays examining issues connected with TWAIL and the position of the Global South within international law. The indicative themes include colonial biases in international law, trade and debt dependencies, investment arbitration, selective enforcement and the distribution of benefits from shared global resources.
Central Theme
The central theme of the competition is “Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL): Rethinking the Discipline from the Global South.”
Indicative Sub-Themes
Participants may explore the following indicative themes:
- Whether custom and general principles of “civilised nations” under Article 38 of the ICJ Statute continue to carry biases originating from the colonial era.
- How international trade rules and lending conditions contribute to the economic dependence of developing countries.
- Why developing countries are increasingly exiting or rejecting investor-state dispute settlement.
- Selective enforcement and double standards in international law.
- Whether shared global resources represent a common heritage or common exploitation and who ultimately benefits from them.
Eligibility Criteria
- The competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
- Participants must be enrolled in a recognised law university, college or institute.
- The competition permits both single authorship and co-authorship, with a maximum of two authors for co-authored submissions.
Submission Guidelines
- Essays must be submitted exclusively in English.
- The submission must be the original work of the author or authors.
- Submissions exceeding the 10% plagiarism threshold will be disqualified.
- Previously published essays or essays currently under consideration for publication elsewhere will not be eligible.
- Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy of facts, opinions and views contained in their submissions.
- The essay must not contain offensive, abusive, derogatory or potentially defamatory content.
- The author’s name must not appear anywhere in the article, including its file properties and metadata. Only the team code should be mentioned.
- The prescribed word limit is 2,500–3,000 words, excluding footnotes.
- The main text must use Times New Roman, font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing.
- Footnotes must use Times New Roman, font size 10, with single line spacing.
- Citations may follow either the Bluebook 20th edition or OSCOLA 4th edition, provided the chosen style is used consistently.
- The document must have one-inch margins on all sides and justified text.
- The essay must be submitted exclusively in PDF format and the PDF must be named using the respective team code.
Also Read
Call for Short Articles by CLLRA, NLU Delhi
Evaluation Procedure
The competition will follow a three-stage evaluation process.
Initial Assessment
Junior Editors will assess the submissions for compliance with the prescribed format and evaluate their originality, coherence and thematic relevance.
Comprehensive Review
Senior Editors will conduct a detailed review and shortlist the top 10 submissions.
External Review
The top 10 shortlisted submissions will undergo a blind assessment by external judges. The judges will rank the submissions and select the top three entries. Participants are instructed not to contact anyone from the editorial board, as doing so will constitute malpractice and result in immediate disqualification.
Awards & Recognition
The competition offers a total prize pool of ₹15,000 for the top three entries.
- Winners will receive ₹7,500.
- Runners-up will receive ₹5,000.
- Second Runners-up will receive ₹2,500.
- All participants will receive Certificates of Participation.
- The top five entries will receive Certificates of Merit.
- The top 10 entries will receive an opportunity to publish their essays on the ILPS blog.
Registration Fee
The registration fee is non-refundable and is as follows:
- Single Authorship: ₹250.
- Co-Authorship, with a maximum of two authors: ₹400.
Important Dates
Registration opens on 2 September 2026 and closes on 20 September 2026. The essay submission deadline is 30 September 2026, while the results are scheduled to be declared in the first week of October 2026.
Deadline
The last date to complete registration is 20 September 2026. Registered participants must submit their essays by 30 September 2026.
Contact
Aditya K. Mundhra (Convenor): +91 93399 84884
Mahak Gandhi (Secretary): +91 81188 09311
Email: ilps@nluo.ac.in
Application Procedure
Interested participants must complete the registration process by 20 September 2026. The brochure provides for registration through a registration link and specifies a non-refundable fee of ₹250 for single authorship and ₹400 for co-authorship of up to two authors.
After registration, participants will receive their team codes through email. The essay must be submitted through the submission form by 30 September 2026. The submission link will be shared with the registered email IDs, and the details entered in the submission form must match those provided in the registration form.
