Essay Writing Competition | Kautilya Society NLUO

September 20, 2026 2 Min Read

The Kautilya Society, National Law University Odisha, is organising the 2nd Kautilya Society NLUO Essay Writing Competition 2026, inviting participants to explore contemporary issues in law, public policy, governance, and related fields.

Eligibility

• Students pursuing a Five-Year or Three-Year LL.B. programme.
• Students pursuing a One-Year or Two-Year LL.M. programme.
• Students from non-law disciplines interested in the subject area may also participate.

Competition details

• Theme: Open Theme.
• Participants may choose any area of law, provided a strong nexus to public policy is established.
• International policy-oriented topics are permitted, provided Indian public policy remains central to the discussion.
• Essays will be evaluated on originality, depth of analysis, coherence, research quality, and clarity of expression.
• Manuscript word limit: 1,500–2,000 words, excluding endnotes.
• Each manuscript must include an abstract of 50–100 words, excluded from the total word count.
• Submissions must be made in .doc/.docx format.
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
• Line spacing: 1.5.
• Text must be justified.
• Hyperlinking is the preferred mode of referencing; endnotes may be used where hyperlinking is not possible.
• The manuscript and file name must not contain any information identifying the author(s).
• Similarity index must be below 10% and the AI detection requirement is 0%.
• The essay should be free from grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Schedule

• Last Date for Registration: 18 September 2026.
• Last Date for Submission: 28 September 2026.

Fees

• NLUO Students – Single Authorship: ₹200.
• NLUO Students – Co-Authorship: ₹300.
• Non-NLUO Students – Single Authorship: ₹300.
• Non-NLUO Students – Co-Authorship: ₹500.

Prizes

• Winner: ₹6,000.
• Runner-up: ₹4,000.
• Second Runner-up: ₹2,500.
• Winners will receive an internship opportunity at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
• Top submissions may be published on the Vidhi Blog, subject to approval by the External Panel.