1st Arbitral Award Writing & Presentation Competition 2026-27 by CNLU [Cash Prizes Rs 25K]: Register by Dec 2

Contents hide

1. About CNLU

2. About Chanakya Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CCADR)

3. About the Competition

4. Eligibility

5. Objectives

6. Mode / Authorship

7. Competition Guidelines

8. Awards and Prize Pool

9. Important Timeline

10. Registration and Fees

11. Important Links

12. Contact

About CNLU

Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, is one of India’s premier National Law Universities, established under the Chanakya National Law University Act, 2006 (Bihar Act No. 24 of 2006), and recognised under Sections 2(f) and 12(B) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. The University was founded on July 15, 2006, with a clear and visionary mandate: to provide quality legal education of the highest standard, raise national legal standards to a competitive international level, and promote legal awareness within the broader community in furtherance of the constitutional goals of justice, equality, and the rule of law.

About Chanakya Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CCADR)

The Chanakya Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CCADR), established in 2021 at Chanakya National Law University, Patna, serves as a premier hub for academic research, practical skill-building, and professional engagement in the field of dispute resolution. Accessible via its official platform at ccadr.cnlu.ac.in, the Centre facilitates an interdisciplinary study of conflict ranging from commercial and institutional to state-level disputes, focusing on frameworks such as the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and international standards including the UNCITRAL Model Law.

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CCADR operates with a clear and ambitious vision: to develop a congenial environment within CNLU and beyond for students, researchers, and practitioners to further their interest in ADR and to compete at the national and international levels. Towards this end, the Centre regularly organises national and intra-college ADR competitions, panel discussions, workshops, training sessions, lectures and interactive engagements with practitioners, academicians, and industry experts.

About the Competition

The Chanakya Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CCADR), Chanakya National Law University, Patna, is pleased to invite registrations for the First Edition of the CNLU Arbitral Award Writing & Presentation Competition, 2026-27, designed to provide participants with an opportunity to engage with the adjudicatory process of arbitration and the practical aspects of drafting a well-reasoned arbitral award.

The competition seeks to immerse participants in the resolution of complex disputes, requiring them to analyse factual and legal issues, assess evidence, interpret contractual and statutory provisions, and apply relevant principles of substantive and procedural law. It places emphasis on clarity of reasoning, legal analysis, evidentiary assessment, procedural fairness, and the formulation of a reasoned and enforceable award.

By simulating the arbitral decision-making process, the competition aims to develop precision in legal drafting, analytical acuity, and impartial decision-making, while providing participants with practical exposure to the functioning of arbitration and the craft of arbitral adjudication.

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Eligibility

The Competition is open to bonafide students from India and abroad, enrolled in a law school, college or university recognised by the competent authority of the relevant jurisdiction (in India, the Bar Council of India and/or the University Grants Commission, as applicable), and pursuing any of the following:

Students pursuing Five-Year/Three-Year LL.B. discipline;
Students pursuing One-Year/Two-Year LL.M. discipline;
Students pursuing any other undergraduate or postgraduate law degree from any recognised university.

Objectives

To enhance participants’ knowledge of arbitration principles, procedures, and the legal framework governing arbitral proceedings, both domestic and international.
To develop practical legal drafting skills by drafting reasoned and well-structured arbitral awards.
To encourage participants to identify, analyse, and resolve complex factual and legal issues in arbitral disputes, including the assessment of evidence, quantification of loss and the grant of reasoned relief, fostering sound legal and factual analysis.
To promote critical analysis and problem solving.

Mode / Authorship

The Competition is conducted in Hybrid mode. Registration, release of the Problem, submission of awards and evaluation of the written awards take place online. The final award must be submitted on or before 15th December 2026, and the results for the Advanced Rounds will be released by 15th January 2027. The Top 8 entries will present their awards in offline mode at CNLU, Patna, on 13th February 2027.

Participation is either individual (single author) or in a team of two (co-authorship); co-authors may be from the same or different institutions. In the Written Round, anonymised awards are independently evaluated by a panel. Each of the Top 8 entries then presents its award before a panel of evaluators (10 minutes of presentation followed by 5 minutes of questions). The final ranking is determined by the combined score of the Written Round (50%) and the Offline Presentation Round (50%).

Competition Guidelines

Format: Awards must be submitted in both .doc/.docx and PDF formats (identical in content) through the designated Google Form only. Submissions by any other mode will not be considered.
Length and style: The Award must not exceed 25 pages (excluding caption, table of contents, footnotes and annexures), typed in Times New Roman, font size 12 (10 for footnotes), with 1.5 line spacing on A4 pages with 1-inch margins.
Anonymity: The Award and file names must carry only the Team Code allotted after registration, and no name, institution or other identifying information.
Originality: The Award must be the original work of the registered author(s) and must not be generated by artificial intelligence tools; submissions are subject to plagiarism and AI checks.
Language: The official language of the Competition is English.

Complete details regarding the Problem, registration, detailed rules, formatting requirements, and evaluation criteria are set out in the Brochure cum Rulebook of the 1st CNLU Arbitral Award Writing & Presentation Competition, 2027, released on 19th October 2026.

Awards and Prize Pool

The Competition carries a collective prize pool of ₹25,000, distributed across three award categories, along with Certificates of Merit for all Top 8 entries.

Award Category	Cash Prize	Recognition
Winner	₹13,000	Trophy, internship opportunity, Certificate of Merit, and publication in the CCADR Blog after incorporating the reviewer’s comments
Runner-up	₹7,000	Trophy, internship opportunity, Certificate of Merit, and publication in the CCADR Blog after incorporating the reviewer’s comments
Second Runner-up	₹5,000	Trophy, Certificate of Merit, and publication in the CCADR Blog after incorporating the reviewer’s comments
Top 8 Participating Entries	–	Certificate of Merit for all Top 8 entries
Total Prize Pool	₹25,000	Certificate of Participation for all participants who make a valid Final Submission

Important Timeline

Release of Brochure cum Rulebook and Beginning of Registration – 19th October, 2026
Release of Problem – 15th November, 2026
Last Date for Registration – 2nd December, 2026
Last Date for Queries and Clarifications – 5th December, 2026
Last Date for Submission of Final Award – 15th December, 2026
Release of Results for Advanced Rounds – by 15th January, 2027
Offline Presentation Rounds (Top 8) at CNLU, Patna – 13th February, 2027

Registration and Fees

Registration is completed by filling out the registration Google Form and paying the applicable fee. The last date for registration is 2nd December 2026. Fees once paid are not refundable.

Indian participants (Preliminary Round): ₹800 for single-author submissions and ₹1,500 for co-author submissions.
International participants (Preliminary Round): USD 10 for single-author submissions and USD 20 for co-author submissions.
Top 8 (Offline Presentation Rounds): ₹2,500 per participant for Indian participants, and an additional USD 30 per participant for international participants, inclusive of food and accommodation.
Accommodation: Provided by CNLU for qualifying entries from 12th February 2027 (12:00 PM) to 14th February 2027 (12:00 PM). Travel to and from Patna is borne by the participants.

Fees are to be transferred to the account below. Proof of payment (a screenshot or transaction receipt showing the transaction reference number) must be uploaded in the registration form or sent to [email protected].