1st National Essay Competition | Small Voices: Big Rights by The Constitutional Club, NLU Delhi: Submit by Mar 1

About NLU Delhi

National Law University Delhi (NLUD) is a premier Indian law school in Dwarka, Delhi, known for its high-quality legal education, focusing on fostering the rule of law and social justice through programs like B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M., and Ph.D.. Unlike most other NLUs, NLUD conducts its own entrance exam, AILET, instead of CLAT, offering a comprehensive, research-driven environment with numerous specialized research centers.

About the Competition

The NLUD Chair on Justice for Children in collaboration with UNICEF and the Constitutional Law Club, NLU Delhi, presents the 1st edition of the National Essay Competition Small Voices : Big Rights. The competition invites students to think closely about how India’s constitutional framework interacts with the specialised systems that govern child protection and juvenile justice.

The interactions of children with the criminal justice system stand at the crossroads of two powerful branches of law; constitutional law, which lays down the rights and principles that guide the justice system more generally, and criminal law, which defines victimhood and liability. This competition aims to encourage clear thinking and strong legal analysis on issues surrounding the interaction of these frameworks. It hopes to create a space where students can critically engage with the processes that shape justice for children in India.

NLUD Chair on Justice for Children in collaboration with UNICEF

The Chair works to build a strong body of scholarship on child rights within the criminal justice system, support high-quality legal representation for children in need of care and protection as well as those in conflict with the law, and mentor the next generation of child rights researchers and lawyers. Guided by Chair Professor Tasneem Deo, the initiative aims to bring together academic insight and practical engagement to ensure that every child’s rights are protected with fairness, dignity, and compassion.

About Constitutional Law Club

The Constitutional Law Club was founded by students of NLU Delhi, with the support of our Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai, and the guidance of Prof. (Dr.) Niraj Kumar. The club grew out of a shared wish to build a steady, thoughtful space for engaging with constitutional ideas beyond the classroom. The work focuses on nurturing a regular culture of discussion around constitutional law. We host expert lectures, share reading lists that offer diverse perspectives, and run student-led forums that encourage open and informed conversation.

Important Date

Themes

1. The Role of Dignity under Article 21 in Shaping Juvenile Justice in India
2. The Interplay of Privacy and Protection under POCSO
3. Article 39A and Access to Justice for Children

Submission Guidelines

Format and Content:

1. Word Limit: 1500-2000 words excluding footnotes.
2. The title should be no longer than 12 words.
3. The content must be formatted as follows:
   1. Font Style: Garamond
   2. Line Spacing: 1.5
   3. Font size: 12
   4. All text should be justified.
4. The submission shall be original and unpublished work.
5. A similarity below 20% is permitted. Any use of generative AI will lead to disqualification.
6. The footnotes shall be as per OSCOLA 4th Edition. The content of the footnotes must be formatted as follows:
   1. Font Style: Garamond
   2. Line Spacing: 1.0
   3. Font size: 10
7. Essays breaching guidelines may be summarily rejected.
8. There are no registration fees.

Eligibility

The competition is open to any student enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate law degree in any recognized university in India.

Co-authorship is not permitted.

Submission Process

Participants may submit their essays via this form by the 1st March 2026.

Awards

• Winner: Certificate of Merit and publication in the NLUD J4C Newsletter
• Runner-Up: Certificate of Merit and publication on the NLUD J4C Online Opinion Page
• Top 10 Entries: Certificate of Merit

All participants will receive an E-Certificate of Participation.

Submission Procedure

Click Here to Submit.

Contact Info

Email ID: [email protected]

Phone: ‪+91 77078 83920 (Ms. Siya Maheshwari) & +91 70033 46161 (Ms. Palak Goenka)

The official notification is here.