23rd Dinesh Vyas Memorial GLC National Legal Essay Competition 2025-26 [Cash Prizes Rs 60K]: Register by Jan 5

About Government Law College, Mumbai

With a heritage spanning over 150 years and a seemingly endless list of distinguished alumni, Government Law College, Mumbai, has been regarded as a premier institution of legal education since its inception in 1855. What began humbly as evening classes in a borrowed premise, the college that first lit the candle of legal education in India now stands tall among all its contemporaries.

Government Law College has a distinguished tradition. Over the years, the College has produced several eminent Judges whose erudition and independence have been, and continue to be, a great source of inspiration to members of the Bar and the Bench. Its alumni include statesmen, distinguished lawyers, and activists who have been at the forefront of social reconstruction.

The interaction of students with distinguished members of the legal fraternity in a cultivated institutional environment- one that continually strives to redefine the parameters of education, greatly enhances the charisma of this institution.

About the Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai

The Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai, curates the institution’s annual publication, méLAWnge, not merely a magazine, but an integral strand in the college’s aeonian legacy. First published in 1930, the inaugural edition examined questions of civil marriage law and the art of advocacy.

Over its remarkable 94-year trajectory, the GLC Magazine has endured as a steadfast constant amid the ever-shifting contours of India’s legal landscape. Across decades, it has assiduously chronicled the evolution of legal thought, serving as a living archive of our collective journey capturing the past, illuminating the present, and anticipating the future of legal discourse in the country.

Through méLAWnge, we endeavour to encapsulate the voices of the diverse student body while also disseminating the insights of illustrious alumni and eminent legal luminaries. It is for this very purpose that students, professors, lawyers, and judges have once again converged to infuse this edition with intellect, imagination, and institutional spirit.

About the Dinesh Vyas Public Charitable Trust

The Dinesh Vyas Public Charitable Trust, since its formation on December 16, 2020, has efficaciously promoted the cause of education in diverse fields. In its endeavour to provide a stimulus to education in India, the Trust aims to sponsor various societies and competitions, award fellowships and scholarships, promote e-learning and vocational learning and provide appropriate infrastructure for several facilities to encourage quality education in India.

In furtherance of this objective, the Trust has been actively involved with the Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai, by sponsoring this Competition. The Competition serves to instill and promote legal and analytical skills among students by allowing them to present their analysis on pertinent legal issues.

Competition Details

The Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai, presents the 23rd Dinesh Vyas Memorial Government Law College National Legal Essay Competition. Writing is an indispensable craft for any lawyer, one that must remain inextricably intertwined with the profession. In that spirit, the Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai, conducts an annual national-level legal essay writing competition: the Dinesh Vyas Memorial Government Law College National Legal Essay Competition.

This Competition is sponsored in memory of the Late Mr Dinesh Vyas, one of GLC’s most distinguished alumni, who obtained his LL.B. degree from Government Law College in 1967.

The topics for this year’s edition are :

i. Refugees Beyond Borders: The Case for a Uniform Asylum Law in the Wake of the Manipur and Myanmar Crises

ii. Is the Collegium a tool for biased appointments? Evaluating the caste and gender disparities in appointments to the higher judiciary

iii. Unequal compensation for equal persons: Statutory and Judicial inconsistencies in fatal accident damages in India

vi. Reforming faith or Regulating religion? The Constitutional storm around the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025.

v. Gubernatorial power and democratic balance: Analysing State of Tamil Nadu vs. Governor of Tamil Nadu (2025 INSC 481) and its implications for Centre-State relations

Eligibility

Open to students across all years pursuing their 5-year integrated law course/3-year LL.B. course/LL.M. from any recognised university in India, and equivalent law

degree, abroad for the academic year of 2023-2024, are eligible to participate in the competition.

Prizes

• First prize: Rs. 20,000
• Second prize: Rs. 15,000
• Third prize: Rs. 10,000
• Consolation prize: Rs. 7,500
• Consolation prize: Rs. 7.500

Important Dates

• Registration Deadline: 5th January 2026, 11:59 p.m. IST
• Submission Deadline: 11th January 2026, 11:59 p.m. IST

Rules of Submission

• Language: English
• Submissions must be original and unpublished works of the author. Font: Times New Roman Font Size: 12
• Line Spacing: 1.5
• Margin: One inch on all sides
• Paper Size: A4
• Word Limit: 5000 words (inclusive of footnotes) Citation Style: ILI
• Citation Font Size: 10 Citation Spacing: 1.0
• Citation Font: Times New Roman Alignment: Justified
• Plagiarism over 15% will result in automatic disqualification.
• Use of artificial intelligence to write or rephrase words will result in disqualification. The title of the submission document must be the topic chosen by the author(s) along with their team code. Participants must not disclose their names or any identifying information in their submission document. If such details are found, the submission will be rejected and disqualified.

Competition rules

• All submissions will undergo a strict online plagiarism check.
• Special consideration will be placed upon the coherence of the essay, quality of analysis, quality of arguments and the depth of research and quality of literature cited.
• In case of any dispute, the decision of the professor in charge and the student editors will be final.
• It is the responsibility of each participant to ensure that the “.doc”/”.docx” file of the submission can be opened legibly with Google Docs/Microsoft Word.
• Team Code for submission will be sent after the registration deadline elapses. Kindly do not contact the organising committee regarding the team code before then.

Miscellaneous

• All entries shall be deemed to be the property of ‘Vyas Memorial Government Law College National Legal Essay Competition’, which reserves the right to publication of the same in any periodical, journal, book, electronic resource or in any other manner as it may deem appropriate.
• Repeated inquiries about announcement of results may lead to deductions in score. ii. The organising committee’s decision as regards the interpretation of rules or any other matter related to the competition shall be final.
• If any situation arises that is not contemplated in the rules, the organising committee’s decision on the same shall be final. The organising committee reserves the right to vary, alter, or repeal any of the above rules as they deem appropriate.
• The decision of the judges shall be final and binding on all concerned.
• The Magazine Committee reserves the right to summarily reject or return the submission to the author without feedback for non-compliance with the following submission guidelines. vi. The ideas/views of the author expressed and published in the essay are the respective views of the author. The Magazine Committee shall not be held responsible or accountable for the opinion expressed by the author of the essay

Registration Fees

• Single authorship : INR 100
• Co-Authorship : INR 150

This registration fee shall be non-refundable.

Payment Details

Name: MAGAZINE COMMITTEE GLC MUMBAI

Account Number: 00000036022568212

IFSC Code : SBIN0004283

Registration and Submission Procedure

Click Here To Register.

Contact details

You may email at [email protected] or contact:

• Aabha Gawde – +91 777 707 2496
• Ria Vaidya – +91 877 948 4646

The brochure is here.