Belles Lettres J.E. Dastur Memorial Short Fiction Essay Writing Competition 2026 by GLC, Mumbai [Cash Prizes Rs 10K]: Register by Nov 20

The Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai, is inviting registrations for the Belles Lettres J.E. Dastur Memorial Short Fiction Essay Writing Competition, 2026. The competition is open to eligible students pursuing undergraduate courses across different fields in India. Participants are required to submit an original short-fiction story based on any one of the prescribed topics. The competition carries cash prizes of up to Rs. 10,000.

Contents hide

1. About Government Law College, Mumbai

2. About the Magazine Committee, Government Law College, Mumbai

3. About the Competition

4. Theme

5. Eligibility

6. Registration Fee

7. Prizes

8. Formatting Guidelines

9. Selection Guidelines

10. Important Dates

11. Registration Process

12. Click Here To Register.

13. Submission Procedure

14. Click Here To Submit.

15. Contact Information

About Government Law College, Mumbai

Established in 1855, Government Law College, Mumbai, is one of India’s oldest institutions for legal education. With a legacy spanning over 150 years, the institution has produced several eminent judges, distinguished lawyers, statesmen and social activists.

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The College has maintained a tradition of academic excellence and intellectual engagement through its interaction with distinguished members of the legal fraternity.

About the Magazine Committee, Government Law College, Mumbai

The Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai, is a student-run committee with a legacy of 96 years. It serves as a platform for cultural and intellectual discussions and encourages active participation from students and members of the legal fraternity.

The Committee publishes the College’s annual magazine, méLAWnge, and organises three annual essay competitions that receive entries from degree colleges across the country.

About the Competition

The Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai, presents the annual Belles-Lettres Essay Competition 2026, sponsored in memory of the late Mr Jal E. Dastur.

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The competition aims to encourage literary fiction and creative writing among students across India. It provides eligible participants with a national platform to showcase their storytelling and creative writing skills.

The entries will be evaluated by distinguished authors. Previous editions of the competition have had literary personalities such as Mr Ruskin Bond, Mr Jeffrey Archer and Ms Anita Nair as judges for the final rounds.

Theme

Participants are required to choose ANY ONE of the following topics for their short-fiction story:

Opening Line: Start your story with the following sentence:”This story is an ancient one, from a magical time when the tigers smoked.”
Objects: Incorporate all the following objects into your story:
- Taxidermied Goat
- Purse of Pearls
- An Opened Envelope
Characters: Build your story around the following characters:
- Confucious
- Dr Doofensmirtz
- Mulan
Image-Based Story: Build your story around the image provided in the official competition brochure.

Note: Participants must choose only one of the above topics. There is no requirement to incorporate all the topics or elements into a single story.

Eligibility

The competition is open to students who fulfil the following eligibility requirements:

Participants must have passed their HSC/CBSE/ISC (10+2) examination or any other equivalent examination.
Participants must currently be enrolled in a graduation course in any field.
Students pursuing postgraduate diploma courses are also eligible.
Only individual entries are permitted. Co-authored submissions will not be accepted.
Students pursuing postgraduate degree courses are not eligible.
The decision of the Organising Committee regarding eligibility shall be final and binding.

Registration Fee

There is no registration fee for eligible participants. The competition is free for all eligible students.

Prizes

The competition carries the following cash prizes:

Position	Cash Prize
First Prize	Rs. 10,000/-
Second Prize	Rs. 7,000/-
Third Prize	Rs. 5,000/-
Fourth Prize	Rs. 1,500/-
Fifth Prize	Rs. 1,500/-

Formatting Guidelines

Participants must adhere to the following formatting requirements while preparing their entries:

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Language: English
Word Limit: Minimum 1,500 words and maximum 3,500 words.
Font Type: Times New Roman
Font Size: 12
Line Spacing: 1.5
Margins: One inch on each side.
Alignment: Justified.

Additional requirements:

Marks will be deducted for violating the prescribed word limit.
The identity of the participant or their college, university or institution must not be disclosed anywhere in the essay.
Submissions must be original and unpublished works of the author.
Plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to write or rephrase the submission will result in disqualification.
The title of the submission document must be the participant’s allotted Team Code.

Selection Guidelines

The evaluation of submissions will place special consideration on the following aspects:

Use of the chosen topic.
Originality of the story.
Language and writing quality.
Plot of the story.

All submissions will undergo strict online plagiarism checks.

Important Dates

Particulars	Dates
Registration Deadline	20th November 2026
Submission Deadline	5th December 2026

Registration Process

Interested participants must complete their registration through the official Google Form.

Click Here To Register.

Submission Procedure

Participants must submit their entries through the prescribed Google Form.

The following instructions must be followed:

Participants must submit their entries in both Word (.doc/.docx) and PDF formats.
Each participant is permitted to submit only one entry.
The submitted Word document must be legible and accessible through Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
The title of the submission document must be the allotted Team Code.
The Team Code will be shared after the registration deadline. Participants are requested not to contact the Organising Committee regarding the Team Code before the deadline.
Participants must ensure compliance with the prescribed word limit, formatting, originality, plagiarism and anonymity requirements.

Click Here To Submit.

In case of any dispute, the decision of the Professor-in-Charge and Student Editors shall be final. No queries regarding the announcement of results will be entertained.