National Legal Essay Writing Competition, 2026 by MABIJS [Cash Prizes Rs 10K]: Submit by Dec 15

About The Organisation

Mohammad Abdul Bari Institute of Juridical Science (MABIJS) is a private law college located at Maniknagar, Domkal, Murshidabad, West Bengal. Established in 2008 by the Maniknagar Social Welfare Society, the institute is affiliated to the University of Kalyani, approved by the Bar Council of India and recognised by the State Government.

MABIJS offers a five-year integrated B.A.LL.B. (Hons.) programme and aims to provide quality legal education by bridging the gap between theory and practice, promoting cultural, legal and ethical values, and fostering the rule of law and the objectives enshrined in the Constitution of India. The institute envisions nurturing legal professionals who can build successful careers in India and abroad, within a well-equipped learning environment.

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About The Event: NATIONAL LEGAL ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION, 2026

Ideas that Shape a Just World

Academic Research • Original Thought • Legal Excellence

The MABIJS National Legal Essay Writing Competition, 2026 is organised by the MABIJS Moot Court Society of Mohammad Abdul Bari Institute of Juridical Science. The competition aims to encourage rigorous legal research, critical thinking, reasoned argumentation and constructive engagement with contemporary issues in Indian law. It provides law students with a platform to examine legal developments, identify practical challenges and propose informed, legally sustainable solutions.

Eligibility

The competition is open to students currently pursuing a three-year LL.B. or five-year integrated LL.B. programme at an institution recognised by the competent regulatory authority in India.

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Participants may submit an essay individually or jointly. Joint authorship is permitted for a maximum of two authors.

In a co-authored submission, both authors must independently satisfy the eligibility requirements.

Each participant or team may submit only one essay. Multiple submissions by the same participant, whether individually or as a co-author, may be rejected.

A valid institutional identity card or bonafide/enrolment certificate may be required for verification.

Theme

Theme: Contemporary Issues in Indian Law

The broad theme of the competition is “Contemporary Issues in Indian Law”. Participants may select a focused and researchable topic falling within any recognised area of law. The following are indicative areas and are not exhaustive:

• Constitutional law, federalism, fundamental rights and constitutional governance;
• Criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence and the implementation of the new criminal law framework;
• Corporate, commercial, banking, insolvency and competition law;
• Technology, artificial intelligence, data protection, cyber law and digital evidence;
• Environmental law, climate justice and sustainable development;
• Human rights, gender justice, child rights and access to justice;
• Alternative dispute resolution, arbitration and mediation;
• Intellectual property, consumer protection and emerging regulatory challenges;
• Labour, social security, taxation and economic regulation; and
• Any other contemporary legal issue of national or public importance.

A submission must have a clear legal question, a defined scope and an analytical argument. Descriptive or purely general essays without legal analysis may receive lower marks.

Submission Categories

MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS

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• Language: English.
• Word limit: 2,500–3,000 words, excluding footnotes. The abstract and keywords are also excluded from the word count.
• Abstract: 150–200 words, stating the research question, approach and principal argument.
• Keywords: 4–6 relevant keywords.
• The manuscript must be original, unpublished and written specifically for this competition.
• The manuscript must not be under consideration for publication, or have been published, in another journal, competition or platform at the time of submission.
• The essay must have a clear title, introduction, coherent analytical sections, conclusion and properly cited authorities.
• A separate bibliography is optional; all sources must in any event be accurately cited in footnotes.

Prizes And Certificates

Certificates of merit shall be awarded to the winners. E-Certificates of participation will be issued to all eligible participants. The mode and date of distribution of prizes and certificates shall be communicated through official channels.

Formatting Guidelines

Participants must ensure that every quotation, proposition of law, case, statute, report, article, book, website and other external source is properly acknowledged. Footnotes must be complete, consistent and capable of verification. Fabricated, misleading or materially inaccurate citations may result in disqualification.

Evaluation And Marking Criteria

Entries will be assessed by an expert panel constituted by the Organising Committee. The proposed evaluation rubric is:

The panel may consider the legal accuracy, quality of research, practical relevance and originality of the submission. The decision of the judges on academic evaluation and ranking shall be final, subject to the Organising Committee’s authority to address procedural irregularities.

Submission Guidelines

• The manuscript shall be evaluated anonymously.
• The manuscript must not contain the name, photograph, institution, email address, phone number, enrolment number or any other identifying information of any author.
• Author details must be provided only in the registration/submission form or in a separate author-details document, as instructed by the organisers.
• The manuscript file shall be named using the registration ID or participant code. Do not include an author’s name or institution in the file name.
• A separate title page, if required by the submission portal, must not be merged into the anonymous manuscript.

Plagiarism, Similarity And AI Policy

The maximum permissible similarity index is 10%. A similarity report generated by a recognised plagiarism-detection tool must be attached at the time of submission.

The similarity report must identify the software used and display the overall similarity percentage. Participants should exclude bibliography and properly quoted/cited material where the software permits, but must not manipulate or conceal matching text.

The maximum permissible AI-generated content indicator is 10%. Participants must not use generative AI tools to produce the substantive analysis, arguments, paragraphs or conclusions submitted as their own work.

Limited assistance for spelling, grammar, formatting or language correction may be used, provided it does not replace the author’s intellectual contribution. Any such assistance must be disclosed in the declaration.

The Organising Committee may use plagiarism-detection and AI-detection tools, manual review, source verification and other reasonable methods to examine originality. Automated detection scores shall be treated as screening indicators and may be considered alongside the manuscript and supporting material.

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Any attempt to manipulate similarity or AI-detection reports, conceal sources, paraphrase without attribution, or submit substantially AI-generated work as original may lead to rejection or disqualification.

The Organising Committee may seek clarification, source files, drafts or an explanation from an author where originality is reasonably in doubt.

Disqualification

• Submission after the prescribed deadline, except where an official extension has been announced.
• Similarity index or AI-generated content indicator exceeding the prescribed threshold, subject to examination and verification.
• Plagiarism, unattributed copying, fabricated authorities, false statements or materially misleading citations.
• Breach of anonymity requirements or submission of identifying information in the manuscript.
• Submission by an ineligible participant, multiple submissions contrary to these rules, or materially false registration details.
• Attempting to influence, contact or communicate privately with a judge/evaluator regarding the merits or outcome of an entry.
• Any other serious breach of the rulebook or conduct prejudicial to the fairness and integrity of the competition.

Copyright, Publication And Use Of Submissions

Authors retain ownership of the copyright in their submissions. By participating, authors grant MABIJS and the Organising Committee a non-exclusive, royalty-free permission to reproduce, display, archive and promote the submitted essay, in whole or in part, for academic, educational and non-commercial competition purposes, with appropriate author attribution. This permission does not transfer ownership of copyright. Any separate publication arrangement shall be communicated to the author and shall require appropriate acknowledgement and, where legally required, consent.

General Rules And Disclaimer

• Participants are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, originality and lawful use of all material in their submissions.
• The Organising Committee reserves the right to verify eligibility, request supporting documents, clarify ambiguities and reject non-compliant entries.
• The Organising Committee may modify the schedule, procedure or arrangements where unavoidable circumstances require it. Any material change shall be communicated through official channels.
• No correspondence shall ordinarily be entertained regarding the academic marks awarded by the judges. A procedural grievance must be submitted in writing within the period notified by the Organising Committee.
• The Organising Committee’s decision on interpretation and administration of these rules shall be final, subject to applicable law.
• Participation in the competition shall be deemed acceptance of this Rulebook.

Author’s Declaration (Attach This Declaration At The End Of The Essay Submitted)

I/We declare that the submitted essay is my/our original work, has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and properly acknowledges all sources used. I/We confirm that the manuscript complies with the prescribed word limit, citation and formatting requirements, and that the similarity index and AI-generated content indicator are within the permitted limits. I/We have disclosed any permitted AI-assisted language or proofreading support and understand that the Organising Committee may verify the submission and disqualify entries for material violations.

Author 1: ___________________________ Signature: ___________________________

Author 2 (if applicable): ___________________________ Signature: ___________________________

Date: __________________ Place: __________________

Registration And Submission Deadline (Important Dates)

OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION: 01st November 2026; REGISTRATION OPENS: 01st November 2026; LAST DATE FOR REGISTRATION: 30th November 2026; LAST DATE FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION: 15th December 2026

Submission Deadline: 15 December 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted unless an extension is officially announced.

Registration Fees

Registration Fee: ₹250 per essay per author.

For a jointly authored essay, the fee is payable by each author; therefore, a two-author entry attracts a total fee of ₹500.

Registration Process

Click Here To Register.

Participants must complete the registration process and retain proof of payment. Registration details must correspond with the details provided at the time of manuscript submission. The registration fee is not transferable. Refunds, if any, shall be governed by a decision of the Organising Committee.

Payment QR Code – UPI ID: purkait.rahulp@oksbi

Submission Procedure

Click Here to Submit.

• Complete the registration form and pay the applicable registration fee.
• Prepare the anonymous manuscript in both .docx and PDF formats.
• Attach the similarity/plagiarism report and the required originality and AI-use declaration.
• Upload the documents through the official submission form before the deadline.
• Ensure that the uploaded files open correctly and that all required fields and attachments are complete.
• A submission shall be treated as complete only when the required documents have been received through the prescribed channel.

Contact Information

• Contact Person: Mr. Sahinur Islam
• Phone: +91-8158893242

The brochure is here.