About the Competition

The Annual Essay Competition is the flagship initiative of the LSC at NLUD to celebrate Legal Services Day. This competition offers participants a unique opportunity to express their critical opinions, thoughts, and views on identified thematic areas (given below) from an interdisciplinary lens. The essay has to be on a socio-legal topic with special insights to the law and policy on the subject area.

Eligibility

Students/Researchers pursuing any other undergraduate or postgraduate degree from any recognized university in the field of social sciences or legal studies are eligible to participate in this competition.

Theme

Legal Aid as a Fundamental Right: Bridging the Socio-Economic Divide

Sub-theme

• Legal Aid as a Fundamental Right: Bridging the Socio-Economic Divide
• Challenges in Delivering Legal Aid to Vulnerable Populations
• Role of NGOs and Civil Society in Expanding Legal Aid
• Pro Bono Legal Services: Ethical and Professional Responsibility
• Reforms Needed in the Legal Aid System for Greater Impact
• Best practices in ensuring Legal Aid for the needy
• Capacity Building of Communities: Importance of Paralegal Work

Sub-themes listed above are intended as suggestions only. We encourage comprehensive research and invite submissions on any pertinent topic related to the theme.

Prizes

• 1st Prize – Rs. 5000/- + Certificate
• 2nd Prize – Rs. 2000/- + Certificate
• 3rd Prize – Rs. 1000/- + Certificate
• Certificate will be provided to all the participants

Submission Guidelines

• Submission shall be sent via Google form .
• Essay must feature original and unpublished content.
• Essay should be submitted in Microsoft Word and PDF format.
• The documents must not contain any author information.
• Formatting Guidelines:

• Font type: Times New Roman
• Font Size: 12
• Line Spacing: 1.5
• Submission Length: 800 to 1200 words
• Citation Style: OSCOLA (4^th edition)

Evaluation Criteria

• Originality and creativity of ideas presented.
• Thoroughness of research and references.
• Structure and organization of the essay.
• Insightfulness and innovative solutions.
• No plagiarism and similarity index above 10% will be accepted.

For Submission :

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9kPKuULWQmOe5ait0yKRm-QqDSSQYvPGV4lz-Gzg9Q-RY3Q/viewform?usp=send_form

Important Dates

• Submission Opens: 9th November, 2024
• Submission Closes:  22nd November, 2024
• Winner Announcement: 25th November, 2024