2nd Kautilya Society Essay Writing Competition, 2025

Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur, through its Kautilya Society & Centre for WTO & WIPO Studies, School for Law and Technology (SLT), and in collaboration with DGS Associates law firm is organising the 2nd Kautilya Society, HNLU Essay Writing Competition, 2025. The theme of the essay competition is “The Geopolitical Tightrope: India’s Trade Policies and Regulations in a Polarised World”.

The competition is open to all students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, from any discipline at a university recognized in India on the sub-themes of Food Security and Trade Law, IPR and Public Health and Trade Liberalisation vs. Protectionism etc.

Competition Overview

• Organized by Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) in collaboration with the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and others.
• Aims to encourage intellectual engagement on trade law, policy, and development following the pandemic.
• Open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students in recognized Indian universities, with no registration fee.

Sub-Themes for Essays

Participants can explore various sub-themes, including:

• Digital Trade and E-Commerce within the WTO framework.
• Food Security and WTO agreements during global crises.
• Intellectual Property Rights and public health, particularly the TRIPS waiver.
• International trade dispute resolution and arbitration in India.
• Gender inclusivity in global trade.
• India’s trade policy post-COVID.
• Sustainability in trade practices.
• Balancing trade liberalization and protectionism.
• Essays outside these sub-themes but relevant to the main theme are also welcome.

Submission Guidelines

1. All submissions must be made only through the following google form link https://forms.gle/BkuiU1QXmBVncy6h9
2. The essay must be written in English and submitted in Microsoft Word document format (.doc/.docx).
3. Co-authorship is NOT permitted.
4. Only one submission is allowed per person.
5. The word limit is 2500-3000 words excluding footnotes.
6. Footnotes must follow the Bluebook system of citation (Harvard, 20th edition).
7. Extensive footnotes or quotations should be avoided. \The essay must be original and Bonafide work of the participant.
8. Incomplete or plagiarised submissions shall be summarily rejected.
9. The similarity percentage must not exceed 10% (excluding footnotes).
10. The essay should not be submitted for any other competition and/or for any other purposes.

Formatting Criteria

• Main Body: Font – Times New Roman, Font Size – 12, and Line Spacing -1.5
• Footnotes: Font – Times New Roman, Font Size – 10, and Line Spacing – 1.0
• Margins should be 1 inch or 2.54 cm on all sides.

Prizes and Recognition

• Cash prizes for the top five essays, with additional internship opportunities for the top three entries.
• Total Cash Prize of INR 45,000/- and internship opportunities at DGS Associates law firm and the Centre for WTO & WIPO Studies, SLT, HNLU Raipur
  • 1st Position: Rs. 15,000/-
  • 2nd Position: Rs. 12000/-
  • 3rd Position: Rs. 8000/-
  • 4th Position: Rs. 6000/-
  • 5th Position: Rs. 4000/-
• E-certificates of appreciation for the top ten participants and participation certificates for all entrants.