About the Organisers

National Law University Delhi, established in 2008, is one of India's premier legal education institutions and is committed to teaching, research, innovation, and critical legal inquiry. CELPR, established in August 2016, is a student-led centre working under expert faculty supervision to promote legal education, research, policy dialogue, public participation, and reform on contemporary environmental issues.

ELDF works on environmental and development law, natural resource conflicts, and environmental jurisprudence by connecting field-based conflicts with courts and other adjudicatory institutions.

Purpose and Scope of the Competition

The competition provides a platform for students to present fresh perspectives on environmental governance, sustainable development, and regulatory policy. It invites participants to critically examine how India can achieve sustainability and prosperity by 2047, while contributing to academic and policy discourse at a crucial stage in the country's development trajectory.

Important Timeline

Central Theme and Indicative Sub-Themes

The central theme is Environmental Vision - India @2047. Participants may select from the indicative sub-themes or choose any other original and relevant topic within the broader theme.

· Regulatory evolution and the environmental rule of law

· Pollution control and environmental accountability beyond compliance

· Reconciling climate justice with economic growth

· Energy transition, just outcomes, and a net-zero future

· Urban India as a crisis or an opportunity

· Climate-smart agriculture and food security

· Techno-legal environmental governance, including digital tools and artificial intelligence

· Circular economy and waste management: from waste to wealth

· Biodiversity as a natural defence against climate change

Eligibility, Registration and Submission Rules

· Eligibility: Open to students enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate law courses in any recognised university in India. Co-authorship is not permitted.

· Registration: Participants must register by 8 June 2026. The non-refundable registration fee is Rs. 200 per participant.

· Submission: Registered participants must submit their essays through the submission form by 8 July 2026. The submission link will be shared through registered email IDs. Details in the submission form must match the registration form.

· Word limit: 2,500 to 3,000 words, inclusive of references. The title must not exceed 12 words.

· Formatting: Times New Roman, font size 12, line spacing 1.5, and justified text.

· Originality: The essay must be original and unpublished. Similarity must be below 15 percent, and submissions with an AI index above 20 percent will be disqualified.

· Referencing: Endnotes must follow OSCOLA 5th Edition, using Times New Roman, font size 10, line spacing 1.0, and should be used only where required.

· Essays breaching the guidelines may be summarily rejected.

Awards and Recognition

The decision of the Panel of Judges will be final. For queries, participants may contact celpr@nludelhi.ac.in with the subject header “Essay Competition - Query”.