SVKM's NMIMS Kirit P. Mehta School Of Law, Mumbai's Centre For Research And Policy Organises LawQuest

ABOUT CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND POLICY (CRP)

The Centre for Research and Policy (CRP), established in 2018 and formerly known as the Centre for Legal Research and Application, serves as the research and publication body of KPMSOL. The Centre focuses on legal research and interdisciplinary scholarship, bringing together students, academics, practitioners, and policymakers for discussions on legal, regulatory, and public policy issues. It also organises seminars, webinars, conferences, and other academic initiatives related to law and policy.

ABOUT LAWQUEST

Building upon a proven track record of hosting highly successful national legal events, the Centre for Research and Policy proudly introduces LawQuest—a comprehensive, multi-tiered competition encompassing Article Writing, Case Commentary, Policy Review and Strategic Governance Drafting. Designed to immerse participants deep into the evolving landscape of contemporary legal research, policy formulation, and scholarly publishing, LawQuest offers an unprecedented national platform for student researchers, academicians, and young legal professionals to disseminate their empirical and theoretical findings. The event seeks to encourage original critical thinking, foster structured writing, and provide participants with valuable peer reviews and expert evaluation from seasoned legal authorities and legal scholars. Beyond individual academic enrichment, LawQuest actively aims to facilitate meaningful networking, scholarly collaboration, and mentorship opportunities among law schools across the country, empowering participants to sharpen their analytical acumen and contribute meaningfully to complex legal discourse.

ARTICLE WRITING

Theme 1: Digital Privacy, Cybersecurity, and AI Surveillance

1. Cybercrime, Identity Theft, and Online Predatory Behaviour

2. AI in Judicial and Administrative Decision-Making

3. Military AI and Autonomous Weapons Systems

4. Deepfakes and Right to One's Digital Identity

5. Digital Forensics and Evidentiary Challenges

Theme 2: Environmental law and Climate Justice

1. Corporate accountability for environmental liability

2. Intergenerational Equity and Judicial Activism

3. Indigenous and Tribal Rights in Environmental Justice

4. Legal Remedies for Disproportionately Impacted Communities

5. Energy Transition and Regulatory Frameworks

Theme 3: International and Humanitarian Law

1. Refugee and Statelessness Law - legal protection of the displaced, illegal immigration, and citizenship laws like the CAA under International Humanitarian Law.

2. Prisoners of war and the Law of Detention in Armed Conflict

3. Accountability for War Crimes before the International Criminal Court

4. Diplomatic immunity and Consular Relation under International Law

5. International Criminal Accountability

Theme 4: Space Law

1. Commercial Spaceflight, Space Tourism, and Private Actor Liability

2. Space Debris, Orbital Congestion, and Active Debris Removal (ADR) Liability

3. Commercial Space Mining, Celestial Property Rights, and Resource Sovereignty

4. Liability for Space Incident under International Space Law

5. International Cooperation in Space for the SDGs on Climate Action

Theme 5: Aviation Governance

1. Airline Carrier Liability, Passenger Rights, and Consumer Protection

2. Airspace Closures and Restrictions during Armed Conflict

3. Mergers and Acquisitions in the Aviation Industry: Legal and Regulatory Issues

4. Air Traffic Control and State Sovereignty over Airspace

5. Green Aviation Technology and the SDGs on Innovation and Sustainability

CASE COMMENTARY

Theme 1: Protecting Childhood through Law: Emerging Challenges in Child Rights Jurisprudence

1. M.C. Mehta v. State of Tamil Nadu, 1996 (6) SCC 756

2. Jarnail Singh v. State of Haryana, 2013 (7) SCC 263

3. Independent Thought v. Union of India, AIR 2018 SC (CRIMINAL) 229

4. Unni Krishnan v. State of Andhra Pradesh, 1993 (1) SCC 645

5. Dr. Jaya Thakur v. Union Of India, 2026 INSC 97

Theme 2: The Right to Live with Dignity: Rethinking the Legal Boundaries of the Right to Die

1. Maruti Shripati Dubal vs State Of Maharashtra 1987(1)BOMCR499

2. Harish Rana v. Union of India, 2026 INSC 222

3. Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India, 2011 (4) SCC 454

4. P.Rathinam vs Union Of India, 1994 SCC (3) 394

5. Smt. Gian Kaur vs The State Of Punjab 1996 SCC (2) 648

Theme 3: Evolving IP Rights in Entertainment, Sports and Digital Culture

1. Digital Collectibles Pte. Ltd. v. Galactus Funware Technology Pvt. Ltd. (2023)

2. Board of Control for Cricket in India v. Cricket Association of Bihar & Ors., 2016 (8) SCC 535

3. Sunil Gavaskar v Cricket Tak (CricketTak557) and Ors (2025) CS(COMM) 1329/2025

4. Arijit Singh v. Codible Ventures LLP, 2024 SCC OnLine Bom 2445.

5. ANI Media v. OpenAI (2026) CS(COMM) 1028/2024

Theme 4: Judicial Encounters with Law, Ethics and Healthcare

1. Montgomery v. Lanarkshire Health Board, [2015] UKSC 11, [2015] A.C. 1430 (UK)

2. Achutrao Haribhau Khodwa v. State of Maharashtra (1996) (2) SCC 634

3. Samira Kohli v. Dr. Prabha Manchanda (2008) 2 SCC 1

4. Pt. Parmanand Katara v. Union of India (1989) 4 SCC 286

5. Indian Medical Association v. V.P. Shantha (1995) 6 SCC 651

STRATEGIC GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

Theme 1: Reproductive Justice, Gender Equity, and Modern Workplace Law

1. Sexual Harassment Law and the POSH Act in Practice

2. Gender Identity and Workplace Anti-Discrimination Law

3. Care Work and the Legal Invisibility of Unpaid Labour

4. Reproductive Health Rights at Work: Maternity and Menstrual Leave

5. Gender Wage Gap and pay equity in Modern Workplaces

Theme 2: ESG Mandates, Corporate Governance and Sustainable Business Practices

1. Greenwashing Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement

2. Legal Framework for BRSR Compliance under SEBI Regulations

3. Mandatory ESG Disclosure and International Reporting Standards

4. Competition Law and Sustainability: Balancing Antitrust Rules with ESG Goals

5. Legal Frameworks Governing Renewable Energy Resources

Theme 3: Consumer protection rights in digital economy

1. Online Financial Fraud and Consumer Protection

2. Digital exploitation and Consumer Dignity

3. Addressing Regulatory Gaps in the Digital Ecosystem

4. AI-Enabled Alternate Dispute Resolution

5. Cross-Border E-Commerce Consumer Protection

Theme 4: Crime, Criminal Justice and Emerging Legal Challenges

1. Digital Crime and the Limits of Traditional Criminal Law

2. Beyond Borders: Corporate Criminal Liability and Fugitive Economic Offenders

3. Public Perception v Judicial Outcome - How media narratives act as catalysts for reform or disrupt the legal process.

4. Restorative Justice Models, Prison Conditions and Death Penalty

5. Cross-Border White-Collar Crime: Jurisdictional Challenges in Enforcement

POLICY REVIEW

1. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026

2. Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

3. Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025

4. Code on Social Security, 2020

5. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019

6. Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA)

TIMELINE OF EVENT

Registrations open – 31^st August 2026

Registration close – 25^th September 2026

Submission open – 12^th September 2026

Submission close – 10^th October 2026

MODE OF EVENT

The event will be held in online mode.

FEE PAYMENT

Those who are seeking to participate in competition shall have to pay a fee (inclusive of GST) on the following basis:

INDIVIDUAL AUTHORSHIP FEES

For 1 event - Rs. 199

For 2 event - Rs. 249

For 3 event - Rs. 299

CO-AUTHORSHIP FEES

For 1 event – Rs. 249

For 2 event – Rs. 329

For 3 event – Rs. 349

Eligibility to participate in the competition is subject to successful payment of the registration fees.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RK24FqRkmTzvqURakhuXULEFqvb9mSzJ?usp=drive_link

REGISTRATIONS:

Participants are required to register for the event using the following link.

https://forms.gle/xkv7DtMaYykB8Rba8

SUBMISSIONS:

Participants are required to send their Article/Strategic Governance Drafting/case commentary/policy review in word doc. format with the subject "Article/ Case Commentary/ Strategic Governance Drafting/policy review Submission- Name of the participant" attached to the Google form provided.

https://forms.gle/yEZrjKE6ahV7bmeN9

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1.Original writings relevant to the subject of the themes other than the one mentioned are also welcome.

2. The author shall specify in their submission:

-Title of the paper with the sub-theme

-Names of author

-Name of the College/University

-Email address and contact number

-Sub-theme under which submission is made

3. Word Limit

Article Writing - 2000 to 4000 exclusive of footnotes

Strategic Governance Drafting - 1500 to 2500 exclusive of footnotes

Case Commentary - 1500 to 3500 exclusive of footnotes

Policy Review – 1500 to 3000 exclusive of footnotes

4. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited, and AI-generated content must not exceed 15% of the total submission.

5. The Paper should be submitted in doc/docx format with the following specification:

Font Type: Times New Roman , Font Size: 12 pts , Line spacing: 1.5

Footnotes: Font size: 10 pts Margin to be 1 inch on all sides.

Follow the Bluebook; A Uniform System Citation (21st Edition) for footnoting.

6. The submission document should be named "your name_article/case/strategic_topic."

If a participant wants to revise their submission, they should submit it again, appending a

number to the end to indicate the revision. For example: "yourname_article_2."

7. CRP reserves the right to disqualify any participant at any time, at its sole discretion. In such cases, no refund will be provided.

ELIGIBILITY:

All individuals are eligible to participate.

PRIZES:

WINNER- Rs 2200 /- along with publication and internship opportunity for each

1st Runner Up- Rs 1600 /- along with publication and internship opportunity for each

2nd Runner Up - Rs 1000 /- along with publication and internship opportunity for each

• Certificate/ E-Certificate will be provided to every Participant.

• Certificate of Merit will be provided to the top 10 papers in each segment along with publication opportunities.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Any queries related to the event should be addressed via email to:

centreforresearchandconference@gmail.com

OUR INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/crc.kpmsol?igsh=dzk3a3QzZXFwZ3R3

OUR LINKEDIN: https://in.linkedin.com/company/nmims-school-of-law-national-seminar

STUDENT COORDINATORS:

Niranjana (+91 8310479824)

Krishna Sharma (+91 7470846613)

Dishika Chavan (+91 9324632335)

Nishita NAIR - HOD HOSPITALITY. (+91 73045 48630)

SHRUSHTI PARTE - HOD HOSPITALITY (+91 93210 41942)

ASMA SIDDIQUI - HOD HOSPITALITY (+91 96198 52488)