Building on the success of its previous two editions, which received over 150 submissions each from students and young researchers across the country, the competition invites undergraduate students to engage in critical research and innovative thinking on emerging issues in Intellectual Property Rights.

About the Competition

The competition aims to encourage critical research, innovative thinking, and substantive engagement with contemporary developments in Intellectual Property Rights, while offering participants opportunities for publication, recognition, cash prizes, and internships.

Competition Format

The competition entails mandatory registration, following which participants must submit a final draft of 2,500 to 3,000 words, inclusive of the abstract and exclusive of footnotes. The abstract must be between 200 and 250 words. Winners will be selected through a two-stage double-blind review process comprising a technical screening and a content-based peer review, and shortlisted entries will proceed to a virtual paper presentation before a panel of assessors.

Suggested Themes

Participants may write on any one of the following indicative themes, or choose any other topic falling within the broader scope of Intellectual Property Rights:

● Patent Exhaustion and the Limits of Post-Sale Control Over Repair and Emerging Areas

● Copyright, Computational Learning and the Limits of Permissible Use in Training Large Language Models

● Trademark Protection of Product Appearance After the Expiry of Design Rights

● Geographical Indications, Tribal Displacement and the Continuity of Community-Based Product Identity

● Trans-border Reputation and the Territorial Limits of Trademark Protection in the Global Digital Marketplace

Eligibility

The competition is open exclusively to undergraduate students. Cross-institutional teams are permitted, and each submission may have a maximum of two authors.

Important Dates

● Registration Opens: 26 August 2026

● Registration Deadline: 12 September 2026

● Submission Deadline: 22 September 2026

● Paper Presentation (Virtual): 24 October 2026

Registration Fee

● Single Author: ₹400 + GST

● Co-authorship: ₹600 + GST

● RGNUL Student and Co-author of a Different Institute: ₹700 + GST

● RGNUL Students (Single or Co-authorship): ₹300 + GST

Awards and Prizes

The top three entries will be awarded cash prizes:

● 1st Prize: ₹15,000

● 2nd Prize: ₹10,000

● 3rd Prize: ₹6,000

In addition to the cash prizes, the top two entries will be offered an internship opportunity at S.S. Rana & Co. The top 10 ranked articles, as selected by the Review Panel, will be published in the official CIIPR Journal/Book and on the CIIPR website. All participants will receive Certificates of Participation.

Important Links

● Registration Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCeiThKbwVgk0hHdt75Cz5W0gj4Y7yVZua27foMPceuUf4SQ/viewform

● Final Submission Portal: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSel89mmnPpLNL-Hm9arvMB1V3MNNImdsykyI-72-_NiIrmgqg/viewform

● Payment Portal: https://rgnul.lsacademia.in/lsa_rgnul/eventPortal/loginFrom.jsp

Contact Information

For any queries, participants may write to ciipr@rgnul.ac.in.

For complete details regarding themes, formatting, and submission guidelines, please refer to the brochure here.