1st National Article Writing Competition 2026 by Mar Gregorios College of Law | Cash Prizes Worth ₹10,000 | Register by 30 November
The Centre for Human Rights, in association with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of Mar Gregorios College of Law, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, announces the 1st National Article Writing Competition, 2026. The competition invites participants to explore the theme “Viksit Bharat 2047” through legal research and academic writing.
Participants can examine contemporary issues relating to human rights, constitutionalism, social justice, and inclusive development. The competition is open to students across academic disciplines in recognised institutions throughout India. Moreover, participants can win cash prizes worth ₹10,000.
The last date for registration is 30 November 2026, while the deadline for full paper submission is 10 December 2026.
About the Organisers
The competition is organised by the Centre for Human Rights, in association with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Mar Gregorios College of Law, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Through this initiative, the organisers aim to encourage academic excellence, critical thinking, and innovative legal perspectives on issues connected with human rights and India’s development.
About the 1st National Article Writing Competition 2026
The competition centres on “Viksit Bharat 2047”, inviting participants to examine the legal and social dimensions of India’s development vision.
Authors may explore constitutional safeguards, civil liberties, access to justice, environmental rights, digital privacy, and other relevant issues. Additionally, the competition encourages perspectives that connect legal principles with inclusive development and social justice.
Themes and Sub-Themes
Participants can submit articles on the main theme, Viksit Bharat 2047, through any of the following sub-themes:
- Constitutional Safeguards and Civil Liberties
- Human Rights, Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence
- Access to Justice and Legal Aid
- Climate Justice and Environmental Rights
- Women’s Rights and Gender Justice
- Data Privacy and Digital Rights
- Labour Rights and Corporate Accountability
- Rights of Children and Persons with Disabilities
Participants should select a sub-theme that aligns with their research and develop a focused, original argument.
Eligibility Criteria
Students enrolled in the following programmes at recognised institutions across India are eligible to participate:
- Undergraduate programmes
- Postgraduate programmes
- Diploma programmes
- Doctoral programmes
The competition welcomes students from all academic disciplines, not only law. Participants may submit articles individually or jointly, with a maximum of two authors per team.
Prizes and Certificates
The competition offers cash prizes to the top three entries.
| Position | Cash Prize |
|---|---|
| First Prize | ₹5,000 |
| Second Prize | ₹3,000 |
| Third Prize | ₹2,000 |
| Total Prize Pool | ₹10,000 |
In addition, the organisers will award Certificates of Merit to the top 10 participants or teams under each sub-theme. All participants will receive certificates of participation.
Important Dates
Participants should keep the following dates in mind:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | 4 October 2026 |
| Last date for registration | 30 November 2026 |
| Full paper submission deadline | 10 December 2026 |
| Result publication | 30 December 2026 (tentative) |
Please note that registration closes before the full paper submission deadline. Therefore, participants should complete registration by 30 November and submit their full papers by 10 December 2026.
Registration Fee
The registration fee depends on whether the submission has one author or two.
| Participation Type | Registration Fee |
|---|---|
| Individual | ₹800 |
| Co-authored submission | ₹1,000 |
Submission Guidelines
Participants must comply with the following requirements when preparing their articles:
- Originality: The article must be original and unpublished.
- Main body: Maximum 3,000 words, excluding the abstract and footnotes.
- Abstract: 300–400 words.
- Keywords: At least five keywords must accompany the abstract.
- Language: English.
- Citation style: Harvard Bluebook, 20th Edition.
- Co-authorship: A maximum of two authors per team.
Before submission, participants should check that their articles meet the word limit and citation requirements.
Registration Procedure
Participants can register using the official registration form and complete the fee payment through the payment portal below.
Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftg4H4YkKmgGw22AbfR1mEMldrDqKe3mAk74830RS0HSfK_A/viewform?usp=header
Payment portal: https://feebook.southindianbank.bank.in/FeeBookUser/userhome
Participants should complete registration by 30 November 2026 and submit their full papers by 10 December 2026.
Contact Details
For queries about the competition, participants may contact the coordinators:
- Shazila: 8921740257
- Hridhya: 83010 68739
