NUSRL Blog Writing Competition 2026
The NUSRL blog writing competition 2026 is the 3rd National Blog Writing Competition organised by the Centre for Policies, Laws and Agenda (CPLAN) at the National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi. The competition is conducted for The Policy Chronicle and invites participants to critically examine accepted positions of law and policy.
Unlike a conventional writing competition, participants are expected to go beyond explaining existing law. Instead, the competition encourages authors to question established legal and policy positions and develop original, well-researched arguments.
The competition will be conducted entirely online. Law students, academicians, researchers and professionals from all fields can participate.
NUSRL Blog Writing Competition 2026
The theme for the competition is:
“Challenging the Settled: Critiquing the Accepted Positions of Law and Policy.”
The theme encourages participants to examine whether established laws, doctrines and policies remain relevant in light of changing social, constitutional, political, economic and technological conditions.
Participants can write on areas such as:
- Gaps in existing laws
- Outdated legal frameworks
- Limits of judicial precedent
- Technology and regulatory gaps
- Colonial legacies in contemporary law
- Constitutional principles and outdated statutes
- Ambiguity in legal interpretation
- Law and social change
- Gaps in protection of rights
- Implementation gaps in public policy
- Judicial innovation and judicial overreach
- Legal reform and contemporary problems
The listed sub-themes are only indicative. Participants can also explore intersections between different themes and other relevant areas of legal and policy analysis.
Theme and Eligibility
The competition is open to:
- Law students
- Academicians
- Researchers
- Professionals from all fields
Participation can be individual or through co-authorship. However, a maximum of two authors can participate in one submission. There is also no restriction on the number of participants from a single institution.
One important restriction applies: students of NUSRL, Ranchi are not eligible to participate in the competition.
Registration Fee
The registration fee is:
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single Author | ₹300 |
| Co-authorship | ₹250 per author |
Registration is considered valid only after payment of the prescribed fee.
Submission Requirements
Submissions must:
- Be submitted in
.docor.docxformat. - Be titled with the Team Code.
- Be original and unpublished.
- Present a novel analysis of the selected issue.
- Ordinarily be between 1,200 and 2,000 words.
- Not contain the author’s name, bio or other identifying information in the manuscript.
- Not be simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
Participants may also include original or copyright-free images, infographics and flowcharts.
Prizes and Publication
The competition offers both monetary prizes and publication opportunities.
| Award | Prize |
|---|---|
| First Prize | ₹5,000 + Memento + Certificate of Merit |
| Second Prize | ₹3,000 + Memento + Certificate of Merit |
| Third Prize | ₹2,000 + Memento + Certificate of Merit |
| Top 15 Entries | Publication on the official CPLAN website |
| All Participants | Certificate of Participation |
The top 15 submissions will be selected for publication, while the top three submissions will receive the competition awards. Published authors will also be credited for their respective submissions.
Therefore, the competition can be useful for students who want to build a portfolio of legal writing and research work, even if they do not finish among the top three.
Important Dates
Participants should keep the following dates in mind:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration Opens | 27 August 2026 |
| Last Date for Registration | 15 September 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Last Date to Seek Clarifications | 20 September 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Clarifications Released | 25 September 2026 |
| Submission Deadline | 30 September 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Results | 25 October 2026 |
The rulebook states that these dates are tentative and may be changed at the discretion of the Editorial Board. It also states that extension requests will ordinarily not be considered.
How to Register and Submit
Registration must be completed through the prescribed Google Form. The competition does not accept submissions through email or any other medium.
Registration Form:
Official Rulebook and Competition Documents:
View the Official Rulebook and Documents
NUSRL Official Website:
National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi
The official NUSRL website identifies the university as the National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi.
Formatting and Referencing
The competition requires:
- Font: Garamond
- Main text: 12 pt
- Endnotes: 10 pt
- Line spacing: 1.5 for main text and 1.0 for endnotes
- Alignment: Justified
- Referencing: Bluebook, 21st Edition
The rules also encourage participants to hyperlink sources within the text wherever an online source is available.
Plagiarism and AI Rules
Participants should pay particular attention to the originality requirements.
The rulebook states that plagiarism should ordinarily be 10% or below. Plagiarism above 20% can result in summary rejection.
Generative AI tools are permitted only up to 20% of the submission. Higher AI-generated content can lead to mark deductions, while content exceeding 40% can result in summary rejection. The competition states that plagiarism and AI-generated content will be checked through Turnitin.
How Entries Are Evaluated
Submissions that clear preliminary screening are evaluated out of 100 marks.
The major evaluation criteria include:
- Relevance and novelty: 20%
- Critical and analytical engagement: 25%
- Research quality and engagement with authorities: 25%
- Practical and policy-oriented suggestions: 10%
- Structure, coherence and clarity: 10%
- Compliance with submission and formatting rules: 10%
This means that simply explaining a legal issue is unlikely to be enough. A strong entry should identify a problem, question the accepted position and develop a well-supported alternative or critique.
Conclusion
The NUSRL blog writing competition 2026 is a useful opportunity for law students, researchers and other participants who enjoy legal research and critical writing. The competition places particular emphasis on originality, analytical depth, quality of research and practical suggestions.
If you plan to participate, start early. Choose a narrow issue, research the existing legal position and then identify what you believe should be questioned or changed. Finally, check the word limit, formatting, anonymity, citations and originality requirements before submitting.
Important: The competition is currently scheduled to close registration on 15 September 2026 at 11:59 PM, with the final submission due on 30 September 2026 at 11:59 PM, subject to any changes announced by the Editorial Board.
