NLUD-UNICEF Chair invites essays on constitutional law, child protection, and juvenile justice

The National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi) Chair on Justice for Children in collaboration with UNICEF and the Constitutional Law Club, NLU Delhi, presents the 1st edition of the National Essay Competition Small Voices : Big Rights. The competition invites submissions from students on India’s constitutional framework and the specialised systems that govern child protection and juvenile justice.

The interactions of children with the criminal justice system stand at the crossroads of two powerful branches of law; constitutional law, which lays down the rights and principles that guide our justice system more generally, and criminal law, which defines victimhood and liability.

This competition aims to encourage clear thinking and strong legal analysis on issues surrounding the interaction of these frameworks. The competition provides with a medium for students to critically engage with the processes that shape justice for children in India.

Guided by Chair Professor Tasneem Deo, the initiative aims to bring together academic insight and practical engagement to ensure that every child's rights are protected with fairness, dignity, and compassion.

• The Role of Dignity under Article 21 in Shaping Juvenile Justice in India

• The Interplay of Privacy and Protection under POCSO

• Article 39A and Access to Justice for Children

Format and Content

• Word Limit: 1500-2000 words excluding footnotes.

• The title should be no longer than 12 words.

• The content must be formatted as follows:

  a. Font Style: Garamond

  b. Line Spacing: 1.5

  c. Font size: 12

  d. All text should be justified.

• The submission shall be original and unpublished work.

• A similarity below 20% is permitted. Any use of generative AI will lead to disqualification.

• The footnotes shall be as per OSCOLA 4th Edition.

• The content of the footnotes must be formatted as follows:

  a. Font Style: Garamond

  b. Line Spacing: 1.0

  c. Font size: 10

• Essays breaching guidelines may be summarily rejected.

• There are no registration fees.

The competition is open to any student enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate law degree in any recognized university in India. Co-authorship is not permitted.

Deadline for submission: March 1, 2026

Declaration of results: March 15, 2026

Participants may submit their essays via this Google Form.

• Winner: Certificate of Merit and publication in the NLUD J4C Newsletter

• Runner-Up: Certificate of Merit and publication on the NLUD J4C Online Opinion Page

• Top 10 Entries: Certificate of Merit

All participants will receive an E-Certificate of Participation.

For further details contact clc@nludelhi.ac.in

phone: ‪+91 77078 83920‬ (Siya Maheshwari) & +91 70033 46161 (Palak Goenka)

Any updates on the competition will be shared on the NLUD Chair website.

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