Second Ram Balak Mahto Memorial Essay Competition, 2023 (Register by 19 Mar)

The Ram Balak Mahto Memorial Essay Competition is held in memory of Ram Balak Mahto (1926-2020), an eminent and distinguished lawyer. Late Mr. Mahto was a famous legal luminary in the disciplines of constitutional law and other areas of law.

The essay competition is organised to commemorate his accomplishments in the field of law and continue it in his remembrance.

About the Event

The competition aims to increase academic scholarship in critical areas of constitutional law by stimulating interest and fostering growth amongst students in exploring and engaging with contemporary and seminal issues in the field of constitutional law. The competition is organised by the Ram Balak Foundation with unwavering support and guidance from members from both the bar and the bench.

Theme

This year, the theme of the competition is “Emerging Perspectives in Constitutional Interpretation.”

General Rules

The competition is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in any recognised university/college in India.

There is no registration fee for participating in the competition, however, interested participants are required to click here to register.

Eligibility

The competition is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in any recognised university/college in India.

Registration Procedure

There is no registration fee for participating in the competition, however, interested participants are required to click here to register.

Submission Guidelines

1. The essay must be written in English and submitted in Microsoft Word document format (.doc/.docx).

2. Co-authorship up to a maximum of two authors is permitted.

3. Only one submission is allowed per author/team. Submissions, both as co-author and single, will be treated as multiple submissions and will be disqualified as an entry to the competition.

4. The following formatting specifications need to be strictly adhered to: Main Body: Font – Times New Roman, Font Size – 12, and Line Spacing – 1.5; Footnotes: Font – Times New Roman, Font Size – 10, and Line Spacing – 1.0; Margins should be 1 inch or 2.54 cm on all sides.

5. The word limit is 2500-3000 words excluding footnotes. Footnotes must follow the Bluebook system of citation (Harvard, 20th edition).

6. The essay must contain an abstract, not exceeding 250 words (which would not be counted in the word limit for the essay). It must indicate the theme/topic.

7. All submissions should be made in electronic form at rambalakmahtofoundation@gmail.com under the subject heading “Submission: 2nd Ram Balak Mahto Memorial Essay Competition” by 19 March 2023, 23:59 hours (Indian Standard Time, GMT +5:30).

8. The essay must be accompanied by a separate document containing the following information about the participant: (i) full name of the participant; (ii) theme/topic chosen; (iii) participant’s current year of study and name of the degree pursued; (iv) name and full address of the participant’s university; (v) name and full postal address of the participant; (vi) phone number of the participant; and (vii) email ID of the participant.

9. The essay must be original and bona fide work of the participant. Incomplete or plagiarised submissions shall be summarily rejected. The plagiarism limit is 15% (excluding footnotes).

10. No part of the essay should contain any form of identification of the participant such as the name of the author, University/College name, etc. on the essay. Any form of identification will lead to disqualification.

Prizes

Winner: The Lal Narayan Sinha Gold Medal for Best Essay, ₹10,000 and an internship opportunity with a senior advocate at the Supreme Court of India / sitting judge of a High Court.

Runner-up: ₹5,000 and an internship opportunity with a senior advocate at the Supreme Court of India / sitting judge of a High Court.

The top five essays will be awarded a certificate of merit. A certificate of participation will be awarded to all the participants.

Important Dates

Registration Opens: 27 January, 2023

Registration Closes: 19 March, 2023

Submission Deadline: 19 March, 2023

Announcement of Results: 9 April, 2023

Contact Information

For inquiries, email rambalakmahtofoundation@gmail.com or contact Viraj Aditya at +91 8210697371 / +91 8447488295.

Find more details on the website.

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