Chief Justice E.S. Venkataramiah Memorial Best Essay Prize – Inaugural Edition

About the Competition

The Chief Justice E.S. Venkataramiah Memorial Best Essay Prize is an annual national essay competition instituted by the National Law School of India Review (NLSIR). The inaugural edition is supported by the family of late Justice E.S. Venkataramiah and aims to honour his legacy of legal scholarship and intellectual rigour.

About the Organizer

The National Law School of India Review (NLSIR) is the flagship student-edited, bi-annual and double-anonymous peer-reviewed law journal of the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru.

Theme

Does the Constitution Choose an Economic Model? Directive Principles and the Question of Ideological Neutrality

The theme invites participants to examine whether the Indian Constitution is ideologically neutral or embodies particular economic commitments, drawing inspiration from the Supreme Court’s decision in Property Owners’ Association v. State of Maharashtra (2024). Essays may engage with constitutional theory, comparative perspectives, and political and economic theory.

Eligibility

The competition is open to undergraduate law students enrolled in:

- Five-year law programmes, or

- Three-year law programmes

Applicants must be studying at a law school recognised by the Bar Council of India.

Submission Guidelines

Participants must submit:

- An original and unpublished essay

- A single-authored submission in English

- An essay between 8,000 and 10,000 words, inclusive of footnotes

- References following the OSCOLA citation style

- A manuscript compliant with the NLSIR Style Guide

The essay must also pass anti-plagiarism checks. No abstract or proposal is required, as only full manuscripts will be accepted.

Registration Fee

No registration fee is required, and no prior registration is necessary.

Prize

The winner will receive:

- Cash prize of ₹25,000

- Recognition through a citation plaque

- Publication of the winning essay in the National Law School of India Review

Important Dates

- Submissions Open: September 1, 2026

- Submission Deadline: October 10, 2026

Contact

For queries, participants may contact:

nlsir.communications@nls.ac.in