1st National Article Writing Competition 2026

The 1st National Article Writing Competition 2026 invites you to write original legal scholarship at the intersection of environment, sustainability and climate justice. It is organised by the Centre for Research in Environmental Law (CREL) at Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur, in collaboration with the Centre for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Justice at Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, with Gujarat Maritime University as knowledge partner.

With a prize pool of 45,000 rupees, publication and certification for the top authors, and an internship opportunity for selected participants, this is a strong way to build a research profile in environmental law. The submission deadline is 31 July 2026.

Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur was established in 2018 by the Madhya Pradesh National University Act 24 of 2018 as a value-based legal education institution, with the Hon ble Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court as its Chancellor. Its Centre for Research in Environmental Law (CREL) advances legal scholarship and research on environmental conservation, pollution, biodiversity and climate concerns.

Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar is a premier law university established under the GNLU Act, 2003 and recognised by the BCI and UGC, and its Centre for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Justice co-organises this competition. Gujarat Maritime University, dedicated to maritime law, shipping and sustainability, joins as knowledge partner.

You write one article on a single chosen theme drawn from nine areas of inquiry, each inviting rigorous, interdisciplinary legal analysis. You may pick only one theme. The nine themes are:

• Ecocide as the Fifth International Crime: expanding the jurisdiction of the ICC.
• Rights of Indigenous Communities: legal protection of traditional knowledge in climate governance.
• Airspace Pollution: the regulatory vacuum in atmospheric environmental law.
• ESG Fraud and Greenwashing: rethinking corporate accountability.
• Climate Surveillance and Data Colonialism: power and technology in the Global South.
• Sustainable Development versus Energy Security: legal tensions in a climate crisis.
• Geopolitical Fragmentation: a Global South perspective on international environmental law.
• Sustainable Finance and Banking Regulation: aligning capital flows with climate commitments.
• Investor-State Arbitration versus Environmental Regulation: rebalancing sovereignty.

The competition is national and open to all participants. Co-authorship is permitted with a maximum of two authors per entry. Each participant may submit only one entry, for one theme only. Students of DNLU, GNLU and GMU pay a discounted registration fee.

Submit your manuscript in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx). Include an abstract of not more than 250 words that indicates your chosen theme. The article must be your original, bona fide work and must not have been submitted for any other competition or purpose.

• Word limit: 3,000 words, excluding footnotes.
• Font: Times New Roman.
• Main text size: 12. Footnotes size: 10.
• Line spacing: 1.5. Alignment: justified.
• Citation style: Bluebook or ILI.

The acceptable plagiarism (similarity) limit is 10 percent and the acceptable AI usage limit is 20 percent. Similarity beyond the limit attracts a penalty of 4 marks per additional 5 percent, and AI content beyond the limit attracts a penalty of 2 marks per additional 5 percent. Manuscripts exceeding 30 percent AI or 20 percent similarity are summarily rejected.

Registration and submission open on 10 June 2026. The last day to register is 15 July 2026 and the last day to submit your article is 31 July 2026. Results are announced on 30 August 2026. Submissions are evaluated for quality of legal analysis and adherence to the formatting and integrity rules above.

Register and submit your completed article through the official Google Form before 31 July 2026. Payment details are shared with registrants once the registration form is completed. Make sure you register by 15 July 2026 and complete your submission by the 31 July 2026 deadline.

• You chose exactly one theme from the nine areas of inquiry.
• Your article is within 3,000 words, excluding footnotes.
• You included an abstract of 250 words or fewer naming your chosen theme.
• Formatting set: Times New Roman, size 12 body and size 10 footnotes, 1.5 line spacing, justified.
• Citations follow Bluebook or ILI.
• Similarity is within 10 percent and AI content is within 20 percent.
• The work is original and not submitted elsewhere, with up to two authors.
• You registered by 15 July 2026 and submitted via the official Google Form by 31 July 2026.
• Registration fee paid using the details shared after registration.