2nd SAAEW Essay Writing Competition 2026 on Commodification of Animals, NLU Odisha [Prize Pool Rs 13,000; Register by Nov 15]

The Society for the Advancement of Animal and Environmental Welfare (SAAEW) was conceived in 2017 under the aegis of National Law University Odisha, Cuttack, to create affirmative discourse on animal and environmental welfare. It is hosting the 2nd SAAEW Essay Writing Competition 2026, a national-level competition on the theme “The Commodification of Animals”.

Participants are invited to submit original essays on the legal and ethical boundaries between protecting animals and treating them as commodities, with particular attention to wildlife trade, captivity, private ownership and the commercialisation of animals.

• Animals as Commodities: the legal status of animals, the limits of ownership rights, and whether animals should be recognised beyond their status as property
• Wildlife Trafficking and Illegal Animal Trade
• Animals in Captivity: zoos, aquariums, private collections and other forms of captivity
• The Pet Industry: commercial breeding, sale and ownership of companion animals
• Industrial Animal Farming: animals as economic resources in the meat, dairy and poultry industries
• Animal-Based Tourism: wildlife tourism, economic benefits and animal welfare
• Biodiversity and the Commodification of Nature

Open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing a degree in any discipline at a recognised university, college or institution across India. Essays may be single-authored or co-authored.

• Essays must be in English and between 2,500 and 3,000 words, excluding footnotes.
• Submissions must be original; plagiarism above the 10% threshold will not be considered, and any plagiarism leads to disqualification.
• Previously published essays, or essays under consideration elsewhere, are ineligible.
• No offensive, abusive, derogatory or defamatory content.
• Main text uniformly formatted; citations in Bluebook (20th Edition) or OSCOLA (4th Edition), used consistently.
• Submit in PDF only, named FirstName_TitleofEssay (first name of one author).

• Single authorship: Rs 300
• Co-authorship: Rs 500

The fee is payable only through the ICICI Bank Eazypay collect facility (institution: National Law University; purpose: SAAEW Essay Competition). Participants from outside NLUO enter 131 as the Roll or Enrolment No. and 11 as the Semester. After payment, download the auto-generated ICICI Collect Receipt. The step-by-step payment instructions are in the official brochure.

Pay the registration fee and register through the official Google Form by 15 November 2026. The essay submission link will then be sent to registered email IDs; registered participants must submit their essays through that submission form by 31 December 2026. Details in the submission form must match those given at registration.

Total cash prize pool of Rs 13,000. All participants receive Certificates of Participation; the Top Five entries receive Certificates of Merit and may be considered for publication in relevant NLUO university journals, subject to their editorial and review processes.