4th National Essay Competition 2026 on Consumer Law by the Chair on Consumer Law and Practice, NLSIU Bengaluru [Online; Free; Cash Prizes Rs 22,000]

The Chair on Consumer Law and Practice, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru is organising the 4th National Essay Competition 2026 to commemorate National Consumer Day, observed on 24 December. The competition aims to stimulate interest and foster growth amongst students, academics, professionals and consumer advocates, and to encourage engagement with contemporary and seminal issues in consumer law and policy.

Participants are invited to critically examine an issue of consumer protection, whether legal, regulatory, technological or policy-driven, and to present a well-researched, original and analytically sound essay that contributes meaningfully to the ongoing discourse on consumer rights in India.

Participants may choose any one of the following indicative themes:

• Consumer Protection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Decision-Making
• Dark Patterns, Drip Pricing and Manipulative Design in E-Commerce
• Cross-Border Consumer Protection in Digital Trade
• Consumer Rights in the Gig and Platform Economy
• Data Privacy as a Consumer Protection Concern
• Children and Young Consumers in the Digital Age
• Digital Payments, Online Financial Fraud and Cybersecurity for Consumers
• Consumer Protection in Healthcare, Pharma and Telemedicine
• Sustainable Consumption and the Case Against Greenwashing
• Access to Consumer Justice: e-Daakhil, Mediation and the Three-Tier Commission System

The themes are only indicative. Participants are free to choose any other topic under the broad theme of consumer protection, provided its relevance to consumer law and policy is clearly established in the essay.

The competition is open to all, including students at the undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma or school level from any discipline, academics, professionals, government officials, members of consumer fora, Voluntary Consumer Organisations (VCOs) and NGOs, and any other individual with a genuine interest in consumer law and policy.

Co-authorship of up to a maximum of two authors is permitted. Only one submission is allowed per author or team; multiple submissions, whether as a co-author or as a single author, will result in disqualification of all such entries.

• The essay must be written in English and submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).
• The essay must be the original, unpublished work of the author or authors. Plagiarism or copyright infringement will lead to summary disqualification.
• Submissions can be made only through the official Google Form. Any submission made to the Chair's email address will not be accepted.
• Along with the essay file, participants must submit their full name, contact number, email address and institution or organisation name, where applicable.
• Incomplete or plagiarised submissions will be summarily rejected.
• The submission portal goes live on 15 August 2026. The last date for submission is 30 September 2026, 11:59 PM IST, and no extensions will ordinarily be granted.

The following specifications must be strictly adhered to:

• Main body: Times New Roman, font size 12, line spacing 1.5
• Footnotes: Times New Roman, font size 10, line spacing 1.0
• Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
• Word limit: 3,000 to 3,500 words, excluding footnotes
• Citations: footnotes must follow the Bluebook system of citation (Harvard, 20th edition)
• Abstract: not exceeding 250 words, excluded from the overall word limit, clearly indicating the theme or topic chosen

The Chair reserves the right to summarily reject or return any submission that does not comply with these guidelines, without providing feedback.

All entries will be evaluated by a Jury constituted by the Chair on Consumer Law, NLSIU, whose decision shall be final and binding on all participants. Entries will be assessed on:

• Relevance and depth of analysis of the chosen consumer protection theme
• Originality of thought, argument and perspective
• Quality of legal and policy research, and accuracy of citation
• Clarity, coherence and structure of writing
• Overall contribution to the discourse on consumer rights and adherence to the formatting specifications

Screening and evaluation by the Jury will take place over October and November 2026.

All winners will receive a Certificate of Merit from the Chair on Consumer Law, NLSIU. A Certificate of Participation on CLAP letterhead will be issued, on request, to participants who submit a compliant entry.

The best entries may be considered for publication in a forthcoming issue of the Newsletter of the Chair on Consumer Law.

Results will be announced on the NLSIU and CLAP official channels in early December 2026, which the organisers describe as tentative. Winners will be felicitated on National Consumer Day, 24 December 2026, as part of the Chair's National Consumer Day observance. The date, venue and format are tentative and subject to confirmation closer to the event, and winners will be informed of the finalised details in advance.