Antrix-IFIM 5th National Moot Court Competition 2026 on Space Law, IFIM Law School, Bengaluru

The IFIM National Moot Court Competition is the annual national moot hosted by the Moot Court Committee of IFIM Law School, Bengaluru. Each edition is built around an area where the law is still responding to technological, constitutional or commercial change, and brings together students, members of the judiciary, regulators, academicians and practitioners around that question.

IFIM Law School was established in Bengaluru in 2014 and offers the five-year B.B.A. LL.B. and the three-year LL.B. programmes. In the GHRDC Survey 2026 it was placed first among Private Eminent Law Schools in India, fifth in Leading Super Excellence, fourth among Private Law Schools in Karnataka and fifth among Private Law Schools in the Southern Region.

Earlier editions were set on cryptocurrency and smart contracts (2022), constitutional law with a proposition drafted by Dr. Gautam Bhatia (2023), competition law in collaboration with the Competition Commission of India (2024, 40 teams), and human rights, deepfakes and digital privacy with the National Human Rights Commission (2025, 48 teams).

The 2026 edition is themed Space Law: The Next Frontier of Law, and carries Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial and marketing arm of ISRO, as Title and Logo Partner. Antrix is a wholly owned Government of India company under the Department of Space, incorporated in 1992 and headquartered in Bengaluru. SCC Online and SCC Times are the Knowledge and Media Partners.

The organisers list the following as the issues participants will be examining:

• The peaceful use of outer space
• State responsibility for space activity
• Liability for damage caused by space objects
• Regulation of private and commercial actors
• Space debris and environmental responsibility
• Ownership and use of extraterrestrial resources
• Satellite technology and intellectual property
• International cooperation and security

The competition is open to students enrolled in the three-year or five-year LL.B. degree programme at recognised law schools, universities and institutions across India.

The organisers expect over 30 teams from across the country, a prize pool and awards exceeding Rs 2 lakh, and more than 20 judges and evaluators. The brochure does not state the team composition or the number of teams permitted per institution; confirm both with the Moot Court Committee before registering.

The competition runs over three days on the IFIM Law School campus and follows this sequence:

• Memorial submission - teams prepare written arguments for both sides of the dispute
• Preliminary rounds - arguments before panels of legal practitioners, academicians and subject experts
• Quarter-finals and semi-finals - competitive elimination rounds
• Grand finale - the finalists argue before a panel of distinguished experts
• Awards and recognition - across advocacy, research and written submissions

Adjudicators at past editions have included sitting judges of the High Court of Karnataka, the Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka State Law University, faculty from NLSIU Bengaluru and Jindal Global Law School, officials of the Competition Commission of India and the National Human Rights Commission, and partners from Khaitan & Co., Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB & Partners, Vaish Associates and Kochhar & Co.

Fees are charged per team and depend on when you register and whether you take the organisers' accommodation:

• Early bird, with accommodation: Rs 10,000 (register by 20 August 2026, 11:59 pm)
• Early bird, without accommodation: Rs 8,000 (register by 20 August 2026, 11:59 pm)
• General, with accommodation: Rs 10,500 (register by 7 September 2026, 11:59 pm)
• General, without accommodation: Rs 8,500 (register by 7 September 2026, 11:59 pm)

Payment is by transfer to the IFIM Law School account at Axis Bank, Koramangala branch, account number 922010033169523, IFSC UTIB0000194. The organisers state that once a registration is completed and the fee paid, requests for cancellation or refund will not be entertained, so confirm your participation before paying.

Teams choosing the with-accommodation slab are housed at Monk Mansion, Electronic City Phase 1, Bengaluru, the official accommodation partner. The organisers list single-occupancy furnished rooms with attached bathrooms, RFID access control, 24x7 hot water and power backup, high-speed Wi-Fi, a shared pantry, CCTV security and regular housekeeping, along with on-campus dining and recreation facilities.

Registration is through a Google Form, and there are two separate forms depending on the slab you are registering under. Use the early bird form while it is open, since it is the cheaper of the two, and the general form after 20 August 2026. Both forms require a Google sign-in.

The last date to register at the early bird rate is 20 August 2026. The final date to register at all is 7 September 2026.