NYAYASETU 1st Inter-University Mediation Competition 2026, Shri Vaishnav Institute of Law, Indore [Hybrid, Rolling Registration]

The foundation stone for the Shri Vaishnav Group of Institutions was laid in 1884 by cloth merchants of the Vaishnav cult of Indore, a body later rechristened the Shri Vaishnav Sahayak Kapada Market Committee in 1934. Shri Vaishnav Shekshanik Avam Parmarthik Nyas was established under the guidance of that Committee in 1981, and the Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Trust works in education, health and environment on a not-for-profit basis.

Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya (SVVV), Indore was established with a vision to become a leader in shaping a better future for mankind through quality education, training and research, and commenced its first academic session in 2016-17. It is a multidisciplinary university with twenty constituent institutions spanning technology, information technology, textile technology, forensic science, architecture, management, journalism and mass communication, science, social science, computer applications, doctoral studies and research, fine arts, commerce, law, agriculture, home science, paramedical sciences, planning, education and pharmacy. The University works under Shri Purushottamdas Pasari as Chancellor and Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh C. Goswami as Vice-Chancellor.

Shri Vaishnav Institute of Law (SVIL) was established in 2005 and is approved by the Bar Council of India. Initially affiliated with Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, it has been a constituent institute of SVVV since 2021. The Institute works on legal education, research and professional development through academic excellence, experiential learning, research and community engagement, and encourages students to take part in moot courts, legal aid activity, research and internships. Its alumni serve in the judiciary, legal practice, the corporate sector, academia and public service.

Shri Vaishnav Institute of Law, SVVV, Indore presents NYAYASETU, the 1st Inter-University Mediation Competition, 2026. This is the first edition of the competition. The online rounds run from 10 to 12 September 2026 and the offline Final Round and Valedictory Ceremony is on 26 September 2026.

The two official sources state the theme differently, so both are set out here. The brochure cover and its About page give the theme as "Bridging Conflicts through Dialogue: Advancing Mediation in Contemporary India." The live Google registration form, titled "Nyayasetu, 2026", gives it as "Bridging Conflicts through Dialogue: Advancing Justice Through Consensus and Cooperation". The organisers have not reconciled the two wordings, so teams preparing publicity or written material should ask the organising committee which line is current.

The brochure is internally inconsistent on the name and month of the event as well. The cover, the important dates table and the poster call it the 1st Inter-University Mediation Competition held in September 2026, while the About page describes it as "NYAYASETU 2026 - National Mediation Competition" proposed "in the month of August 2026" and Miscellaneous Rule 7 refers to the "1st National Mediation Competition 2026". The September dates in the important dates table are the operative ones.

The competition is envisioned as an academic and professional platform for promoting mediation as an effective, collaborative and future-oriented dispute resolution mechanism. Given the growing significance of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the emphasis on mediation within the Indian legal framework, it seeks to give law students practical exposure to mediation proceedings while building skills in negotiation, communication, problem-solving, active listening and consensus-building.

Teams from law schools and universities across the country will engage in simulated mediation sessions built on contemporary legal and social disputes. Across the rounds, participants gain first-hand experience in managing conflict, identifying underlying interests, facilitating dialogue and working towards mutually acceptable settlements. The organisers also intend the event as an interface between students, academicians, legal practitioners, mediators and members of the judiciary.

The competition is open to students who are:

• Pursuing an integrated 5 year Law in India, or
• Pursuing 3 year LL.B in India.

Each participating university, college or institute may nominate one team comprising a total of three members:

• One Mediator
• One Client-Counsel Pair, that is, one student acting as the client and the other as the counsel

Roles must be clearly designated during the registration process and must remain unchanged throughout the competition. Any attempt to alter designated roles after registration may lead to a penalty of marks or disqualification, at the discretion of the Organizing Committee. The roles of the Client and the Counsel are fixed and cannot be switched once registration is complete.

Prelims 1 and 2: every participating team appears twice, once from the Requesting side and once from the Responding side, as per the draw of lots. The Negotiating Pair of each team, that is the attorney or counsel and the client, is marked together as a unit, while the Mediator of each team is marked separately from that team's Negotiating Pair.

Quarter Finals: after appearing once from each side in Prelims 1 and 2, the top 8 Mediators and the top 8 Negotiating Pairs with the highest scores from both Prelims advance. All Quarter Final rounds are held in parallel, and qualifying Negotiating Pairs are allotted a side to represent, Requesting or Responding.

Semi-Finals: the top 4 Mediators and the top 4 Negotiating Pairs with the highest scores from the Quarter Finals advance. Both Semi-Final rounds are held in parallel in two mediation rooms, and qualifying Negotiating Pairs are again allotted a side.

Finals: the top 2 Mediators and the top 2 Negotiating Pairs with the highest scores from the Semi-Finals advance to the Final Round, where the finalist Negotiating Pairs are allotted a side to represent. Details of the draw of lots are to be informed during the course of the event.

The Mediator and the Negotiating Pair from the same institution do not compete as a single team. They are evaluated independently on individual role-specific criteria. Mediators are always scored individually even when co-mediating with a student from a different institution, and their progression is independent of the co-mediator or of their own institution's Negotiating Pair. The Client and Counsel in a Negotiating Pair are scored jointly as a single unit and advance together through the rounds. In the Preliminary Rounds, Mediators are never paired with the Negotiating Pair from their own team under any circumstances, ensuring neutrality in scoring and experience.

• The Mediation Problem for each round comprises a Problem Statement accessible to all participants, and the problem is different for each round.
• A set of Confidential Information Exhibits (C.I.E.) is prepared containing specially drafted, factual and confidential details specific to each side, the Requesting Party and the Responding Party.
• The C.I.E. for each round is disclosed exclusively to the respective Negotiating Pair one hour prior to their scheduled session, at the designated Confidential Information Exhibit Reading Station (C.I.E.R.S.).
• Under no circumstances is the Mediator granted access to the Confidential Information.
• Each round is based on a distinct Mediation Problem tailored to its context, and every mediation room has the same problem for that particular round. The Code of Conduct adds that each round will have a separate mediation problem based on pre-disclosed themes mentioned in the brochure.
• Teams must not disclose any confidential information received during rounds to anyone outside their team, and it must not be shared with Mediators or any third party before or during the competition.
• Each team receives confidential information two hours before the competition to prepare its strategies. Note that the brochure states one hour in the Release of Mediation Problem section and two hours in the Code of Conduct section; teams should confirm the timing with the organisers.

A Mediation Session comprises two client-counsel pairs in opposition, resolving a dispute in the presence of two mediators. Each mediator is marked individually. The client-counsel pairs are denoted as mediating teams. Either the mediators or any member of the respective teams is authorised to initiate a caucus. Each round entails a different set of facts and distinct confidential information designated for each opposing Negotiating Team, provided before the commencement of the round.

Duration: the Preliminary and Quarter Final Rounds have a duration of 50 minutes for both the parties and the mediator(s), while the Semi-Final and Final Rounds extend to 75 minutes each.

Caucus. A caucus can take place between the mediator(s) and both members of the Requesting Party or the Responding Party. During each Mediation Session the Mediator(s) and the competing teams have the right to call for a caucus on the following terms:

• The maximum time limit for a caucus is 10 minutes, that is 5 minutes per team, out of the 50 minutes during the Quarter rounds.
• The maximum time limit for a caucus is 14 minutes, that is 7 minutes per team, out of the 75 minutes in the Semi-Final and Final rounds.
• The caucus can be requested by either the Mediator or the client or counsel of any team during the session.
• The Mediator cannot reject the call for a caucus initiated by the teams, while the teams may have discretion to accept it when initiated by the Mediator.
• The Mediator or the mediating pair may request only one caucus during each round.
• Teams going for caucus are sent to a separate room to maintain confidentiality.
• No caucus can be taken during the Preliminary Rounds.

The Evaluation Criteria section of the brochure states the caucus allotment in a slightly different way: each party (Client-Counsel) and the Mediator may call for a caucus during the session to discuss confidential matters or seek guidance, each team is allotted 5 minutes totalling a maximum of 10 minutes per round, cross-caucus is not permitted, and caucus use is judged on relevance and necessity. The Mediation Session clause also gives the caucus maximum as 5 minutes for the Quarter Final rounds and 7 minutes for the Semi-Final and Final rounds, which is the per-team figure. Teams should read the Caucus clause as the operative one and raise the difference with the organisers if it matters to their preparation.

Marking criteria for the mediating pair (client and counsel), out of 100:

• Opening Statement: 10
• Constructive Approach: 10
• Advocating Interest: 10
• Teamwork and Coordination: 10
• Use of Services of Mediator: 10
• Body Language: 10
• Effective Use of Confidential Information: 10
• Negotiation Strategy: 10
• Mutually Generating Creative Options: 10
• Time Management: 10

Marking criteria for the mediator, out of 100:

• Opening Statement: 15
• Creating appropriate environment: 10
• Control over the session: 10
• Ability to work as a team: 10
• Eliciting information from mediating pair: 10
• Facilitating option generation: 10
• Conduct and demeanour: 10
• Time management: 10
• Closing statement: 15

The judges' evaluation and the marks awarded to each team are definitive and irrevocable, with no provision for appeal. The final decision in all rounds and related matters rests solely with the Judging Panel and the Organizing Committee. The Organizing Committee reserves full discretion to modify, amend or interpret any rule, guideline or provision mentioned in the brochure at any stage of the competition, and reserves sole discretion over all matters pertaining to the competition, with its decisions final and binding and no entitlement for teams or participants to challenge them.

Team code and anonymity: each team is allotted a unique team code. Teams should not disclose their identity or that of their institution under any circumstances, and such disclosure invites penalties including disqualification from the competition directly, at the discretion of the Organizing Committee. Participants may introduce themselves to the judges in the usual manner and are required to state their respective team code, but the team's college name must not be indicated to the judges at any time. All team members must refrain from identifying a team's law school, college or university at any time and in any manner, including wearing identifying items such as college clothing, ties, patches or pins, or carrying identifying material such as books with logos or seals. Throughout the competition mediators and clients must maintain complete anonymity, neither disclosing their personal identities nor the identity of their institution by any means or medium whatsoever.

Dress code: ladies wear a white shirt and black pant or black skirt along with a black tie, black coat and black shoes; gentlemen wear a white shirt, black trousers and black tie along with a black coat and black shoes. Strict adherence to the dress code is solicited and failure will result in disqualification.

Code of conduct and miscellaneous rules:

• Teams are not allowed to observe the rounds of any of the other teams. Scouting is strictly prohibited and any violation leads to immediate disqualification.
• Participants must maintain professionalism at all times. Any form of disrespectful behaviour towards other teams, mediators or judges will result in disqualification.
• Use of laptops, mobile phones or any electronic devices is prohibited during the offline semi-finals and final rounds.
• Participants are explicitly prohibited from using any form of audio or visual aids, personal computers, laptops or any other technical or mechanical apparatus during the competition. Use of such devices is deemed an infringement of the competition's protocols.
• In the course of presenting their arguments, participants can furnish documents at the discretion of the judges.
• Any submission involving material that contravenes these regulations results in immediate disqualification of the team from the competition, without exception.
• Under no circumstances may any participant, or any member affiliated with a team, observe or be present in any Mediation Room where their team is not directly involved as a contesting party. A breach results in severe disciplinary action, up to and including disqualification.

The registration fee is Rs. 2000/- per team. Registration fees once paid will not be refunded. Every team which has registered under the Rules is allotted a unique code, and once the unique code has been allotted every team must use the team code for any communication with the organisers during the course of the competition.

Note the ambiguity in the brochure on how the form reaches the organisers. The Registration page says registration "is considered to be complete, once the registration fee is paid and the registration form e-mailed with all necessary details", but it does not name an address to e-mail it to, and the same page carries a Google Form link and QR code as the route for registration. The only mailbox published anywhere in the brochure is nyayasetumediationsvvv@gmail.com. Teams should submit the Google Form and, if in doubt, also mail the organisers on that address.

Payment details. The brochure states that registration fees must be remitted online as per the details mentioned below:

• Name of Account Holder: SHRI VAISHNAV VIDYAPEETH VISHWAVIDYALAYA, Indore
• Name of the Bank: HDFC Bank Ltd.
• Branch: CLOTH MARKET, Indore M.P.
• CMS Code: SH97VSHVVD
• Account no: 50100282903557
• IFSC Code: HDFC0000281
• MICR: 452240003
• SWIFT Code: HDFCINBBXXX

These figures are reproduced from the payment details table printed on the registration page of the official brochure. Verify them against your own copy of the brochure before transferring any money, and raise anything that does not match with the organisers on the published mobile numbers before you pay.

The registration form. Apply through the official Google Form at https://forms.gle/bhvruax3djXjnM3K7, also reachable through the QR code printed in the brochure. The form asks for the names and email IDs of all three participants, WhatsApp numbers for each participant, the institute or university, the names in the Client-Counsel Pair, the name of the Mediator, the payment transaction ID and a payment screenshot. The transaction ID and the payment screenshot are compulsory, so the fee has to be transferred before the form can be submitted.

No closing date has been published. The brochure's important dates table lists five rows only, from the registration start date of 21 July 2026 through to the Final Round on 26 September 2026, and it does not state a last date for registration. The Google Form is open and displays no closing notice. Since the mediation problem is released on 8 September 2026 and the online rounds start on 10 September 2026, teams should register well before those dates and confirm availability with the organisers rather than assume registration stays open.

Travel and accommodation: a travel and accommodation form is printed in the brochure and must be sent latest by 22 September 2026. It asks for the name of the institution, primary contact number, e-mail ID, date of arrival, time of arrival, mode of transport, date of departure, time of departure, and whether accommodation is required. The organisers will suggest accommodation facilities but will not be responsible for any issues that may arise after the hotel booking.

Partners. The brochure names four partners: Lawctopus as Media Partner, described as India's leading online media and education portal for law students and young lawyers, started in 2010; Lawctopus Law School as Knowledge Partner, which the brochure says teaches more than 2000 learners every year; LawBhoomi as Outreach Partner, described as a widely read legal knowledge platform focused on making law accessible, practical and relevant for students and young professionals; and Tarique Khan Advocate & Associates as Academic Partner, which the brochure describes as a distinguished law firm known for its commitment to excellence, integrity and client-focused legal services, offering legal advisory and dispute resolution services across diverse areas of law and supporting initiatives that promote mediation, alternative dispute resolution and experiential learning.

Organising team.

• Chief Patron: Shri Purushottamdas Pasari, Hon'ble Chancellor, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore
• Patron: Prof. Dr. Yogesh C. Goswami, Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore
• Convener: Dr. Ashutosh Bairagi, Professor and Head, Shri Vaishnav Institute of Law, SVVV, Indore
• Faculty Coordinators: Ms. Akanksha Surana, Assistant Professor, SVIL, and Ms. Jagruti Gupta, Assistant Professor, SVIL
• Student Coordinators: Mansi Tiwari, Head of Execution; Shreyanshi Yadav, Head of Media and Team Affairs; Anshika Malviya, Head of Communication; Vaishnavi Sharma, Head of Social Relations; and Shubhendra singh, Head of Hospitality and Management

The brochure closes by asking readers to follow the organising institute on Instagram at svil_indore.