About the Competition

The Chair on Consumer Law and Practice, NLSIU is organising the 4th National Essay Competition 2026 to commemorate the celebration of National Consumer Day (24th December). The Essay Competition endeavours to stimulate interest and foster growth amongst students, academics, professionals and consumer advocates to explore and engage with contemporary and seminal issues in the field of 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.

Suggested Themes

Participants may choose any one of the following indicative themes, or any other genuine topic under the broad umbrella of consumer protection:
• 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 above themes are only indicative, and 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.

Eligibility

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

Submission Guidelines

• The essay must be written in English and submitted in Microsoft Word document format (.doc/.docx).
• Co-authorship of up to a maximum of two authors is permitted.
• Only one submission is allowed per author/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• The essay must be the original, unpublished work of the author(s). Plagiarism or copyright
infringement will lead to summary disqualification.
• Submission can be made only through google form. Click here to access. Any submission made to the
Chair email id will not be accepted.

The following formatting specifications must be strictly adhered to:
• Main Body: Font – Times New Roman, Font Size – 12, Line Spacing – 1.5
• Footnotes: Font – Times New Roman, Font Size – 10, Line Spacing – 1.0
• Margins: 1 inch / 2.54 cm on all sides
• Word Limit: 3000–3500 words, excluding footnotes. Footnotes must follow the Bluebook system of
citation (Harvard, 20th edition).
• The essay must contain an abstract not exceeding 250 words (excluded from the overall word limit),
clearly indicating the theme/topic chosen.

The Chair reserves the right to summarily reject or return any submission that does not comply with these guidelines, without providing feedback. In case of any dispute, the decision of the Chair shall be final and binding. The opinions, thoughts and ideas expressed in the essay are those of the author(s) alone, and the Chair shall not be held responsible or accountable for any views expressed therein. The Chair also reserves the right to cancel the competition without notice, in case suitable/quality entries are not received, or in case of any other event outside its reasonable control.

How to Submit

• All submissions must be made through the official online submission form (link to be circulated on the
NLSIU and CLAP website and social media channels closer to the opening date of 15 August 2026).
• Along with the essay file, participants must submit their full name, contact number, email address, and institution/organisation name (if applicable).
• Incomplete or plagiarised submissions shall be summarily rejected.
• The last date for submission is 30 September 2026, 11:59 PM IST. No entries will be accepted after this deadline, and no extensions will ordinarily be granted.

Competition Timeline

DATE MILESTONE

15 August 2026 Competition opens — submission portal live

30 September 2026, 11:59 PM IST Last date for submission of entries (no extensions)
October – November 2026 Screening and evaluation by the Jury constituted by the Chair on Consumer Law

Early December 2026 (tentative) Announcement of results on NLSIU / CLAP official channels 24 December 2026 Winners felicitated on National Consumer Day

Judging Criteria

• 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

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

Prizes

1ST RANK
₹ 10,000
+ Certificate of Merit

2ND RANK
₹ 7,000
+ Certificate of Merit

3RD RANK
₹ 5,000
+ Certificate of Merit

• All winners will receive a Certificate of Merit from the Chair on Consumer Law, NLSIU.
• The best entries may be considered for publication in a forthcoming issue of the Newsletter of the Chair on Consumer Law.
• A Certificate of Participation on CLAP letterhead will be issued (on request) to participants who submit a compliant entry, on request.

Felicitation of Winners

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; winners will be informed of the finalised details in advance.

Contact & Queries

Chair on Consumer Law, NLSIU: consumerlaw@nls.ac.in
Website / social media: clap.nls.ac.in

For clarifications regarding themes, formatting or submission, participants are encouraged to write in well before the closing date.