1st National Essay Writing Competition on Originalism vs Living Constitutionalism | GNLU Silvassa

Centre For Constitutional and Administrative Law, Gujarat National Law University, Silvassa is organising the First Edition of its National Essay Writing Competition on the theme Originalism v. Living Constitutionalism.

About GNLU Silvassa Campus

Gujarat National Law University Silvassa Campus has been established in July 2023 to promote quality legal education in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and provide the students of the UT with skill development and job opportunities. The Transitory Campus is at Old Sachivalaya, Secretariat Building, Amli, Silvassa. The five-year integrated B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) degree and one-year specialised LL.M. in Constitutional and Administrative Law are offered at the residential campus of GNLU Silvassa. Notably, 25% seats in both the programs are reserved for students with domicile of the Union Territory.

About Centre For Constitutional and Administrative Law

The GNLUS Centre for Constitutional and Administrative Law (CCAL) was founded on August 15, 2023 on the belief that the subject of constitutional and administrative law is quintessential for the just governance of a democratic country. It aims to create awareness and explore the new horizons of the basic tenets of the Constitution. The CCAL is dedicated but not confined to the latest developments and interdisciplinary research projects in Constitution and Administrative Law.

About the Competition

The Constitutional and Administrative Law Centre (CCAL) proudly invites students to participate in the First edition of National Essay Writing Competition. This competition delves into the timely and complex debate between Originalism - the idea that the Constitution should be interpreted based on its original meaning at the time of enactment - and Living Constitutionalism, which views the Constitution as an evolving document adaptable to contemporary values and societal needs. Participants are encouraged to showcase their analytical prowess, critical thinking, and depth of understanding of constitutional principles.

Theme of the Competition

The theme of the Competition shall be - Originalism v. Living Constitutionalism: Judiciary's Power in Post Maneka Gandhi Period. The participants are free to choose any sub-themes. The below-mentioned sub-themes are not exhaustive and merely illustrative in nature. Some of the sub-themes are as follows:

• Social Transformation through Living Constitutionalism in India.
• Balancing Judicial Activism and Restraint in Constitutional Interpretation.
• Constitutional Morality and the Judiciary’s Role in a Modern Democracy.
• Future of Constitutional Interpretation in India: Originalism, Living
• Constitutionalism, or a Middle Path?
• Economic Rights and State Power: Judicial Activism in Socio-Economic Matters.

Eligibility

The competition shall be open for any college students, pursuing Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses from any recognized institution, within the territory of India.

Registration Link

There shall be no registration fees for registering in the present competition. The link for registering for the competition is as under:

Registration Form: [Click here to Register]

Important Dates

• 05th November 2024 - Registration begins
• 21st November 2024 - Last Date for Registration
• 06th December 2024 - Last Date for Submission of the Essay

Rules and Regulations of the Competition

• The language of the essay shall be English language only.
• Co-authorship up to only two authors is allowed.
• There shall be only one submission per author. In case of co-authors, both authors shall submit only one essay. Once the essay has been submitted, no changes whatsoever can be made to the same.
• The essay has to be submitted via Google form that shall be made available to the participants after registration.
• The deadline to submit the essay is 06th Dec 2024, till 11:59 P.M.
• The CCAL reserves all rights to reject essays submitted after the deadline.
• If the essay contains any kind of identification which may reveal any information of the participant including but not limited to the name of the participant or the institute, the participant(s) shall be disqualified from the competition.
• The essay shall adhere to the word limit of 3000 to 4000 words (including footnotes).
• The participants need to follow OSCOLA 4th edition format for citations.
• The essay must be word-processed and the font to be used is Times New Roman. The font size of the main body shall be 12 and that of the footnotes shall be 10. There shall be a line spacing of 1.5.
• All essays shall undergo strict similarity checks. Use of Artificial Intelligence for writing the essay is strictly prohibited, and plagiarism over 10% shall result in the rejection of the essay.

Prizes

The competition offers prizes which include the following:

• Winner ₹ 10,000 and E-Certificate of Merit
• Runner Up ₹ 5,000 and E-Certificate of Merit
• 2nd Runner Up ₹ 3000 and E-Certificate of Merit

Apart from the prizes mentioned above, the top 5 submissions (excluding the top 3 winners) shall be given an E-Certificate of Merit

All the participating candidates shall receive an E-Certificate of Participation

Downloads

Brochure: [Click here to view]

Contact

Email: ccal@gnlus.ac.in.

• Point of Contact - Mr. Kumar Amogh (Student Convener) - 9155941307
• Mr. Harshvardhan Singh (Student Co-Convener) - 8955859722
• Mr. Shambhunath Yadiyapur (Student Coordinator) - 8200093578
• Ms. Divi Supraja (Student Co-Coordinator) - 7893511799

Important Links

Law Library: Notes and Study Material for LLB, LLM, Judiciary, and Entrance Exams

Law Aspirants: Ultimate Test Prep Destination