Dr Basu was a distinguished Judge of the Calcutta High Court. He was also a member of the Union Law Commission. His commentary on the Constitution of India, written over twenty years ago, is still used extensively as the primary treatise on constitutional law across India. Dr Basu was awarded the Padma Bhushan (1985), National Citizen’s Award (1991) and was also honored with an Honorary Fellowship of Asiatic Society, Calcutta (1994). He has authored some of the most authoritative and reputed works on the Constitution of India. Every year, contemporary topics of constitutional significance are chosen for the Competition. The themes in the previous years have ranged from the right to protest within the ambit of Part III of the Constitution to the use of constitutional power to disqualify a person from contesting democratic elections. This year, the theme has been chosen against the backdrop of understanding delimitation and its challenges and controversies in India.
Theme: “Understanding Delimitation in India: Constitutional Controversies and Challenges”
ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW SOCIETY:
The Constitutional Law Society (‘CLS’) is an academic society constituted in 2012 by interested students and our faculty advisor, the former Vice-Chancellor, to assist in understanding Constitutional Law. Its objective is to further knowledge and create a supportive environment for academic discussions and thoughts about constitutional matters. The CLS has successfully organised several events, including quizzes, mock parliaments, and discussions by eminent scholars on topics of constitutional law of contemporary as well as historical relevance. In the past, we have hosted luminaries in the field, such as K.K. Venugopal, Upendra Baxi, and Catherine MacKinnon, among others.
ABOUT VIDHI CENTRE FOR LEGAL POLICY:
The Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy is an independent, not-for-profit think tank dedicated to improving governance and creating better laws for the public good through high-quality, peer-reviewed legal research. Since its establishment, Vidhi has worked closely with the Government of India, state governments, and public institutions to inform policymaking, draft legislation, and drive impactful reforms. Its contributions include significant work on the bankruptcy ecosystem, the data protection bill, and repealing discriminatory laws, among others. Guided by values of non-partisanship, research excellence, and independence, Vidhi continues to shape the legal and policy landscape in India.
ABOUT THE ESSAY COMPETITION:
The theme aims to spark critical discussions on one of the most significant yet complex aspects of India’s democratic framework. Delimitation, which involves redrawing electoral boundaries to ensure fair representation, is essential for upholding electoral equity. However, it also brings forth challenges around federalism, population dynamics, and constitutional mandates. This competition provides a platform for participants to analyze these intricacies, explore the historical and legal contexts, and propose innovative reforms. By encouraging scholarly engagement, the competition seeks to contribute to the broader discourse on strengthening India’s democratic processes and fostering meaningful legal and policy advancements.
COMPETITION RULES
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The Competition is open to all undergraduate students of law colleges/departments of law of all Universities pursuing the 5-year-course or the 3-year-course. Co-authorship (of a maximum of two authors) is allowed. The co-authors may be students of different universities. There can be multiple participants from the same university.
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Authors are encouraged to narrow down the broad theme by selecting a specific aspect within its realms to focus on for a more in-depth analysis.
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The Competition does not include any registration fees.
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The formatting specifications for the essay are as such:
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Font: Times New Roman
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Font Size: 12
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Spacing: 1.5
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Margin: One inch on all sides
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Paper size: A4
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Minimum Word Limit — 5000, Maximum word Limit – 7000 (excluding footnotes, authors may avoid using speaking footnotes).
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Citations are mandatory and should be in the form of footnotes following a uniform format. The NUJS Law Review Standard of citation must be adhered to.
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All essay submissions shall undergo a strict online plagiarism check.
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No identification marks should be found on any part of the submissions.
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Special consideration will be placed upon originality, applicability and feasibility of the arguments/ suggestions made in the essay and the depth of research.
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All teams/ participants must send electronic copies of their essays in “.docx” (Microsoft Word) and “.pdf” formats by email to clsvidhiessaycompetition@gmail.com by 11:59 PM on January 20, 2025.
It is the responsibility of each Team to ensure that the “.docx” copy of the submission can be opened legibly with Microsoft Office 2010 or Microsoft Office 2007, and the “.pdf” copy of the submission can be opened legibly with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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The “subject” of the submission email should read “Submission for DD Basu Essay Writing Competition 2024-25”.
Participants shall also clearly mention their names, phone numbers, addresses, the names of their College/University, the course undertaken, and their year of study in the body of the email. The aforementioned details should only be highlighted in the email and should not be a part of the legislative draft.
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Prizes to be awarded:
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First place: INR 50,000 and a merit certificate.
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Second place: INR 25,000 and a merit certificate.
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Third place: INR 20,000 and a merit certificate.
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No participation certificates will be issued.
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Please visit the NUJS Constitutional Law Society’s social media handles for updates about the Competition (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn).
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For any queries or clarifications, please email us at nujs.cls@gmail.com with the subject of the email as “Clarifications- DD Basu Essay Writing Competition”.
ORGANISED BY
The Constitutional Law Society and The Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy
UNDER THE AEGIS OF
The West Bengal National University Of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
IN FOND MEMORY OF
Eminent jurist and lawyer, Shri Durga Das Basu (1910-1997).
