The NLIU Law Review is a peer-reviewed academic law journal, published biannually by the students of the National Law Institute University, Bhopal, run with the primary purpose to inculcate a culture of research among students and promote legal discussion and awareness within the legal fraternity.
The 1st NLIU Agreement Drafting and Presentation Competition, 2024 is presented by NLR to nurture a deep understanding of the practical intricacies within the realm of contract law among the participants. It is our pleasure to offer the participants a platform to demonstrate their expertise in front of experiences academicians and legal practitioners. The drafter of the Contract Proposition for the competition is Mr. Vivek Badkur, an associate at Khaitan & Co, Mumbai and also an alumnus of the National Law Institute University.
Phase I of the Competition saw nearly 130+ entries, out of which top 15 teams were selected on the basis of their drafted Contracts for Phase II. The shortlisted teams include:
- Aditya Sharan, Symbiosis Law School, Noida
- Anannya K Sangra, National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi
- Aniket Chauhaan, NALSAR University of Law
- Apurva Tayal and Anoushka Bahadur, National Law University Odisha
- Ayan Roy, NMIMS Kirit P. Mehta School of Lawa and National Law University Delhi.
- Himanshi Garg , University Institute of Legal Studies, Punjab University, Chandigarh.
- Karan Anand and Aditya Krishnan , OP Jindal University
- Yachna Nimi, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab
- Mayank Khichar and Vatsal Golyan, NALSAR University of Law
- N. Apoorva Rao and Namanjeet Singh Bhatia, Hidayatullah National Law University.
- Panakanti Sejal and Khambhampati Mallika, O.P Jindal Global University
- Sanyukta Girish Shinde and Rutuja Ganpat Bhor Savitribai Phule Pune University, ILS Law College Pune.
- Vidhi Agarwal and Sneh Singhania, Institute of Law Nirma University
- Vikranta Pradeep Barsay, National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam
- Vinay Kella and Juhi Bhayani ,Institute of Law, Nirma University
Stay tuned for live updates!
30th March 2024- Day 1
9:30 AM | Registration | Convention Centre
The NLIU Agreement Drafting and Presentation Competition, 2024 has opened its gates to the participating teams. The Organizing Committee is all decked up and ready to host them. Excitement fills the Convention Centre corridors as teams arrive for registration, greeted by the registration team. They then proceed to the conference room for the opening ceremony. The JS Verma Memorial Convention Centre buzzes with anticipation as teams line up to register, looking forward to a day of learning and networking.
10:00 AM | Inauguration | Convention Centre
The inaugural ceremony is in motion. Mr. Akshat Shukla (Editor-in-Chief, NLIU Law Review) extended warm greetings to our esteemed guests, the honourable Vice-Chancellor, and participants. He officially inaugurated the competition- May the pens be steady, the minds sharp, and the agreements profound!
The ceremonial lighting of the lamp was led by our Vice Chancellor Sir, Professor (Dr.) S. Surya Prakash, Professor (Dr.) Ghayur Alam (NLIU Law Review Faculty Advisor) and our esteemed guests- Mr. Anchit Oswal, (Partner, Khaitan & Co), Ms. Deeksha Manchanda (Partner, Chandhiok and Mahajan, Advocates and Solicitors), Ms Pallavi Railkar (Head- legal, VMock, Inc.), Mr. Akshat Shukla and Ms. Pooja V. (Deputy Editor in Chief).
Professor Dr. Ghayur Alam presented the esteemed guests with bouquets and mementos as tokens of our profound gratitude for their invaluable presence. He then formally extended a warm welcome to both the honored guests and participants in the welcome Address. He highlighted the emerging field of relational contracts, emphasizing that the focus lies not solely on foreseeing every potential dispute, but rather on devising effective mechanisms to address them when they arise. He underscored the importance of negotiation, mediation, and arbitration clauses, as well as the significance of default and immutable rules in contracts.
This was followed by Dr. (Prof.) S. Surya Prakash’s heartfelt address to the attendees. He congratulated the ongoing publications of the NLIU Law Review and emphasized the significance of agreement clauses, particularly arbitration agreements. He highlighted the nuances of arbitration drafting, including language and grammar considerations, and noted that contract drafting is an exclusive subject. Concluding his address, he extended his heartfelt best wishes to all the participants, expressing his hope that each individual would be enriched by the experience at the end of the day’s proceedings.
The keynote address was delivered by our esteemed guest, Ms. Pallavi Railkar (Head-legal, VMock, Inc.) who extended her heartfelt wishes and congratulations to everyone present for the successful culmination of the event.
The Judges were then requested to head towards the judges briefing. Participants proceeded for the draw of lots at the Rajiv Gandhi Cyber Law Centre.
10:30 AM | Judges’ Briefing and Draw of Lots | Rajiv Gandhi Cyber Law Centre
The draw of lots were held at the Rajiv Gandhi Cyber Law Centre. Through the draw, teams were divided into two pools- pool A and pool B for the Qualification Rounds. This was followed by the judge briefing session wherein, the judges were made aware of the facts of the problem as well as the judging criteria.
11:00 AM | Qualification Rounds | Rajiv Gandhi Cyber Law Centre
The Qualification Rounds have begun! Anticipation, excitement, and nervousness fills the atmosphere as the teams eagerly wait and prepare to present their contracts to the judges.
The rounds of are being judged by Associate Prof. (Dr.) Manish Yadav, Assistant Prof. Amit Pratap Singh, Mr. Syamantak Sen (Associate, Saraf and Partners, Delhi) and Ms. Sakshi Ajmera (Associate, Trilegal, Mumbai).
The presentation ensures that the participants are allowed to assess the expectations and presumptions of the judges and simultaneously gain from their legal expertise and experiences. Judges made a note of various aspects of the participants’ submissions, including the novelty of suggestions, pragmatism adopted in their agreements as well as consistency with applicable laws. This interactive experience allowed for the participants to test their drafting skills against the rigorous questioning and practical knowledge of the legal practitioners and foster the essential skills of drafting amongst the students. The participants were then asked questions on the violation of Section 27 of the Indian Contract Act among other pertinent issues.
2:30 PM | Announcement of Breaks | Convention Centre
After some enthralling and insightful rounds where the participants of the NLIU Agreement Drafting and Presentation Competition, 2024 put forward their Agreement presentations before the esteemed judges, we are now all set to witness the announcement of the teams that have qualified for the final rounds of the Competition.
The announcement of breaks for the qualifying teams was done by the Mr. Akshat Shukla (Editor-in-Chief, NLIU Law Review). The teams that qualified to the final rounds were:
Top two teams each from Pool A and Pool B qualified to the Final Rounds scheduled at 3:00 PM.
Pool A-
- TC 104- Vikrant Pradeep Barsay
- TC 95- Panakanti Sejal and Khembhampati Mallika
Pool B-
- TC 116- Karan Anand and Aditya Krishnan
- TC 65- Vidhi Agarwal and Sneh Singhania
Congratulations to all the teams! We are now all set to proceed to the final rounds of the Competition. Good luck to the appearing teams!
3:00 PM | Final Rounds | Convention Centre
Following the announcement of the teams that have qualified for the Final Rounds of the NLIU Agreement Drafting and Presentation Competition, 2024, we are now on the brink of the highly anticipated Final Rounds.
A draw of lots was conducted to determine the order in which the finalist teams would present their Agreements before our esteemed panel of judges, comprising Ms. Deeksha Manchanda (Partner, Chandiok & Mahajan Advocates and Solicitors); Mr. Anchit Oswal (Partner at Khaitan & Co.) ; and Ms. Pallavi Railkar (Legal Head at VMock).
The participants delved into the intricate details of their Agreements and faced pointed, insightful questions from the judges. Among the most discussed points were the confidentiality and non competing clauses of the contracts. The presentations and discussions highlighted the immense hard work and dedication put in by the participants, showcasing their caliber.
After another riveting round of presentations by the finalists, we are now eagerly awaiting the announcement of the results during the Valedictory Ceremony at 5:30 PM at the Convention Centre.
Stay tuned as we reveal the winners of the NLIU Agreement Drafting and Presentation Competition, 2024!
5:30 PM | Valedictory Ceremony | Convention Centre
After the intricate sieving of all the participants’ contracts in the final rounds, we have finally moved to the valedictory ceremony, to felicitate the emerging winners.
Ms. Akhila Hebbar (Member, Law Review) compèred the valedictory ceremony, and Prof Dr. Ghayur Alam (NLIU Law Review Faculty Advisor), along with all the final rounds judges and the qualification round judges joined us.
Ms. Deeksha Manchanda (Partner, Chandhiok & Mahajan, Advocates and Solicitors) delivered an address. She congratulated the NLIU Law Review Team for hosting the Contract Drafting and Presentation Competition, 2024. She emphasized the fundamental role of contract drafting in corporate careers post-law school and acknowledged the contemporary relevance of dispute resolution related to AI issues. Ms. Deeksha highlighted the importance of mastering contract drafting over time through practice and learning. She also echoed Professor Alam’s views from the Inaugural ceremony, highlighting the dynamic nature of law and the balance between flexible and unchanging rules. Additionally, she praised the participants for their excellent work in addressing clients’ commercial interests.
In the valedictory ceremony, Mr. Anchit Oswal (Partner, Khaitan and Co.) discussed contract drafting from a litigation perspective. He emphasized that firstly, contracts must be written down, and the core of the same must be what you are anticipating. Secondly, for every contract, there is an audience and your endeavour should be that the contract should be able to stand scrutiny of the entire audience, be it the client, law firm, judges, etc. Thirdly, that this competition also had an element of not only drafting, but also presenting the contract. When it comes to presenting the contract, one has to add the human element, and must be able to receive feedback and listen to the other side, even while presenting the best interests’ of one’s own clients.
Professor (Dr.) Ghayur Alam shared insights on witnessing his former students excel in the competition, referencing the adage ‘we are men, not gods.’ Further, he recalled his lectures, wherein he used to quote Alice in Wonderland, in which it was said that ‘the world is what we want it to be’. He stressed on the importance of parties’ intentions in contract terms and the necessity of human skills alongside technological advancements in the legal field.
Prizes for the 1st edition of the Freshers Blog Writing and Presentation Competition were announced. The results are as follows.
Best Presenter– Khushi Krishania and Yashvi Bansal
2nd Runners Up– Tamanna A and Shivansh Pathak
1st Runners Up– Vasudev Mishra and Harshul Mittal
Winners– Khushi Krishania and Yashvi Bansal
Finally, the most anticipated moment of the evening arrived and the prizes for the 1st NLIU Law Review Contract Drafting and Presentation Competition, 2024 were announced, and the prizes were asking follows:
2nd Runners Up– Vidhi Agrawal & Sneh Singhania, Institute of Law Nirma University
1st Runners Up– Panakanti Sejal and Malika, O.P Jindal Global University
Winner– Vikranta Pradeep Barsay, National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam
Best Written Submission– Vikranta Pradeep Barsay, National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam
As we approached the end of the valedictory and closing ceremony, Ms. Pallavi Railkar (Head, Legal, VMock) delivered an address, sharing her current experience of working in the AI field itself, which is equally relevant and complicated.
Lastly, Ms. Pooja V. (Deputy Editor in Chief, NLIU Law Review) gave the vote of thanks, extending a heartfelt gratitude to Our Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) S. Surya Prakash, Professor (Dr.) Ghayur Alam, and also to all the judges of the final and qualification rounds. She thanked Mr. Vivek Badkur, Drafter of the Contract Proposition (Associate, Khaitan and Co.) without whom the event would not have been possible. She also thanked our partners and sponsors for the event- SCC online, EBC learning and Indian Bank. Ms. Pooja expressed gratitude towards all the campus teachers who contributed to organizing the event and thanked the Law Review Team for being the backbone of the event.
