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.

Themes

• 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.

Timeline

Competition opens (submission portal live) – 15 August 2026 

Last date for submission of entries (no extensions) – 30 September 2026, 11:59 PM IST 

Screening and evaluation by the Jury constituted by the Chair on Consumer Law – October – November 2026 

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

Contact

Chair on Consumer Law, NLSIU:
Website: clap.nls.ac.in

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

Find the Eligibility, Submission Guidelines, Judgement Criteria and more information here.

Find the Brochure here.