| Top 10 Finalists | Institution | Essay Title | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Annavi Bajpayee | ILC, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi | "The Procedural Trojan Horse: Article 39A and the Judicialisation of Welfare" | WINNER |
| 2. Arya Pranav Bhagwat | National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar | "Front-Loading Justice: Reimagining Temporal and Qualitative Mandate of Article 39A for Children" | RUNNER-UP |
| 3. Deepti Rajaram | WBNUJS, Kolkata | "Preventing The Proliferation of AI-Generated Child Pornography Under a POCSO Protected India" | Certificate of Merit |
| 4. Rhea Chaudhary | BITS Law School, Mumbai | "Juvenile Liberty: Dignity Denied in Detention" | Certificate of Merit |
| 5. Akul Mishra | Jindal Global Law School | "Black Letter Law, Universal Reforms: Myth of Uniform Victims" | Certificate of Merit |
| 6. Vedang Shukla | NUSRL, Ranchi | "Procedural Justice v. Victim Privacy: The POCSO Act’s Paradox" | Certificate of Merit |
| 7. Aditi Ladha | National Law University Meghalaya | "When Protection Becomes Harm: Privacy and Protection Under POCSO" | Certificate of Merit |
| 8. Mihika Nair | Gujarat National Law University | "What Differentiates Us from Frogs? Delinquent Dignity in India: An Amphibian Analogy" | Certificate of Merit |
| 9. Asmita Priyam | NUSRL, Ranchi | "Digital Abuse Without Contact: Privacy And Protection Frameworks in India" | Certificate of Merit |
| 10. Isha Kulkarni | Institute of Law, Nirma University | "Too Young to Love? Addressing the Fixed-Age Fallacy" | Certificate of Merit |
The NLUD Chair on Justice for Children, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Constitutional Law Club, NLU Delhi, presents the 1st edition of the National Essay Competition Small Voices : Big Rights. The competition invites students to think closely about how India’s constitutional framework interacts with the specialised systems that govern child protection and juvenile justice.
The interactions of children with the criminal justice system stand at the crossroads of two powerful branches of law; constitutional law, which lays down the rights and principles that guide our justice system more generally, and criminal law, which defines victimhood and liability. This competition aims to encourage clear thinking and strong legal analysis on issues surrounding the interaction of these frameworks. It hopes to create a space where students can critically engage with the processes that shape justice for children in India.
The Chair works to build a strong body of scholarship on child rights within the criminal justice system, support high-quality legal representation for children in need of care and protection as well as those in conflict with the law, and mentor the next generation of child rights researchers and lawyers. Guided by Chair Professor Tasneem Deo, the initiative aims to bring together academic insight and practical engagement to ensure that every child's rights are protected with fairness, dignity, and compassion.
Learn more →The Constitutional Law Club was founded by students of NLU Delhi, with the support of our Hon'ble Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai, and the guidance of Prof. (Dr.) Niraj Kumar. The club grew out of a shared wish to build a steady, thoughtful space for engaging with constitutional ideas beyond the classroom. Our work focuses on nurturing a regular culture of discussion around constitutional law. We host expert lectures, share reading lists that offer diverse perspectives, and run student-led forums that encourage open and informed conversation.
Learn more →Participants must write an essay on a topic which corresponds to any one of the following themes:
The Role of Dignity under Article 21 in Shaping Juvenile Justice in India
The Interplay of Privacy and Protection under POCSO
Article 39A and Access to Justice for Children
Certificate of Merit and publication in the NLUD J4C Newsletter
Certificate of Merit and publication on the NLUD J4C Online Opinion Page
Certificate of Merit