March 16, 2026 : The Institute of Law, Nirma University, Gandhinagar, secured the championship title at the 3rd Justice Hidayatullah International Moot Court Competition (HIMCC) 2026, organised by Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur. The winning team was awarded the trophy along with a cash prize of ₹2 lakh.
National Law University Odisha finished as the runner-up and received a prize of ₹1.5 lakh.
In individual categories, Siya Ganatra from National Law University Odisha was declared Best Speaker. The Best Memorial award went to National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, while Kanishk Gupta of Karnavati University was recognised as Best Researcher. The awards were presented during the valedictory ceremony attended by leading jurists and legal scholars.
This year’s moot proposition centred on emerging issues in energy law and climate governance. It explored complex legal questions around energy transition, sustainability and regulatory frameworks. The problem was drafted by R. Muralidharan of Manu Associates, who also serves as a visiting faculty member at HNLU.
The three-day international competition was held from March 13 to 15 and saw participation from top law schools across India and abroad. A total of 46 teams registered for the memorial stage, with 32 teams advancing to the oral rounds. Overall, 95 students from 16 states, two Union Territories and two foreign nationalities took part.
The competition was evaluated by a panel of 57 judges and supported by 20 faculty volunteers and nearly 390 student volunteers, highlighting the scale of the event.
Speaking at the valedictory ceremony, Attorney General for India R. Venkataramani underlined the importance of mooting in legal education. He noted that such competitions help students develop research skills, analytical thinking, advocacy and confidence, enabling them to address complex legal and policy issues effectively.
HNLU Vice-Chancellor Vivekanandan said that HIMCC is steadily establishing itself as a prominent international mooting platform. He pointed out that 95 participants from 32 teams were selected from 46 registrations, with a total prize pool of ₹5.5 lakh.
The ceremony was attended by several distinguished guests, including Ranbir Singh, Pro-Chancellor of IILM University; P. V. S. Giridhar, Senior Counsel at the Madras High Court; Uday Shankar, Professor of Law at IIT Kharagpur; and Yogendra Kumar Srivastava, Dean (PG Studies) at HNLU.
Earlier, Registrar (In-charge) Deepak Kumar Srivastava welcomed the gathering, while Amitesh Deshmukh presented the competition highlights and commended the participants. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Mayank Shrivastava, Organising Co-Secretary. The competition was conducted under the convenorship of Anindya Tiwari, with support from HNLU student volunteers.
During the ceremony, the participating team from Nepal was honoured with a token of appreciation. The university also congratulated its own team for winning the India rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and qualifying for the international rounds in Washington, D.C.
With its successful third edition, HIMCC has further strengthened HNLU’s role in advancing advocacy skills, legal research and academic excellence, while engaging students with contemporary global legal challenges.
