(From left) Education department principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and CNLU vice-chancellor A Lakshminath at the journal release function in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Feb. 16: Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) would organise a national-level moot court competition from March 31 to April 1.

Law students from premier colleges and universities would participate in the mega event held for the first time since CNLU was established in August 2006. The topic for the competition will be euthanasia (mercy killing).

Ain Qurratulain, a fifth year student at CNLU, said: “We have chosen the topic, euthanasia, since the subject is a serious issue. Many organisations have come ahead in support of mercy killing, while some are against it.”

Students from National Law School of India University-Bangalore, National Law University-Bhopal, Nalsar University of Law-Hyderabad, West Bengal National University of Juridical Science-Calcutta, Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University-Lucknow, are likely to participate in the event.

Education department principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh at a function in CNLU today unveiled the poster of the competition. Students from various institutes would sit for the discussion on the issue while some will speak for the topic, some would speak about the disadvantages of euthanasia. Patna High Court judges and some of their counterparts in other esteemed courts would be present at the meet.

The principal secretary also unveiled the second volume of CNLU Law Journal today. An editorial board comprising eight students of the institute, which includes K. Kiranmayi, Ain Qurratulain, Amikar Pawar, Shivani and others, has prepared the journal.

CNLU, the only law university in Bihar, offers integrated five-year BALLB (Hons) programme.

Though the institute would be hosting its first national-level moot court competition this year, its students have excelled in various such contests in other parts of the country. Speaking on the occasion, vice-chancellor of the university A. Lakshminath said: “CNLU, in a very short span of time, has tried to compete with premier law institutes of India. The credit goes to the students and our faculty.” However, soon after the praise, the VC went ahead to say that students should first give priority to studies rather than other activities.

The institute would also host a national law fest — Forza that symbolises force, will and attitude of people of Bihar, particularly the CNLU students.