ESSAY COMPETITION: First Weera Centre Essay Competition, 2018-19
Through a written statement, India had officially submitted to the International Court of Justice that the “existence of nuclear weapons poses a threat to the very survival of mankind” and “the shadow of a nuclear holocaust continues to loom over us. It is, therefore, imperative that nuclear weapons be eliminated.” This was in September 1994, twenty years after India’s first nuclear weapon test Smiling Buddha and three years before the second test Operation Shakti. While this established India as a nuclear-ready nation; somewhere it also contradicted India’s own submission at the ICJ.
Nuclear weaponry is not just subject to international law, it has strong political dynamics as well. Most of all it has the potential to cause complete annihilation of life on earth, multiple times. In 1955, Russell-Einstein’s manifesto equated nuclear weapons with the “risk of universal death”, but they are anyway justified as necessary evil supported by arguments hinging around deterrence. Some even contend that the existence of nuclear weapons has made the world a peaceful place to live as the propensity of waging war has mellowed.
With this background, Weera Centre invites essays from motivated students to send their entries on the topic:
Between Security and Peace:
How Can India Lead the Global Nuclear Disarmament Movement?
Participants are expected to engage with political, diplomatic, legal and ethical elements in their submissions, which can range from modern instruments of prohibition to the traditional understandings of war.
Important Dates:
| Essay Submission (3000 words) | 26 February 2019 |
| Declaration of Results | 20 March 2019 |
Authorship:
Maximum two authors are allowed per entry.
Eligibility:
Open to all post-graduate and graduate students currently enrolled in recognized Indian Universities/Institutions.
Registration Fee:
There is no registration fee for the competition.
Word Limit:
Length of the essay (excluding citations) should not exceed 3000 words.
Citation:
For participants from non-law background: MLA 8th edition
For participants from law background: Bluebook 19th edition
Criteria for Marking:
| Criterion | Marks (100) |
| Quality of Research and Originality | 50 |
| Articulation | 30 |
| Grammar and Citation | 20 |
Procedure:
The submission shall comprise-
- a soft copy of the essay in both word and PDF formats, and
- Identity card of the University/Institution (scanned copy or a simple picture).
At no place should the body of essay contain details of the author(s). Copy of the identity card should be sent as a separate attachment.
Entries should be sent to weeracentre@gmail.com with the subject titled as “Submission for First Weera Centre Essay Competition”.
Prize:
- Winner:₹ 7000 + Winning Memento+ Winner’s Certificate.
- Top three entries shall be published on WeeraCentre website as an Open Access Research Paper. They shall also be submitted with the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
- Certificate of Appreciation shall be awarded to top ten entries.
For official Notification – Click here.
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