The Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) team from Raipur has secured victory in the esteemed 9th Dastur National Direct Tax Moot Court Competition. This event was organized by Government Law College, Mumbai, in collaboration with The Chamber of Tax Consultants. The initial rounds, including the preliminaries and quarter-finals, took place online on June 13, 2026. The semi-finals were hosted at the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Mumbai, with the final showdown at Government Law College, Mumbai, on June 27, 2026.
The victorious HNLU team included third-year B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) students Devesh Mishra, Asmi Chandrakar, and Rashleen Kaur Saluja, all from the batch of 2029. Their remarkable skills earned them the championship trophy along with a cash award of ₹12,000. Individual accolades were also bestowed upon team members. Rashleen Kaur Saluja was honored as the Best Speaker, receiving a cash prize of ₹5,000, while Devesh Mishra was named the Second Best Speaker, earning ₹3,000.
Prof. VC Vivekanandan, Vice-Chancellor of HNLU, extended his congratulations to the winning team, Dr. Anindya Tiwari, and the faculty moot mentors. He emphasized that the university’s consistent success in both national and international moot court competitions is a testament to its dedication to experiential legal education. “Mooting is a crucial aspect of legal education, fostering research, advocacy, teamwork, and ethics. Our Moot Clinic promotes these skills, offering a practical alternative to traditional exams,” he stated.
HNLU’s innovative Moot Clinic replaces conventional mid-term exams in advocacy courses, focusing on developing students’ skills in research, drafting, oral advocacy, and courtroom demeanor. This initiative simulates the pressures of real-world litigation and provides continuous assessment through mooting exercises, creating a strong advocacy ecosystem that prepares students for competitive success.
The university expressed pride in the team’s achievement and acknowledged the support of faculty members and moot mentors who consistently nurture advocacy excellence. Established in 2003, HNLU is recognized as one of India’s premier National Law Universities, committed to excellence in legal education, research, and professional development. Its focus on experiential learning and interdisciplinary scholarship helps produce graduates who excel in litigation, academia, public service, corporate practice, and policymaking.
