Jabalpur, October 10, 2026: If justice is to reach everyone, technology must reach them first. This idea ran through the 1st Edition of NyayaTech: A Digital Justice Conclave, organised online by Vidhimitra: The Legal Aid Cell of Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU), Jabalpur, established under the aegis of the Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority (MPSLSA).
Held under the theme “From Competition to Contribution: Where Ideas Become Outcomes,” the conclave brought together students and young professionals from different institutions to explore how law and technology can work together to advance access to justice.
Inaugural Ceremony of NyayaTech 2026
The conclave opened with an inaugural ceremony that set its direction. Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Manoj Kumar Sinha guided the students and urged them to view their work as a contribution to society, beyond a contest. Registrar Dr. Praveen Tripathi shared his suggestions on making technology more accessible, emphasising that technology succeeds only when it serves the most marginalised, including those in remote areas. Faculty Advisor Dr. Jalaj Goantiya then formally declared the conclave open.
Five Competitions Focus on Law, Technology and Access to Justice
That spirit shaped each of the five competitions. In the Paper Presentation Competition, participants examined e-courts, online dispute resolution, data protection, and artificial intelligence in courts, concluding their papers with practical policy recommendations. In the Legal Aid App Development Competition, teams transformed ideas into working prototypes designed to assist people with limited access to legal services, with an engineering panel assessing their usability and scalability.
The Socio-Legal Challenge encouraged students to study real-world problems faced by nearby communities and develop digital interventions that legal aid clinics could adopt. The PIL Drafting Competition tested participants’ ability to translate public concerns into sound petitions through careful research, constitutional reasoning, and well-structured prayers.
In the Lok Adalat Simulation, teams addressed disputes through conciliation rather than confrontation, with their performances from the quarterfinals to the finals evaluated by eight district legal aid officers and secretaries nominated by MPSLSA.
The judging panels brought together experts in law, technology and artificial intelligence, legal practitioners, advocates, and social welfare professionals, ensuring that the ideas were assessed for both legal soundness and practical applicability.
NyayaTech 2026 Competition Results and Winners
At the valedictory ceremony, the results were announced, recognising participants for their research, innovation, advocacy, and commitment to strengthening access to justice. The competition-wise results were as follows:
Socio-Legal Challenge: Aishani Parbat emerged as the winner, while Anchal Mishra secured the runner-up position. Siya Gupta received the Jury Commendation Award.
Paper Presentation Competition: Khushi Nakwal was declared the winner, with Mohd. Zeeshan securing the runner-up position. The Jury Commendation Award was presented to Suhani Samad and Enayah Ali.
Legal Aid App Development Competition: Akshat Gupta won the competition, while Pranjal Khanna finished as runner-up. Shubham Sourav received the Jury Commendation Award.
PIL Drafting Competition: Netra Gadodia secured the winning position, followed by Mohd. Zunaid as runner-up. Navya Pareek and Suryansh Kushwaha received the Jury Commendation Award.
Lok Adalat Simulation: The team comprising Abhinav Tripathi, Sakshi Verma, and Amritanshu Amrit emerged as the winner. The team comprising Atiti Dwivedi, Maanyata Tiwari, and Devanshi Bansal secured the runner-up position.
In the individual awards, Alveera was recognised as Best Client, Prathviraj Jaat received the Best Counsel award, and Pari Kukreja was named Best Mediator.
Vidhimitra Acknowledges Participants and MPSLSA Support
Vidhimitra congratulated all the winners, runners-up, and award recipients, while acknowledging the efforts of every participant who contributed to the conclave’s success.
Vidhimitra also expressed its gratitude to the participants, judges, speakers, and MPSLSA for their support in making the inaugural edition of NyayaTech possible.
As NyayaTech concludes its first edition, Vidhimitra hopes that the ideas and solutions developed during the conclave will extend beyond the competition and inspire participants to carry forward the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and social responsibility in their future work as legal professionals.