Nagpur: Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur has earned a top 10 global ranking at the 16th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, 2024. This prestigious event, organized by the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria in partnership with the United Nations, The Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Union, and the UN missions from South Africa and Switzerland, saw MNLU Nagpur stand out as the highest-ranked Indian team and the only Indian team to break into the top 10 worldwide.
The MNLU Nagpur team comprised Ayush Anand (Class of 2027) from Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Alen Thomas (Class of 2027) from Kasaragod, Kerala. The team excelled through the memorial selection rounds, placing them among the top 50 teams globally. They advanced to the global preliminary rounds online from May 15 to July 18, ultimately reaching the Top 24 teams that qualified for the advanced global rounds at the United Nations Office in Geneva from July 15 to 19.
The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is a prestigious international event dedicated exclusively to human rights, co-organized by several esteemed institutions including the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria and the United Nations Human Rights Council Branch. This year’s competition addressed issues at the intersection of international human rights, indigenous rights, and international criminal law.
The MNLU Nagpur team began preparations in February and dedicated six months to the competition. Their efforts were recognized and celebrated by international court judges and the United Nations Human Rights Council on social media. This accomplishment reflects the team’s hard work and the support from Vice Chancellor Dr. Vijender Kumar, Registrar Dr. Ashish Dixit, faculty advisors, and the Moot Court Committee. They also received financial backing from notable sponsors including Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, Advocate Anil Kumar, and the Bombay Bar Association. This success brings great pride to MNLU Nagpur and the nation.
