Bhubaneswar : The 1st KIIT International Moot Court Competition (KIMCC) – 2025 concluded on Sunday with NALSAR, Hyderabad lifting the winner’s trophy and a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000. Sastra Deemed to be University emerged as the first runners-up, bagging Rs 1,00,000, while Manipal Law School was adjudged the second runners-up, securing Rs 75,000.
Individual honours went to Himanshu Srivastav of Government Law College, Mumbai who was named Best Speaker, and Md. Oysee Uzzaman from American International University, Bangladesh, who won the Best Researcher award. Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur received the Best Memorial award. Each of these categories carried a cash prize of ₹30,000.
Delivering the valedictory address, Justice V. Gopala Gowda, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and Former Chief Justice of Orissa High Court, praised the initiative of KIIT Law School in creating a platform for budding advocates. “This is a great opportunity for law students to participate in moot court and become good lawyers,” he said.
Justice Gowda lauded Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT and KISS, for providing free education to 40,000 tribal children. “We must salute Dr. Samanta for the great job of educating children,” he remarked. He recalled his tenure as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court, highlighting the affection he received from the people of the state. “Even after 13 years of leaving Odisha, people still remember and support me,” he said.
Stressing the need for a robust legal system, he added: “A strong bar will produce strong and independent judges. Despite criticisms, the Indian judiciary is one of the greatest judiciaries today, and we must be proud of it.”
Ashish Ahuja, Managing Partner, Wadia Gandhy said the moot court will help understand the nuances of drafting, interpreting the law and the interplay between the two.
The international competition witnessed participation from 54 teams, including 16 National Law Universities, 11 Government Law Colleges, 24 Private Law Colleges, and 2 international teams. After intense preliminary and knockout rounds, the top teams advanced to the finals, making the contest a showcase of rigorous preparation and spirited advocacy.
The valedictory ceremony also featured addresses by Prof. (Dr.) Rose Varghese, Director, KIIT, Prof. (Dr.) Raju K.D., Pro Vice-Chancellor, KIIT DU, Mr., Prof. N.L. Mitra, Professor Emeritus, KIIT DU, Prof. Saranjit Singh, Vice-Chancellor, KIIT DU, and Shri Ashok Kumar Parija, Chancellor, KIIT DU. The event concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr. Sambhabi Patnaik, Co-Convener, KLSMCS.
