Vidhan 2025: Policy Collaboration Between IIM Ranchi & NUSRL Ranchi

Vidhan 2025 – The Policy Triathlon, a premier public policy competition, concluded at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ranchi, marking collaboration between the NUSRL Ranchi and IIM Ranchi. The event served as a platform for students to engage in policy formulation, critical analysis, and governance solutions, reflecting the increasing interest in public policy among management and law students.

Organized by the Kautilya Society, NUSRL Ranchi, in collaboration with the Polytrics Club – The Public Policy & Governance Club of IIM Ranchi, Vidhan 2025 attracted participants from across the country. The event was supported by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, with the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) as the Knowledge Partner, and Live Law as the Official Media Partner, adding credibility and wider outreach to the initiative.

The valedictory ceremony was graced by dignitaries, including the Chief Guest, Mr. Ashutosh Anand, Additional Advocate General of the Jharkhand High Court along with Prof. Dr. Ashok Ramappa Patil, Vice-Chancellor of NUSRL Ranchi, and Prof. Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Director of IIM Ranchi. They commended the participants for their critical thinking and policy acumen. Prof. Patil and Prof. Srivastava also expressed their interest in future editions of the event, envisioning it as a national-level policy-making competition that would become a landmark initiative in the field of policy development, specifically for the state of Jharkhand.

A Three-Stage Intellectual Challenge

Vidhan 2025 featured a rigorous three-stage competition designed to test participants' expertise in public policy, law, governance, and real-time problem-solving. The event began with the Position Paper Submission Round, where participants analyzed key policy issues like Universal Basic Income, Caste-Based Reservations, and Social Media Regulation, with 16 teams advancing from over 160 registrations. The Policy Mastermind Quiz followed a buzzer-based round covering constitutional law, governance, Supreme Court judgments, and current affairs. The competition culminated in the Live Policy Hackathon, where teams assumed the role of policymakers to craft innovative governance solutions. Their policy frameworks were critically evaluated by a distinguished panel of legal and policy experts.

The Hackathon round was judged by a panel of experts, including Mr. Subham Kataruka (Associate, Hammurabi & Solemn Partners), Adv. Rishi Bharati (Jharkhand High Court), Dr. Jisu Ketan Pattanaik (Registrar, NUSRL Ranchi), Dr. Utkarsh Verma (Assistant Professor, NUSRL & Faculty Convenor, Kautilya Society), Mr. Shantanu Braj Choubey (Assistant Professor, NUSRL), and Dr. Krishna Kumar Dadsena (Assistant Professor, IIM Ranchi). The event rewarded participants with ₹25,000 in cash prizes, recognizing their outstanding policy skills. TISS Hyderabad emerged as the winner of the Policy Hackathon, securing ₹10,000, while IIM Ranchi finished as the runner-up with ₹5,000. In the Policy Mastermind Quiz, IIM Bodhgaya won ₹6,000 as the first-place winner, and IIM Ranchi came second, winning ₹4,000.

Speaking at the event, Prof. Dr. Ashok Ramappa Patil, Vice-Chancellor of NUSRL Ranchi, emphasized, "This collaboration between an IIM and an NLU reflects a shared vision for policy-making and governance. The enthusiasm among law and IPM students demonstrates how policy analysis is becoming a key area of interest, shaping future leaders in governance and administration."