Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur

Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) is a public law school and National Law University situated in New Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Named after former Chief Justice of India Mohammad Hidayatullah, it was established as a centre for legal excellence by the Government of Chhattisgarh under the Hidayatullah National University of Law, Chhattisgarh Act (Act No.10 of 2003), making it the seventh such national law school in India. The university is residential and receives central assistance from the University Grants Commission, and is recognized by the Bar Council of India. It initially operated from a heritage building near Raj Bhawan before shifting in 2009 to a new campus at Upparwara, Nava Raipur, spread over 65 acres beside a lake, featuring a Parliament-inspired academic block, Moot Court Halls, Wi-Fi enabled classrooms, hostels, a guest house, and plans for an auditorium. HNLU offers a five-year BA LLB (Hons.) integrated program, a one-year LL.M. program with specializations in corporate law, intellectual property law, and environmental law, and a PhD course. Admissions are primarily through the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), which HNLU has hosted in 2013 and 2022. The university publishes the HNLU Student Bar Journal and the HNLU Journal of Law & Social Sciences, and was ranked ninth among government law institutes in India by Outlook India in 2022.