Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur was awarded the BW Education Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation at the BW Education Power Players Award Ceremony 2026.
The award recognizes the importance of HNLU’s innovative Research Hub and Spoke Model (R-HaS) , an institutional framework developed to foster interdisciplinary, collaborative, and impact-oriented research. Envisioned as a transformative approach to research and innovation, R-HaS aims to move beyond traditional individual-centered research and build an integrated ecosystem that connects faculty, students, researchers, and academic institutions with government, industry, judiciary, and international partners.
Launched in 2023 under the leadership of Prof. (Dr.) V. C. Vivekanandan , Vice Chancellor, HNLU, R-HaS has emerged as a significant institutional initiative to strengthen the research culture at the university. The model is structured around five interdisciplinary schools and 25 specialized research centers working in contemporary and diverse areas such as law and technology, public policy, governance, business, climate change, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, intellectual property, data protection, tribal rights, and human rights.
This initiative has enabled HNLU to achieve measurable research outputs through national and international conferences, policy dialogues, training and capacity-building programs, institutional collaborations, and partnerships with various stakeholders. By encouraging interdisciplinary research and fostering knowledge exchange across academic boundaries, R-HaS strives to ensure that research contributes meaningfully to policymaking, professional capacity development, and societal development.
The award was received on behalf of HNLU by Dr. Anita Singh , Faculty Member, HNLU from Dr. Anurag Batra , Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld at the award ceremony.
Prof. (Dr.) V. C. Vivekanandan , Vice Chancellor, HNLU congratulated the university community on this achievement and appreciated the collective efforts of the faculty members, researchers, students and various research centres who have contributed to the development of a strong and dynamic research ecosystem at R-HaS.
This recognition marks another significant achievement for HNLU and further reinforces the University’s vision to continuously strive to establish research as a central institutional tool for innovation and social change .