The Department of Law at the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), in association with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), conducted a lecture on Enhancing Understanding of Competition Laws on Friday (24-04-2026), with the objective of promoting greater awareness of competition law among students and encouraging academic engagement in the field. The inaugural lecture, titled Introduction to Competition Law, drew participation from more than 100 students.
Prior to the lecture, Sr. Prof. Sulochana Shekhar, Vice-Chancellor (I/c); Prof. R. Thirumurugan, Registrar; Dr. CA GR Giridharan, Finance Officer; Prof. S Nagarajan, Dean, Academics, Prof. N Rajagopal, Dean, School of Legal Studies and faculty members of the Department of Law CUTN and Mr. Sukesh Mishra, Director (Law), Competition Commission of India, held a discussion on strengthening institutional collaboration, advancing multidisciplinary research in competition law, and exploring avenues for sustained academic engagement between the CUTN and CCI.
While delivering the lecture at the department of law, Sukesh Mishra highlighted the growing relevance of competition law in ensuring fair markets and protecting consumers. “Competition law promotes the availability of affordable, high-quality products, strengthens transparency and accountability, reduces corruption and lobbying, and encourages innovation, entrepreneurship and consumer choice,” he said.
Explaining the key provisions of the Competition Act, Sukesh Mishra said the legislation primarily addresses anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position and mergers with potential anti-competitive effects. Referring to cartels, he observed, “Cartels are among the most serious violations of competition law as they undermine consumer welfare, distort market efficiency and impede fair trade.” He added that the Competition Commission of India was established “to prevent anti-competitive practices, sustain competition in markets, protect consumer interests and ensure the freedom of trade.”
Sukesh Mishra also emphasised the role of the Commission's advocacy division in creating awareness among stakeholders. “Competition advocacy is essential for creating a culture of compliance and ensuring that markets function in the interest of consumers ,” he said.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Prof. N. Rajagopal, Dean, School of Legal Studies. Prof. P. Sakthivel, Professor, Department of Law and Convenor of the event, proposed the vote of thanks.