Health Law

August 25, 2023

While NLS has a research centre dedicated to Health Law and Ethics, the University has entered into a slew of collaborations in this domain. Some of our recent research initiatives are listed below.

Project on Public Health and the Indian Constitution Supported by Thakur Foundation

In March 2022, NLSIU commenced a two-year project on Public Health and the Indian Constitution with the objective of analyzing the contemporary public health themes at the helm intersection of law and health. The project supported by Thakur Foundation aims to evaluate the constitutional framework within which the duties, powers and limitations of the government on public health are debated and scrutinized by the courts.

The project entails a survey of leading cases from the Supreme Court of India and the State High Courts on the constitutionality of public health regulations, programmes and policies in India, and the interaction of public health with fundamental rights, directive principles of state policy and the federal structure of the Constitution of India.

The scope of examination will include public health themes such as access to medicines, availability and affordability of healthcare services, discrimination in access to healthcare facilities, compulsory vaccinations, digitization and privacy concerns, nutrition support, control of harmful substances and prohibition of their advertisements of harmful substances, regulation of drugs and medical devices, regulation of professions, compulsory bonds, impact of emerging technologies, rare diseases and the extent of state responsibility. The two-year project will culminate into a compendium of edited cases and materials including critical comments on issues of public health and the Indian constitution.

Project Investigator: Prof. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice-Chancellor, NLSIU

Team: Ms. Nanditta Batra, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU, and Kiran Suryanarayana, Academic fellow

Swasth Alliance Collaboration on Health Claims Exchange

NLSIU has collaborated with Swasth Alliance to support development of a digital platform enabling health claims exchange including preparation of a common e-claims exchange standards in accordance with the Government of India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. NLSIU is offering health law expertise to Swasth Alliance on digital health and policy issues by undertaking regulatory research, and policy preparation. Through this collaboration, NLSIU aims to contribute to the evolution of India’s digital health ecosystem.

Co-ordinators: Ms. Bhanu Tanwar, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU and Ms. Nanditta Batra, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU

Asian Health Law Association Collaboration with the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University, the United States

NLSIU has embarked on a collaboration with the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center, Washington D.C., the United States to support the establishment of the Asian Health Law Association. The other partner universities include Global Health Law Program at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Centre for International Law (CIL), the University of Philippines College of Law, and the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Law (NYCU Law). The structure of collaboration will be formalized in the upcoming months. It will steer NLSIU on the path of cutting edge research in health law.

Co-ordinators: Ms. Nanditta Batra, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU and Bhanu Tanwar, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU