The National Law School of India Review (NLSIR) is pleased to invite you to an online symposium for its special issue on Free Speech, Democracy, and Press Freedom [Volume 36(2)], to be held on Saturday, 16 May 2026.

Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026 | 09:30 am onwards

Mode: Online | RSVP here to attend

NLSIR is a biannual, student-edited, peer-reviewed law review published by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru. First published in 1988 under its erstwhile title, Student Advocate Journal, NLSIR is the University’s flagship student law review and holds the unique distinction of having been cited multiple times by the Supreme Court of India.

The symposium is open to all interested participants. Participants must RSVP at the link by Friday, 15 May, 5 PM. The webinar link will be shared with registered participants by the end of Friday.

Symposium Sessions:

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Opening Session

Rushil Batra, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, NLSIR

Brief introduction to the special issue and the journal.

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Session One | The Social Life of Free Speech

Featuring Dr. Anurag Bhaskar, Assistant Professor, Jindal Global Law School, and Dr. Ashna Singh, Assistant Professor, NLSIU, with Dr. Chandrabhan Yadav, Assistant Professor, NLSIU, as moderator.

The session will examine the social conditions that shape who is able to speak and be heard, including the relationship between free speech, caste, and humiliation.

11:10 AM – 12:30 PM: Session Two | Colonial Histories and Contemporary Contexts of Free Speech

Featuring Ms. Akriti Gaur, J.S.D. candidate, Yale Law School; Dr. Anushka Singh, Assistant Professor, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi; Mr. Abhinav Ravi, student, NLU Delhi; and Mr. Aravind Sundar, student, NLU Delhi, with Dr. Siddharth Narrain, Assistant Professor, NLSIU and Guest Editor of this Special Issue, as moderator.

The session will explore the continuing influence of colonial speech regulation in India, alongside contemporary questions concerning political deepfakes, obscenity law, and state-controlled fact-checking.

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Session Three | Free Speech and Democratic Rights

Featuring Mr. Manish, Assistant Professor, NLSIU; Ms. Aishwarya Ravikumar, PUCL Karnataka; and Ms. Vrinda Bhandari, Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court of India, with Ms. Vijetha Ravi, Assistant Professor, NLSIU, as moderator.

The session will focus on the relationship between free speech and democratic participation, including journalism under national security laws, the right to protest, and the evolution of privacy jurisprudence in India.

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Closing Session

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