The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Chair on Urban Poor and the Law at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru is organising a roundtable (RT) on ‘land revenue law reform’. The RT will be held on Monday, March 23, 2026, from 9:30 AM to 1:45 PM in hybrid format, at the Bangalore International Centre, Domlur, and online.

About the Roundtable

The roundtable intends to take stock of, and reflect upon, the various significant developments that have taken place in the field of land laws in India over the last few years. Recently, the Supreme Court’s decision in Samiullah vs. State of Bihar raised several important legal and policy issues — are Indian laws clear on the differences between “registration” and “title”? How can technological solutions play a role in cutting through cumbersome procedures? What documents are necessary and sufficient to prove title? The Supreme Court has instructed the Law Commission of India to prepare a detailed report on these questions.

The Government of Karnataka has undertaken significant reforms in land revenue administration, registration systems, and stamp duty frameworks, with a view to enhancing efficiency, transparency, and legal certainty in land governance. Building on these efforts, Karnataka’s 2025-26 Budget proposes a new land revenue legislation to be enacted after a comprehensive study for effective implementation at the field level.

At this RT, we will bring together senior members of the Government, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to share their expertise and perspectives on these critical issues. Faculty from the Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge – Prof. Martin Dixon, Prof. Shailaja Fennell, and Dr Lovleen Bhullar – will join faculty from the National Law School of India at three distinct panel discussions on themes concerning land law reform:

Panel 1

• Conclusive land titling: Despite mandatory registration under the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, India’s land system remains rooted in presumptive title, with fragmented records and competing claims. This panel examines the shift from presumptive to conclusive titling, with particular focus on questions of legal finality, error correction mechanisms, and the institutional architecture required to sustain such a system.

Panel 2

• Comparative perspectives on land revenue law and reform: Panel 2 seeks to examine the shift in land governance toward facilitating industrial and renewable energy development. As land revenue law increasingly intersects with questions of planning, agriculture, and sustainability, this panel brings a comparative perspective to examine how different jurisdictions navigate these competing priorities and what lessons they offer for Karnataka’s evolving reform trajectory.

Panel 3

• Land use and environmental perspectives: As environmental considerations (re)shape prevailing conceptions of what a ‘productive’ use of land entails, this panel examines the evolving interface between land revenue law and ecological governance. It explores how land use controls mediate tensions between development, proprietary interests, and sustainability, and whether revenue frameworks can meaningfully respond to emerging environmental priorities.