News Type: Event

Online Lecture Series with Prof. Amlan Das Gupta | ‘Sites of Disruption: Actions and Consequences in Greek Tragedy’

NLSIU is delighted to host Amlan Das Gupta, retired Professor of English at Jadavpur University and noted scholar of Classical Studies and English Renaissance literature, who will offer four online public lectures on select texts in Greek tragedy. The series, titled “Sites of Disruption: Actions and Consequences in Greek Tragedy,” will focus on Sophocles’ Antigone, Euripides’ Medea, and Aristotle’s Poetics.  Prof. Das Gupta has provided a handout for guided reading here.

The talks are scheduled on Saturdays, December 6, 13, 20, and 27, from 4 to 5:30 PM.

Please register your interest on this Google Form. Registered participants will receive updates and lecture links closer to the date.

About the Speaker

Prof. Amlan Das Gupta is a former Professor of English at Jadavpur University, where he taught for over two decades and played a central role in developing the university’s pioneering digital humanities and textual scholarship initiatives. A distinguished scholar of Classical and Biblical Studies, English Renaissance literature, and Miltonic thought, his research spans Greek tragedy, humanist traditions, and the intellectual history of the early modern period. He has published widely on Milton and Renaissance poetics, edited volumes on Renaissance culture, and contributed essays to major journals and anthologies. Prof. Das Gupta also headed the School of Cultural Texts and Records for nearly a decade, and founded the Archive of North Indian Classical Music, reflecting his deep engagement with textual, aural, and digital forms of scholarship.

Reading List

Texts

Sophocles, Antigone (Any translation; Richard Jebb, Richmond Lattimore and David Grene, and Robert Fagles are some well-known translators)

Euripides, Medea (Any translation; those by Philip Vellacott and Lattimore and Grene are popular)

Aristotle, The Poetics (Ancient Literary Criticism, ed. D.A. Russell and M. Winterbottom, Oxford, 1972) Chapters 1-15, pp 90-111.

Discussion

Martha Nussbaum, The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, 1986.  Chapter 3, pp.51-84, Ch 12, particularly pp.373ff.

E.R.Dodds, ‘Euripides the Irrationalist’, The Classical Review, 43 (03), 1929, pp.97-104

The Cambridge Companion to Greek Tragedy, Edited by P. E. Easterling, Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Background

Bruno Snell, The Discovery of the Mind: The Greek Origins of European Thought, Harper & Row,  2013

J-P. Vernant, The Origins of Greek Thought, Cornell, 1982

Judith Butler, Antigone’s Claim: Kinship Between Life and Death, Columbia University Press 2000

Guest Lecture | The Importance of Legal Due Diligence | Neeraj Vyas, Partner, Saga Legal

The ICICI Professorial Chair on Business Laws at NLSIU is hosting an expert on corporate law, Mr. Neeraj Vyas (NLS BA LLB 2014), Partner at Saga Legal, as a guest speaker on November 12, 2025.

Mr. Vyas will have an interactive session with 3rd to 5th year students of the BA LLB (Hons), final year students of the LLB (Hons), and students of the LLM programmes on the topic ‘The Importance of Legal Due Diligence’. The session will be held from 3 pm to 4:30 pm at NAB 101, and is being coordinated by NLS faculty Dr. Garima Gupta and Ms. Varsha Aithala.

About the Speaker

Mr. Vyas is a law graduate from the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru. He is a Partner at the law firm, Saga Legal, and is based out of their Bengaluru office. He comes with a professional experience of almost a decade of corporate transactional and advisory expertise in navigating intricate private equity and investment fund transactions, and includes general corporate advisory, M&A, and venture debt matters, and across various sectors such as technology (Edtech, Agritech), FnB, education, media and entertainment. He has been recognised as a ‘Key Lawyer’ within the ‘Private Equity and Investment Funds’ category by The Legal 500. Prior to joining Saga Legal, he worked with Samvād Partners, Indus Law, and ICICI Bank Limited.

About the Session

Legal due diligence (LDD) is one of the most foundational yet under-taught aspects of corporate legal practice. While students learn contract law, company law, and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) theory, the practical application of these concepts often begins with conducting due diligence. For most law firm associates, due diligence is the first major task assigned, and it sets the tone for how effectively they can operate in a transactional environment. This session aims to bridge the gap between law school learning and on-ground practice by demystifying what legal due diligence really involves, why it matters, and how young lawyers can add value through it.

Duration: 60 to 90 minutes
Format: Interactive talk with real examples and a sample red-flag exercise.
Q&A: Open discussion on how students can build skills relevant for transactional work.

Objectives

By the end of this session, students will:

  • Understand what legal due diligence is and its relevance in corporate transactions.
  • Learn how to approach a due diligence exercise methodically.
  • Appreciate how due diligence findings influence deal negotiations and transaction documents.
  • Gain insights into common mistakes and best practices for young associates.

Key Topics

1. What is Legal Due Diligence?
 Definition and purpose: “trust but verify.”
 Where LDD fits in the transaction lifecycle (pre-deal stage to closing).
 How it supports decision-making in mergers, acquisitions, investments, and financings.

2. Types and Scope of Legal Due Diligence
 Corporate due diligence: incorporation, shareholding, and capital structure.
 Contractual due diligence: key commercial contracts, termination clauses, change of control.
 Regulatory and compliance due diligence: licenses, approvals, ongoing obligations.
 Litigation and dispute due diligence: material proceedings, risk assessment.
 Employment and real estate due diligence: employee issues, property ownership, leases.

3. The Due Diligence Process
 Understanding the data room and how information is provided.
 Setting timelines and scoping the review (red flag vs. comprehensive review).
 How to use a diligence checklist effectively.
 Categorizing findings: critical, major, and minor.
 Drafting the diligence report: structure, tone, and clarity.

4. Practical Insights from Law Firm Practice
 What partners and clients expect from a good diligence memo.
 How young associates can stand out while doing diligence work.
 Real-life anecdotes: how a small finding changed a deal.
 Technology and AI tools now reshaping due diligence.

Why it matters

Due diligence is often the first real opportunity for young lawyers to understand how law intersects with business. It builds analytical discipline, attention to detail, and commercial awareness. Strong due diligence skills:

  • Make you more valuable in deal teams.
  • Help you think beyond documents: to business strategy and risk.
  • Form the foundation for later responsibilities like drafting and negotiations.

This session is intended to make due diligence not just a “law firm chore,” but an intellectually engaging exercise in understanding how law safeguards commercial intent.

International Taxation Boot Camp on ‘Tax Treaties: Contemporary Law and Practice’ | December 19 & 20, 2025

The National School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, is organising a first of its kind boot camp on International Taxation on December 19 & 20, 2025. The boot camp, focussing on ‘Tax Treaties: Contemporary Law and Practice’ will be delivered by NLSIU faculty Dr. Nigam Nuggehalli and Dr. Ashrita Prasad Kotha, along with Dr. Dhruv Janssen-Sanghavi.

The two-day immersive and interactive boot camp will focus on key treaty provisions, core concepts and real-world case studies.

Aim of the Workshop

  • To enable participants to gain exposure to key concepts and founding principles from distinguished experts in the field.
  • To equip participants with the required academic grounding to appreciate the technical complexities in international tax law.
  • To provide participants from diverse professional and academic backgrounds an opportunity to stay abreast of the latest global developments in the dynamic discipline of international taxation.

Who Should Attend?

The boot camp will be ideal for academics, practitioners (lawyers, chartered accountants, consultants) and students.

What Will You Gain?

  • A unique opportunity to learn from and interact with distinguished international tax law scholars and practitioners on core concepts and key principles.
  • A comprehensive deep dive into the technical and practical nuances of applying tax treaties to real-world problems and controversies.
  • A certificate of participation, on attending both the days of the bootcamp.

Resource Persons

The sessions will be delivered by:

View Schedule

How to Apply

  • Interested candidates must submit their registration request through this Registration Form between November 19 and December 15, 2025. Please note that registration is mandatory.
  • Selection will be primarily based on the applicant’s CV. Diversity of professional and academic backgrounds will be duly considered during the review process.
  • Selected candidates will be notified via email. To confirm participation, the full fee must be paid to NLSIU within three (3) days of receiving the payment link. Failure to make the payment within the stipulated time will result in the seat being offered to the next shortlisted candidate.

Workshop Fee

Enrollment is competitive due to limited seats and will be confirmed only upon full payment of the applicable fee.

Participant Category Fee (All Inclusive) Eligibility Requirement
Students/Faculty ₹4,000 Upload valid ID/proof
Professionals ₹12,000 NA

Group Offer for Professionals

We are pleased to extend a group discount for professionals applying in a group of four (4) members, making the fee ₹10,000 per participant.

Please Note: The discount will apply only if all four members are selected. If fewer than four candidates are selected, the standard professional fee of ₹12,000 per participant will apply.

Important Notes

  • The workshop fee covers the certificate, lunch & tea during the sessions. As this is a non-residential workshop, participants are requested to make their own accommodation and travel arrangements to the NLSIU campus.
  • Attendees are expected to actively participate in the sessions. There will be no formal assessment, research papers submission or exam.
  • A certificate of participation will be issued to those who attend and complete the workshop.
  • There shall be no refund of any fees should the participant cancel the enrollment or fail to attend the workshop.

Contact Us

For academic queries, contact
For other queries, please write to

Play Reading | Poile Sengupta’s ‘Thus Spake Shoorpanakha, So Said Shakuni’ | By The Green Room

The student-led theatre effort at NLS, The Green Room, organised a reading of Poile Sengupta’s ‘Thus Spake Shoorpanakha, So Said Shakuni‘ on November 12, 2025.

The Green Room is a nod to the intimate, lively backstage space in theatres where artists gather before a performance. Here is the exciting schedule for this trimester.

Playwright and the Play

Poile Sengupta is one of India’s most significant contemporary playwrights and writers, known for her sharp reimaginings of familiar narratives through the lenses of gender, power, and socio-political critique. Last trimester, she visited NLS for a reading of her play Alipha, organised by the Literary and Debating Society.

Her play ‘Thus Spake Shoorpanakha,’ So Said Shakuni similarly brings two of Indian epics’ most misunderstood “antagonists” — Shoorpanakha (Ramayana) and Shakuni (Mahabharata) — into a contemporary, conversational world. Through humour, confrontation, and self-awareness, the play asks a radical question: were they truly villains, or simply characters rewritten by victors? Bold, witty, introspective, and political, it is a perfect piece to read, perform, and debate.

About the Session

This sharp, ironic work reimagines two mythological figures—Shoorpanakha from the Ramayana and Shakuni from the Mahabharata—through a contemporary feminist and political lens.

The session opened with a table reading led by our volunteers, Sanya (III year, BA LL.B.) and Tathagat (I year, BA), followed by an engaging discussion on the play’s exploration of alternative histories, narrative construction, desire, revenge, and the architecture of power. Participants reflected on the importance of asking who builds dominant narratives, against whom such narratives operate, and who becomes instrumentalised within them.

The gathering also examined how the characters’ decisions are propelled by distinct emotional worlds, such as love, anger, wounded pride, and how these intensities shape the choices they make.

NLS Faculty Seminar | ‘Women’s Time Use Between Paid and Unpaid Work in India’

At this week’s faculty seminar, Dr. Vijayamba R, Assistant Professor of Social Science, NLSIU presented a paper titled, ‘Women’s Time Use between Paid and Unpaid Work in India,’ that she has co-authored with Rosa Abraham and Srinivas Raghavendra from Azim Premji University.

Abstract

Women engage in a predominant share of unpaid work leaving less time for employment and leisure. This paper asks if engagement in employment results in an offsetting reduction on unpaid work across different levels of education and types of employment. We use the Time Use Survey of India (TUS 2019) to identify self-employment and wage employment from the International Classification of Activities for Time Use Statistics (ICATUS 2016). We find that for women engaged in self-employment, there is a slight trade off with unpaid work, whereas urban graduate women face an increased burden of unpaid work.

Writing Urban India (3.0) Fellows Conference | Nov 10-14, 2025

The HUPA Chair for Urban Poor and the Law at NLSIU, in collaboration with Writing Urban India Collective and the Urban Studies Foundation (UK), is hosting WUI Fellows Conference from November 10 to 14, 2025, as part of the Writing Urban India (WUI) Fellowship 3.0.

The Conference wraps up the third iteration of the WUI Fellowship, which began earlier this year. The 21 participating fellows will present the research papers they have developed over the course of the fellowship. The sessions will be held between 9:30 am to 5 pm at the Ground Floor Conference HAll , Training Centre, NLSIU and Fairfield by Marriott, Rajajinagar.

View The Schedule

About the Conference

Over the course of the event, fellows will present their work and engage in in-depth discussion with mentors and peers. Each paper will receive detailed feedback to further strengthen scholarly contribution.

Members of the WUI Collective, who have mentored the fellows through the 10-month writing fellowship, will attend the conference.

Distinguished scholars participating in the conference include Gopa Samanta (University of Burdwan), Gautam Bhan (Indian Institute for Human Settlements), J. Devika (Centre for Development Studies), Mukta Naik (National Institute of Urban Affairs), Marie–Hélène Zérah (French National Institute of Research for Development – IRD), Neha Sami (Indian Institute for Human Settlements), Rohit Negi (Indian Institute of Management Calcutta), Partha Mukhopadhyay (Centre for Policy Research), and Shivani Kapoor (Centre for the Study of Developing Societies).

The conference will be anchored by Sushmita Pati and Anwesha Ghosh from the National Law School of India University.

More About The Fellowship

Chief Economic Advisor Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran Visits NLSIU

We were delighted to host Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), Govt of India, at the NLSIU campus on November 6, 2025, where he delivered a special lecture on the topic ‘Judicial Decision-Making for Viksit Bharat 2047’.

The session was organised for the first-year Master’s Programme in Public Policy (MPP) and 3-Year LLB cohorts and was also open to the wider NLS community.

Abstract

The world economy is changing, and India has a narrow window of opportunity to grow fast and take its place within it as a major global player, which would also provide a high standard of living to its citizens. In this session, Dr. Anantha covered why the legal system must play an essential role in this process, where the lacunae exist presently especially from the perspective of economically grounded reasoning in our legal system. Specifically, Dr. Anantha covered the importance of trade-offs, opportunity costs and unintended consequences. The session also took students through the application of the lens of economic reasoning to some prominent issues.

About the Speaker

Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran is the 18th Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India. Before being appointed CEA, he was a writer, author, teacher and consultant. He wrote a weekly column in Mint on Tuesdays from 2007 until 2022. He has co-authored books on Derivatives, Global Finance and the Indian economy. He earned his doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1994 for his work on exchange rate behaviour. In 1985, he received a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He worked in macroeconomic and financial markets research for international financial institutions in Switzerland and Singapore from 1994 to 2011.

Excerpts from the Lecture

Achieving Viksit Bharat 2047 in a Changing World 

Dr. Anantha spoke about how global dynamics are being transformed by supply shocks, geopolitical realignments, technological breakthroughs, and demographic shifts. In an evolving landscape, he mentioned that India has a limited but critical window of opportunity to establish itself as a major global economic power. Achieving this vision demands investment-friendly and growth-oriented regulatory institutions, he said.

At the foundation of this transformation lies a predictable, economically grounded legal system—essential to building investor confidence and accelerating progress toward the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’- the Indian government’s vision to transform India into a developed nation by the 100th anniversary of its independence in 2047.

Stating that there is enormous responsibility on policy makers, Dr. Anantha highlighted that two key qualities that are required in policy makers, lawyers and judges today are open-mindedness and humility, in the sense of being open to emperical evidence and apply post-corrective measures as may be required.

He also spoke about the concept of asymmetries and non linearities in Economics, Life, and Public Policy – highlighting how certain actions, while offering no guarantee of success, have clear asymmetrical risks. He elaborated this point with several examples during the lecture.

Economic resilience and strength

He spoke about how economic strength comes from a legal system that understands and considers economic consequences; that comes from people’s freedom to start, trade, invest, and compete under predictable rules. He also touched upon how strong legal institutions can help ensure fair processes to secure property, speedy contract enforcement, and dispute resolution; and thus a high-performing, economically informed legal framework builds trust and strong incentives for both human and physical capital formation.

No such thing as a free lunch – trade offs 

“Sound economic thinking requires recognising trade-offs, opportunity costs, and unintended consequences in every decision. Every choice involves a trade-off, because nothing is truly free—there’s always a cost in time, money, effort, or opportunity,” he said, sharing examples of personal trade-offs, and legal and policy trade-offs.

One of the most important and unseen costs is the next best opportunity 

He elaborated further on how every choice may involve giving up the next best alternative, which represents a real but often unseen opportunity cost. “People make decisions after considering the best options available to them but the next best alternative that you gave up is also a cost. For example, what will factory owners do if you make it very expensive to employ labourers? Is their next best alternative always to increase wages?,” he questioned, indicating that when one option becomes unviable, people may shift to their next best alternative, not necessarily the one policymakers prefer.

The road to <unintended consequences> is paved with good intentions that don’t consider trade offs 

Dr. Anantha spoke how well-intended policies can backfire when they ignore trade-offs, opportunity costs, and incentives. And thus ignoring economic incentives and trade-offs can also turn good intentions into barriers to growth and inclusion.

Taking the example of The Industrial Disputes Act which requires government permission for factories with over 100 workers to dismiss employees, he explained the intentions, trade offs and the consequences that could arise.

Interactions on Campus

After concluding his talk, Dr. Anantha interacted with members of the University including – NLSIU Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy,  Registrar In-Charge, Prof. (Dr.) N S Nigam, MPP Chair Dr. Srikrishna Ayyangar, MPP faculty Dr. Sneha Thapliyal, Dean-Academics & Associate Professor of Law Dr. Saurabh Chatterjee, and Director – Communications & External Relations, Ms. Deepti Soni.

Gallery

Panel Discussion on ‘Changing Rights of Parents and Children: Comparative Perspectives on Family Law Reform from India and Europe’ | By Centre for Women and the Law (CWL), NLSIU, Freie Universität Berlin and ERC Research Group

The Centre for Women and the Law (CWL), NLSIU, in collaboration with Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) and ERC Research Group, is organising a panel discussion on ‘Changing Rights of Parents and Children: Comparative Perspectives on Family Law Reform from India and Europe’ on December 8, 2025, at the Ground Floor Conference Hall, Training Centre, NLSIU.

Abstract

The panel explores the transformation of family law within a new Indo-German co-operation. It establishes comparative conversations on family law reform within case law, legal pluralism, and the European civil code tradition. Moreover, it opens an interdisciplinary dialogue between social historians, legal scholars and jurists. Family law reform has often been studied in the context of marriage and divorce, property and inheritance. While these remain crucial issues for the regulation of the family, for family courts, and diverse families, the panel foregrounds emerging research on child custody, contestations over parents’ rights, and the status and interpretation of the best interest of the child.

Panellists

  1. Dr. Jana Tschurenev, Principal Investigator, ERC Consolidator Grant “Democratising the Family? Gender equality, parental rights, and child welfare after 1945” (DEMFAM) project, FUB
  2. Dr. Razak Khan, Research Associate, DEMFAM, FUB
  3. Dr. Aarti Mundkur, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU
  4. Dr. Noor Ameena, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU

Collaboration Partners

  • Centre for Women and the Law (CWL), NLSIU
  • Freie Universität Berlin (FUB)
  • ERC Research Group Democratising the Family? Gender Equality, Child Welfare and Parental Rights in Contemporary Global History (DEMFAM)

Registration

This event is open to the public.

Carnatic Vocal Music Concert Featuring Vid. Abhishek Raghuram, Vid. Arjun Kumar and Vid. Keshav Mohankumar | Presented By NLS-SPIC MACAY Chapter

The NLS Chapter of SPIC MACAY is organising a Carnatic Vocal Music Concert on November 9, 2025, at the NLSIU campus. The performance will feature Vidwan Abhishek Raghuram on Vocal, Vidwan Arjun Kumar on Mridangam and Vidwan Keshav Mohankumar on Violin.

About the Musicians

Vidwan Abhishek is a Carnatic classical vocalist. He is an is an “A” grade artiste of All India Radio (AIR) and has performed with eminent musicians such as T. K. Murthy, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, Karaikudi Mani, Trichy Sankaran, G. Harishankar and Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam to name a few. He has won several prizes in competitions conducted by the Madras Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha, Mylapore Fine Arts Club, Tyaga Brahma Gana Sabha to name a few.

Vidwan Arjun was born into a family of mridangam artists and upholds their renowned style on the instrument today. He trained under his father Sri Arjunan as well as TAS Mani and Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and became one of AIR’s youngest top-graded artists.

Vidwan Keshav is a disciple of renowned Carnatic Violin Guru Vidwan H. K. Narasimhamurthy. He is an ‘A grade’ violinist from AIR and Doordarshan. He has performed with renowned Carnatic musicians across the country and beyond. He has also been identified as a music composer.

Registration

Non-NLSIU members are requested to RSVP on this form.

About SPIC MACAY

The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth or ‘SPIC MACAY’ is a voluntary youth movement which aims to preserve intangible aspects of Indian cultural heritage by promoting Indian classical music, classical dance, folk music, yoga, meditation, crafts and other aspects of Indian culture. It is a movement with chapters in over 300 towns all over the world. SPIC MACAY was established by Dr. Kiran Seth in 1977 at IIT Delhi.

Truth, Trust & Technology: A Policy Dialogue on Online Speech Regulation | By NLSIU & Ikigai Law

The National Law School of India University, Bengaluru and Ikigai Law, a law and public policy firm, co-hosted an event on ‘Truth, Trust & Technology: A Policy Dialogue on Online Speech Regulation,’ on November 7, 2025.

The event was held from 5 pm to 7 pm in Central Bengaluru.

About the Policy Dialogue

Recently, copies of draft ‘Misinformation and Hate Speech Bills (Bills)’ attributed to the Karnataka Government have sparked critical conversations on how to best address online harms while upholding constitutional freedoms. With the Government of Karnataka planning consultations, this dialogue provides a timely opportunity for voices to deliberate on how Karnataka can shape balanced, practical, and constitutionally sound approaches to regulating misinformation and hate speech, while safeguarding fundamental freedoms.

This dialogue offered a front-row view into the debates shaping India’s approach to online speech.

Format and Themes

The event convened diverse groups of participants ranging from lawyers, journalists, policy professionals, academia, and industry, shaping India’s tech policy landscape.

The event opened with a keynote address and Q&A featuring Shri. Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT/BT and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka. This was followed by two panel discussions:

1. Panel 1 – Regulating speech in Karnataka: A constitutional tug of war

This panel examined the constitutional principles and legal limits on speech regulation at the State level and its interplay with existing national laws.

Panellists – Jayna Kothari (Senior Advocate), Alok Prasanna Kumar (Co-founder, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy), Malavika Prasad (Lead Counsel, Sadananda & Prasad), Manu Kulkarni (Partner, Poovayya & Co.), Nehaa Chaudhari (Partner, Ikigai Law) and Dr. Sudhir Krishnaswamy (Vice-Chancellor, NLSIU).

2. Panel 2 – Tackling misinformation in practice: risks, responsibilities and alternatives

This panel unpacked practical challenges of addressing misinformation and hate speech online and explored non-legislative solutions that governments can adopt.

Panellists – Aiyshwarya Manchanahalli Mahadev (Chairperson of Social Media Department, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee), Dhanya Rajendran (Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, The News Minute), Rajneil Kamath (Vice-President, Trusted Information Alliance), Shrabonti Bagchi (National Features Editor, Mint), Siddharth Narrain (Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU) and Surabhi Hodigere (Spokesperson for BJP, Karnataka).

Summary

This policy dialogue on digital speech and regulation was organised with particular focus on Karnataka’s proposed Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill and the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention and Control) Bill. The two proposed Karnataka Bills have sparked debates across the political, legal and civic landscape. Proponents argue that stronger state-level intervention is essential to address the social and political harm caused by misinformation and hate speech. Critics, however, caution that the two proposed Karnataka Bills rely on vague and sweeping definitions that risk criminalising legitimate expression, chilling journalism, and creating conflicts with central laws. This event brought together expert voices across disciplines for an informed conversation that examined constitutional limits, enforcement feasibility, freedom of press and viable alternatives to overboard regulation.

Karnataka’s Minister for IT/BT, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Shri. Priyank M Kharge in his keynote address, flagged the real-world consequences of misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information, which he stated were a threat to communal harmony and public order and threatened the fabric of democracy. He said that the government intended only to criminalise the spread of harmful falsehoods and not to criminalise legitimate forms of speech such as satire , opinion, parody etc. He said that the government of Karnataka had piloted a Disinformation Tracking Unit that was meant to debunk fake narratives. He said that the intention of the government was to “name, shame, and pull up” people who were deliberately circulating misinformation and that the Misinformation Bill was not meant to target those who criticised the government. The government’s intention was to build a society with scientific temperament and progress; and to enable truth and disincentivise fake news and misinformation.

This was followed by two panel discussions.

The first panel examined the constitutional principles and legal limits on speech regulation at a State level, its interplay with existing national laws. One of the strong themes that emerged in both panels was the problem of criminalising speech and panelists urged the government of Karnataka not to consider non-criminal law-based approaches to the regulation of harmful speech. Panelists urged the government to focus on mechanisms that could be introduced that work with the existing criminal law, rather than frame new criminal law offences. The panel cited the history of the misuse of the criminal law in India to curb dissent and selectively target political opponents. They also discussed instances of other states, in addition to Karnataka’s attempts at regulating misinformation.

Key themes of discussion included:

  • Constitutional scrutiny of the Karnataka Bills: Assessing whether restrictions on “misinformation” and “fake news” fall within Article 19(2), examining issues of vagueness, overbreadth, prior restraint, and proportionality considering Supreme Court jurisprudence.
  • Federalism and legislative competence: Considering whether Karnataka has the constitutional power to regulate online speech and intermediaries, under the IT Act, safe harbour protections, and potential repugnancy under Article 254.
  • Safe harbour and intermediary liability: Exploring how Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 operates, and whether a State law can alter or undermine these protections.
  • Constitutional pathways forward: Discussing the role of courts, legislatures, and regulators in balancing speech protection with the need to curb harm.

Meanwhile, the second panel examined the practical challenges of addressing misinformation and disinformation online (including in its definition and application) and explored non-legislative solutions that States can adopt. The panelists urged a non-partisan approach to the regulation of free speech that would address harms of misinformation and hate speech while protecting legitimate forms of speech.

Key themes of discussion included:

  • Enforcement feasibility: A focus on whether state-level enforcement can realistically regulate borderless online speech, and the challenges of jurisdiction in the digital sphere.
  • Safe harbour in practice: Examining the impact of potential erosion of intermediary immunity on platforms, users and fact-checkers when dealing with misinformation.
  • Global practices to tackling misinformation: Approach of other jurisdictions towards misinformation and other.
  • Impact on the ecosystem: Considering the consequences for journalism, satire, fact-checking, and civic discourse if punitive laws are enacted by the State.
  • Alternatives to criminalisation: Highlighting co-regulation, self-regulation, independent fact-checking networks, and literacy initiatives, that can serve as alternatives to legislative rulemaking.

Follow this page for further updates and recordings of the sessions.