News Type: Event

LASSnet Book Discussion | ‘The Indian Constitution: A Conversation with Power’ by Dr. Gautam Bhatia

The Law and Social Sciences Research Network (LASSnet) is pleased to invite the NLS Community to an online book discussion on Dr. Gautam Bhatia’s new book ‘The Indian Constitution: A Conversation with Power‘.

The discussion will feature Prof. (Dr.) Amit Prakash, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Dr. Malavika Prasad, Advocate, Bengaluru in conversation with the author.

Day & Date: Thursday, July 31, 2025
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 PM (IST)
Zoom link: https://soas-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/91833034645

About the Talk

Gautam Bhatia will discuss his new book, ‘The Indian Constitution: A Conversation with Power.’ In 2024, the Indian Constitution turned seventy-five years old. Ever-enduring, ever-evolving, it has been a terrain of tumultuous debate and dissent in the nation’s courtrooms, upon its streets, and in the halls of Parliament. Continuing in this tradition, ‘The Indian Constitution: A Conversation with Power’ brings a new lens to analyse the Constitution as a document that creates, shapes, channels, and constrains power. Examining the history of Constitution-making, the debates in the Constituent Assembly, the Indian Constitution’s design and structure, and the judicial decisions that have shaped it, this book argues that the Constitution has been a battleground upon which different visions of power have contested for supremacy. For the most part, this contest has been marked by a centralising drift that is, a drift towards a concentration of power within the union executive. Elements of this are embedded within the Constitution’s design, but the drift has also been accelerated, at crucial historical moments, by Supreme Court judgments.

However, as this book makes clear, the centralizing drift is and was not inevitable. There have been moments of dissent and departure, which have illumined alternative possibilities. It is for the citizens of India to decide, ultimately, what vision(s) of constitutional power they want to adopt through their Constitution.

About the Author

Gautam Bhatia is a Delhi-based advocate and an Adjunct Professor at the Jindal Global Law School. He is the author of The Transformative Constitution (2019) and Unsealed Covers (2023). He has been involved in several contemporary constitutional cases, such as the challenge to the abrogation of Article 370, the electoral bonds case, the right to privacy case, and others. His work has been cited by the Supreme Court of India, and by various High Courts. He has served as amicus curae on two occasions before the Supreme Court of Kenya. He is also the author of three science-fiction novels, The Wall (2020), The Horizon (2021), and The Sentence (2024). (Source: HarperCollins Publishers India)

Roundtable on Copyright and Generative AI Training | By DPIIT IPR Chair, NLSIU & Columbia Law School

The DPIIT IPR Chair on Intellectual Property Rights at NLSIU, in collaboration with Columbia Law School’s Programme on Science, Technology & Intellectual Property Law, is organising a Roundtable on Copyright and Generative AI Training. The keynote address will be delivered by Hon’ble Justice Prathiba M. Singh, Delhi High Court.

Please note, the keynote address is open to the public. Participation in the Roundtable sessions is by invitation only.

Event Details

  • Venue: Allen & Overy Hall, Training Centre, NLSIU
  • Day & Date: Friday, August 1, 2025
  • Timings: Keynote talk: 10 – 11 AM | Roundtable: 11 AM – 5 PM

About the Roundtable

This full-day roundtable will bring together leading scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and technologists to engage in critical discussions around the copyright implications of using creative works to train generative AI models. The discussions will be under the Chatham House Rules and the event will be co-moderated by Shyam Balganesh, Sol Goldman Professor of Law, Columbia Law School and Dr. Arul George Scaria, Professor of Law, NLSIU.

Excerpt:  

Justice Prathiba Singh expressed a deep personal connection to Bengaluru and NLSIU, recalling her years as a student of the University Law College, Bangalore at the time when NLSIU was founded.

In her address, she highlighted current legal challenges surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in three key areas: ownership of AI-generated content, infringement by AI, and the use of copyrighted data to train AI models. She raised a central concern on whether creativity lies in the AI-generated content or in the questions posed to the AI. She spoke about how traditional copyright law rewards human expression, not ideas—but AI flips this dynamic, as the “expression” comes from the machine, while the “idea” originates from the user’s prompt. This raises questions about the relevance of established copyright doctrines like originality and substantial similarity in the AI context, she said. In her conclusion, she questioned whether the foundational principles of copyright law may need to evolve to accommodate the complexities introduced by generative AI.

Schedule

  • Welcome remarks (10:00-10:10): Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice-Chancellor, NLSIU
  • Keynote address (10:10-10:40): Hon’ble Justice Prathiba M. Singh, Judge, Delhi High Court
  • 10:45-11:00: Tea/Coffee Break
  • Session 1 (11:00-12:30):  Understanding the Indian Landscape
  • Lunch break: 12:30-13:30
  • Session 2 (13:30-14:30): Understanding the U.S. Landscape
  • 14:30-15:00: Tea/Coffee Break
  • Session 3 (15:00-16:00): Locating Copyright within Wider AI Regulation
  • Concluding remarks (16:00-16:30): Prof. Shyamkrishna Balganesh & Prof. (Dr.) Arul George Scaria

 

‘Reading Between the Lines’ with Dr. Sahar Romani

NLSIU’s poetry collective Firdaus-e-Alfaaz, in collaboration with the Academic Support Centre, are organising a session on ‘Reading Between the Lines’ with Dr. Sahar Romani. The event will take place on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in the Library Basement between 4 pm and 5:30 pm. Join in to read, discuss, and reflect on contemporary poetry.

About the speaker

Dr. Sahar Romani is a poet and Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU’s Expository Writing Program. Her work has appeared in The Believer, Guernica, The Yale Review, and Poem-a-Day, among others. This event is a space for students and faculty to engage with contemporary poetry through reading, discussion, and reflection.

PACT Public Exhibition | SOAS Gallery | July 17- Sept 20, 2025

The School of Oriental and African Studies at University of London is hosting the PACT Public Exhibition from July 17 to September 20, 2025.

About the Exhibition

As 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, this exhibition brings together an interactive display of the ‘Pluralist Agreement and Constitutional Transformation’ (PACT) project, with short films, photographs, and other creative outputs produced through our collaborative research process alongside rare original archival documents, copies of petitions, letters and other correspondence from members of the public and civil society organisations, and contemporary expressions of the ownership and remaking of the Constitution in India today.

About PACT

PACT is funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). PACT is led by SOAS University of London, and in collaboration with researchers at the University of Oxford, University of York, National Law School of India University and the Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR), India.

Source: pactproject.net

 

Session on Building your Rhodes Scholarship Application with Vibha Swaminathan

The Career Services Office is organising a session on ‘Building your Rhodes Scholarship Application’ on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Ms. Vibha Swaminathan, a 2025 Rhodes Scholar-elect from NLSIU, will deliver the session between 3 and 4 pm in room 104 at the OAB. The session is open to NLS students across all programmes and years.

About the speaker

Vibha Swaminathan graduated from the LL.B. (Hons) programme at NLSIU in 2025, and will read for the BCL on the Rhodes Scholarship. At Oxford University, she is interested in examining the political and legal fragilities of citizenship, generated along intersectional axes of class, gender and religion.

Read our interview with Vibha.

Screening and Panel Discussion | Unfolding Memory: Many People, Many Desires

The Queer Archive for Memory Reflection and Activism (QAMRA), housed at NLSIU, is screening independent filmmaker T Jayashree’s ‘Many People, Many Desires’ (2004) on June 29, 2025. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with T Jayashree and other members of QAMRA – Mira Brunner and Dr. Siddharth Narrain. The session is part of Bangalore International Centre’s Pride Programmes.

Session Timings: 7 to 8:30 PM
Screening Duration: 45 minutes
Panel:
1. T Jayashree, Filmmaker & Co-Founder, QAMRA
2. Mira Brunner, Chief Archivist, QAMRA
3. Dr. Siddharth Narrain, Faculty In-charge, QAMRA, and Assistant Professor of Law, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
RSVP: Click here

About the film

‘Many People, Many Desires‘ is centred around the interviews of many members of the LGBTQ community in Bengaluru at the time of the shooting (2004). The film was shot entirely in a MiniDV tape format. Starting from an exploration of sexuality and human rights, it allows the viewer to hear the first-person narratives of some of those who were engaged with the sexuality movement of the time – whose work is instrumental for the fight for legal rights for queer people in India.

Using legal discrimination against sexual minorities as its starting point, the film explores the relationship between class, sexuality, and gender. The film captures early years in the movement against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial law which criminalized homosexual behaviour and has now, through efforts which included some of those interviewed in the film, been read down.

The panel will talk about what has changed, what has remained the same, and QAMRA’s (the Queer Archive of Memory, Reflection, and Activism) attempts to preserve this history. They will discuss their perspectives on archiving queer material and the responsibilities of preserving what is still in living memory.

About QAMRA

QAMRA is a multimedia archival project that chronicles and preserves the stories of communities marginalised on the basis of gender and sexuality in India. Its aim is to aid efforts in queer rights advocacy through archival activism, acting as a resource base for activists, students, educators, artists, and scholars working in the area of gender and sexuality. As a repository of narratives, it hopes to enable and further conversations around the history, present, and future of the Indian LGBTQIA+ community.

 

SLR@20: Launch of the Socio-Legal Review’s Special 20th Anniversary Issue

The Socio-Legal Review (SLR) was first published in 2005 by a group of students at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU). Emerging from the broader “law and society” movement, SLR was founded on the growing realisation that law cannot be meaningfully understood in isolation from social and political realities.

In 2025, SLR marks twenty years of this bold and continuing experiment in student-led legal scholarship with the launch of its Special 20th Anniversary Issue, titled: “SLR@20: Reflections from India, South Asia, and Beyond.” This Special Issue critically reviews the state of socio-legal scholarship today—both evaluating past trends and setting future lines of inquiry—through five contributions that reflect on what “socio-legal” means today in India, South Asia, and beyond, across disciplines, geographies, and methodologies.

To commemorate this milestone, we invite you to join us for a launch event featuring a roundtable discussion with the authors who have contributed to this ambitious and agenda-setting issue, followed by an audience Q&A.

In attendance:

Elizabeth Lhost
Programme Manager, Modern Endangered Archives Program, University of California, Los Angeles Library, USA

Anup Surendranath & Maitreyi Misra
Professor of Law and Executive Director; Director, Death Penalty Mitigation and Director, Mental Health and Criminal Justice, The Square Circle Clinic, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, India

Maryam S Khan
Research Fellow, Institute of Development & Economic Alternatives (IDEAS), Lahore, Pakistan

Sara Dezalay
Professor of International Law and International Relations, European School of Social and Political Sciences (ESPOL), Université Catholique de Lille, France

This event is open to all and will be held online. Registration is mandatory. We look forward to your participation in celebrating two decades of socio-legal inquiry and critical scholarship at SLR.

To Modify or Not: The Conundrum of Gayatri Balasamy | Legal Services Clinic, NLSIU

The Legal Services Clinic, NLSIU is co-hosting a discussion titled “To Modify or Not: The Conundrum of Gayatri Balasamy,” scheduled for Friday, May 23, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, at the Bangalore International Centre, Domlur.

This panel is co-hosted by the Legal Services Clinic, NLSIU in collaboration with Manipal Law School, Bengaluru, under the aegis of the Bangalore Legal Forum—a joint initiative that curates public lectures and panels on pressing legal themes. Previous events in this series focused on Internet and Free Speech, also hosted at the BIC.

About the Panel

The event will consist of the following panelists:

The discussion will be structured in two parts:

Part I: The Propriety of Judicial Modification of Arbitral Awards

This segment will explore the recent Gayatri Balasamy decision, particularly the use of Article 142 in private law disputes. This will be a moderated discussion on whether courts should possess the power to modify arbitral awards.

Part II: Arbitration as a Tool of Access to Justice

This will be a roundtable discussion on India’s policy push to become a pro-arbitration jurisdiction (e.g., entry of foreign law firms in international arbitration, proposed amendments to the Arbitration Act), leveraging arbitration and ADR mechanisms for legal aid and access to justice; the ethical and practical implications of third-party funding in pro bono or low-resource arbitration contexts.

NLS Faculty Seminar | ‘Caste, Resources, and Political Economy: Influence of Caste Associations in Post Liberalisation Bihar’

At this trimester’s last seminar, we have a presentation by Dr. Aniket Nandan, Assistant Professor, Sociology, on his paper titled ‘Caste, Resources, and Political Economy: Influence of Caste Associations in Post Liberalisation Bihar.’ The seminar will be held on May 21, 2025, in the Ground Floor Conference Hall at NLSIU’s Training Centre at 2:15 pm.

Abstract

This study critically examines the mechanisms and influence of associational structures of caste on the popular political economy of Bihar as they display intriguing interaction with market and politics in post liberalization India. Significant socio- anthropological literature on associational structures of caste have tended to emphasise on its role as a socio-political organization. Subsequently, functions of caste associations were observed to be (re)shaped by several forms of cultural and political assertive mechanisms. However, in contemporary context, effects of associational structures of caste are found to be pervasive in everyday economic relations and the business economy. In the post-liberalization era, caste associations, that continually influenced everyday economic relations and politics, have often constructed resources in the form of a network of opportunity hoarding and gatekeeping of professions. Therefore, for this study, imagination of associational structures of caste is revisited, beyond its religious ideology, political competition, and its prevalence in agrarian order. This study views caste associations not only as a mechanism of socio-political assertion and cultural guardian but also as a strategic dialogist for claim making over economic opportunities and advantageous professions.

The study is based on fieldwork during May 2018- Jan 2020 with regards to understanding functions and new forms of engagements of caste association of Bhumihars in Patna region of Bihar. Nonetheless, it gains immense insights from ethnographic data collected intermittently. Therefore, in its attempt to foreground corelation between caste associations and market relations and political influence the study revisits the concept of dominant caste and contests a few traditional understandings about the tenacity of caste in Indian context.

The National Law School Trilegal International Arbitration Moot 2024-25 | Edition XVIII

The Moot Court Society at NLSIU is pleased to announce the XVIIIth edition of the National Law School Trilegal International Arbitration Moot (NLS-TIAM) for the academic year 2024-25. The competition shall be conducted offline at the NLSIU Campus from May 16-18, 2025. As a part of the NLS-TIAM, the Moot Court Society is also pleased to host the VIth edition of the National Law School Trilegal International Arbitration Conference (NLS-TIAC) on May 17, 2025.

About NLS-TIAM

The National Law School–Trilegal International Arbitration Moot stands as NLSIU’s premier event focussing on international arbitration and commercial law. Recognised as India’s largest arbitration moot, it encompasses a wide array of arbitral law topics and showcases a multitude of perspectives. The diverse participation underscores the varying jurisprudential approaches to arbitration law. Over the years, we have had the privilege of engaging with esteemed arbitrators from both national and international arenas, including Mr. Steven Finzio and Honourable Retd. Justice B.N. Srikrishna and many others. We are equally excited this year as well to welcome dignitaries such as HMJ Hrishikesh Roy, and HMJ Tejas Karia for the event.

The problem for this year’s edition has been meticulously crafted by Mr. Mark Mangan (Founding Partner, Lindsay Francis & Mangan), Professor Claudio Finkelstein (Professor, Catholic University of São Paulo and Partner, Finkelstein Advogados) alongside Mr. Pranay Lekhi (Associate, A&O Shearman) and Mr. Sharad Bansal (Counsel, Bombay High Court). We had the opportunity to have on-board Professor Julian Lew KC (Queen Mary University of London), Mr. Niranjan Venkatesan (Barrister, One Essex Court) and Mr. Vivekananda Neelankantan (Registrar, Singapore International Arbitration Centre) as members in an advisory capacity.

We look forward to welcoming enthusiastic participation, robust competition, and thought-provoking discussions during this edition!

We are delighted to welcome our Finals Panel comprising of:

  1. HMJ Hrishikesh Roy (Retd Judge, Supreme Court of India)
  2. HMJ Tejas Karia (Judge, High Court of Delhi and previous arbitrator)
  3. Mr. Rahil Pereira (Partner, Trilegal)
  4. Professor Luke Nottage (University of Sydney Law School)
  5. Ms. Shwetha Bidhuri (Director, SIAC)

About NLS-TIAC

The National Law School Trilegal International Arbitration Conference is an annual event that takes place alongside the National Law School Trilegal International Arbitration Moot. The conference is in its sixth edition and provides a unique opportunity for students, researchers, arbitration professionals, lawyers, and corporate firms to engage on contemporary issues impacting international arbitration in the ever-evolving legal and economic environment. The conference also offers participants the chance to engage with arbitration experts, academics, and professionals on these important themes. This year’s concept note revolves around Anti-Suit Injunctions in International Commercial Arbitration. The discussion will focus on jurisdictional complexities, issues concerning the ‘proper place’ of arbitration, and the effectiveness and enforceability of anti-suit injunctions amidst conflicts with national laws.

The Panelists comprise of:

  1. Professor Luke Nottage (Professor of Law, University of Sydney Law School)
  2. Ms. Steffi Mary Punnoose (Strategy & Development Manager (South Asia), SIAC)
  3. Ms. Manini Brar (Founder & Partner, Arbridge Chambers and Solicitors)
  4. Mr. Ganesh Chandru (Partner, Dua Associates)

Further, Dr. Harishankar K Sathyapalan (Associate Professor of Law, NLSIU) and Sahana Ramesh (Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU) will be moderating the discussion.

The sponsors for the event are:

  1. Trilegal, a leading corporate and commercial law firm based in India (Title Sponsor)
  2. Singapore International Arbitration Centre, a global non-profit arbitration institution
  3. Manupatra, one of the leading legal repositories in India (Media sponsor)