As we begin our November 2022 term, we are excited to host an Opening Week Concert featuring Indian classical Dhrupad vocalists, Anant and Dhani Gundecha from Bhopal. The concert will be held on November 5, 2022 from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Besides the performance, they will also hold a short Dhrupad appreciation workshop with a Tanpura accompaniment.
Dhrupad is considered to be the oldest form of Hindustani classical music, known for its melodic harmony and vocal power. Dhrupad has enthralled audiences, young and old, for centuries and we are excited to host two of the most promising young artists of this tradition. We hope you will join us for an evening of music as we begin our second term of the academic year.
About the Artists
Anant and Dhani Gundecha are amongst the best young Dhrupad vocalists in the country. They have been performing internationally as well as at many prestigious national platforms for many years and also teach students around the world. Trained in the traditional Guru-Shishya parampara, these are two young artists who practice and carry forward an ancient musical tradition that dates back to the time of the Vedas.
Recognitions
Anant:
1. Recipient of Scholarship to Young Musicians by Government of India
2. Won the All India Radio competition in the Dhrupad-Dhamar category, 2018.
3. Received the Blue Star Promising Young Musician, 2018.
Dhani:
1. Recipient of CCRT senior scholarship in Dhrupad vocals for the year 2018-2020
NLSIU is hosting a workshop titled ‘Transformative Constitutionalism: Comparing dimensions of the Past, Power and Social Justice in EU and Indian constitutionalism’ between November 3-5, 2022. This workshop is part of a continuing series held under the aegis of the Indian and European Advanced Research Network (IEARN).
About IEARN
IEARN is an informal network of research institutions based in Europe and in India, whose purpose is to foster research where the cooperation between European and Indian scholars arises through common interests and a sense of shared predicaments. The network is not designed to conduct the research itself. Its endeavor is to initiate and to encourage a new style of research between the participating institutes through a series of “conversations”, workshops and small meetings structured on a regular basis, which lead to further specific research activities within each of the
participating institutes.
In focusing on the European and the Indian experiences, the network simply intends to provide the initial material from which to draw questions of sufficient breadth and precision. But other relevant partners may be associated to the dialogue, especially from China and Africa.
Previous IEARN workshops have resulted, among other things, in a publication: Philipp Dann and Arun Thiruvengadam (eds.), Democratic Constitutionalism in India and the European Union (Edward Elgar: 2021). An earlier IEARN workshop was held in the NLSIU campus in 2014, details of which can be found here.
About the Workshop
IEARN Workshop, Vienna, March 2017
The current workshop is the second in a series of workshops around the theme of Transformative Constitutionalism. In recent years, the concept of Transformative Constitutionalism has become familiar to constitutional scholars in many jurisdictions. It is one of the rare academic concepts to have travelled beyond academic publications to find place in judicial discourse (with the South African Constitutional Court and the Indian Supreme Court having invoked it substantively) as well as constitutional scholarship.
Across this series of three workshops, taking place from 2019 to 2023, we will probe how the concept of ‘Transformative Constitutionalism’ can be understood as a broader project beyond those that have so far been identified with it, in particular to examine conceptions of constitutionalism in India and the EU. We believe that when viewed comparatively, the concept will be better examined and understood, and may well help facilitate a broader understanding of concepts of constitutionalism more broadly, including thinking deeply about the crisis of constitutionalism that is confronting many polities – including those from which the participants are drawn.
The principal investigators of this project are Philipp Dann (Humboldt University), Jurgen Bast (University of Giessen), and Arun Thiruvengadam (NLSIU). Aparna Chandra (NLSIU) and Shreya Shree (NLSIU) are co-organisers of the workshop at NLSIU. We are grateful for the funding support from the Nantes Institute for Advanced Study.
The participants at this workshop are scholars of public law, most of whom focus on European and Indian law. This is a closed-doors event. Participation is by invitation only.
A post-event report of the workshop will be published on our website at a later date.
The first faculty seminar for the November 2022 term will be on the topic “The Southern Turn Towards World Comparative Law” by Dr. Philipp Dann, Professor, Humboldt University (Faculty of Law), Berlin.
About the speaker
Prof. Philipp Dann received his law degrees from the state of Berlin (1. and 2. state examination), Harvard Law School (LL.M.) and Frankfurt University (PhD and postdoctoral habilitation). He has published three monographs and several edited volumes in the area of public international law, European Union law, and constitutional law theory. He is the co-editor-in-chief of the quarterly journal ‘Verfassung und Recht in Übersee / World Comparative Law’, a journal on comparative constitutional law and the Global South. In recent years, he has published intensively in the area of law and development, comparative constitutional law, and institutional law. (From: The Global South and Comparative Constitutional Law, co-edited by Prof. Dann)
Abstract
This contribution argues that comparative constitutional studies have only in a rather superficial way reflected the constitutional experiences in the Global South and imperial / colonial dimensions of constitutionalism globally. Doing that would provide a much better understanding of the complex varieties of constitutionalism around the globe, their respective limits, borderlines and entanglements. Pursuing such a broader understanding, however, demands a new awareness about the global encounter of North and South, about colonialism and its legacies in our comparative constitutional approaches and repertoires. This would start with a Southern turn, i.e. the attempt to theorize the diverse experiences in the South and to reflect its epistemological demands. It would continue by turning back North and to the entanglements between South and North. And it could ultimately result in a reconfigured comparative study of constitutionalism and a world comparative law.
The faculty seminar on “Collaborating in times of crisis: Challenges and strategies for international research” will be held on November 7, 2022. The speaker for this session is Dr. Victor V. Ramraj, Professor, University of Victoria (Faculty of Law), British Columbia.
About the speaker
Professor Ramraj joined the University of Victoria as Professor of Law and CAPI Chair in Asia-Pacific Legal Relations in 2014, after sixteen years at the National University of Singapore, where he twice served as the Faculty’s Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs. He holds five degrees from McGill University (B.A.), the University of Toronto (M.A., LL.B. & Ph.D.), and Queen’s University Belfast (LL.M.). He has edited/co-edited several books published by Cambridge University Press, including Emergencies and the Limits of Legality (2009) and Emergency Powers in Asia: Exploring the Limits of Legality (2010). His research interests include comparative constitutional and administrative law, transnational regulation, emergency powers, and the history of and regulatory challenges arising from state-company relationships in Asia.
Abstract
This seminar will provide an overview of the state of international and interdisciplinary research collaboration. It will address the challenges for legal researchers and institutions arising from recent changes in legal academia, legal publishing (including open access issues), and the geopolitical environment (including the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and the implications of rising US-China tensions). Dr. Ramraj will also offer some reflections on these challenges based on his own research projects, including his interdisciplinary edited collection, Covid-19 in Asia: Law and Policy Contexts (New York: Oxford University Press), his research on constraints on academic freedom in Asia, and his engagements with senior university administrators on national security guidelines for scientific research in Canada. This seminar would be of interest to graduate students, legal researchers, project leaders and coordinators, and anyone interested in legal and interdisciplinary research projects that cross international and interdisciplinary borders.
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national level entrance exam for admissions to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programmes offered by 22 National Law Universities around the country. CLAT is organized by the Consortium of National Law Universities consisting of the representative universities.
All admissions to the 5-year integrated BA LLB (Hons) programme and the 1-year LLM programme, that commence in the Academic Year 2023-2024, shall be through the CLAT 2023 which shall be held only once onDecember 18, 2022.
October 2022 – Release of First Sample Question Set
Please note, the sample question sets will be sent to candidates who have paid the application fee.
October 2022 – Open Campus Visit for registered candidates. The campus visit at NLSIU will be on October 27 & 28, 2022. Read more about our campus visit here.
October 2022 – Release of Second Sample Question Set
November 13, 2022 – Last Date for receiving applications. Note: The application deadline has been extended to November 18, 2022 (11.59 pm). View the official statement here.
December 18, 2022 – CLAT 2023 Exam
Instructions for Candidates at NLSIU
Candidates appearing for the examination at the NLSIU campus are requested to go through the following instructions:
CLAT 2023 examination will be held on December 18, 2022 (2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M). The duration of the test is two hours.
Candidates shall be allowed to leave the Test Centre only after the test is over.
Candidates shall not be permitted to enter into the examination hall after 2:15 P.M.
Candidates must enter the NLSIU campus through Gate 1.
Entry and exit for vehicles at Gate 4.
Parking facility for vehicles is available in the football ground. Entry (at Gate No. 4) for parents/guardians of candidates shall be limited to the football ground.
Candidates must show their Hall Ticket /Admit Card to enter the Test Centre.
If you need help in reaching our campus, please click here.
Test Centres in Karnataka
● National Law School of India University, Bengaluru – View Seating Chart for NLSIU
● St. Joseph’s College of Law, Bengaluru
● Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Bengaluru – View Seating Chart
● JSS Law College, Kuvempunagar, Mysuru
● SDM Law College, Mangaluru – View Seating Chart
● Karnataka State Law University (KSLU), Hubli
The NLS Alumni Office and the NLS Alumni Association are delighted to announce our first major in-person alumni event since the Covid pandemic. On October 15 & 16, 2022, alumni from across batches will be gathering at the NLS campus for a reunion. The weekend event will include a townhall meeting of the alumni association, lunch and tea with the NLS faculty, sports matches, guided campus walks, and other discussions at the University.
The schedule of alumni events over the weekend is given below. We request you to join us for as many events as possible. We look forward to hosting you on campus and reminiscing with our alumni about the good ol’ days!
There will be a registration desk at the University to verify registered attendees for the campus events. Please note, there is no registration fee.
Post lunch – Time Capsules | A reflective experience for the batches of 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017
02:00 pm onwards – Batch photos
03:00 pm – Alumni association townhall at the New Academic Block
04:00 pm – Tea with faculty
07:30 pm – Dinner (Off Campus event)
Campus Walk – 12:00 noon, 02:00 pm, 05:00 pm Note: Campus walks will be done for groups of ~20 at a time. Please assemble at the basketball court to start.
October 16, 2022
10:30am onwards – Registration at Gate 1
11:00 am – Batch of 2004 meeting
11:30 am onwards – Sports match
12:00 noon onwards – Discussion circles
01:00 pm – Lunch on campus
Campus Walk – 12:30 noon, 02:00 pm, 05:00 pm Note: Campus walks will be done for groups of ~20 at a time. Please assemble at the basketball court to start.
For further queries about our alumni weekend, please write to
NLSIU invites you to this week’s faculty seminar on “Urban Undesirables: City Transition and Street-Based Sex Work in Bangalore”.
Speakers
Dr. Anant Kamath, Assistant Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore; and
Dr. Neethi P., Senior Consultant, Academics and Research, Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bangalore
Abstract
Urban Undesirables: City Transition and Street-Based Sex Work in Bangalore presents urban transition experiences over nearly three decades in Bangalore based on the narratives of the city’s street-based sex workers. Sex workers – female, male, and transgender – have been omnipresent in Bangalore’s streets for decades. However, despite being blacklisted as ‘undesirable’ and hazards to the ‘ideal public’, they have their own unique imaginaries and narratives of the city and its mutations. In mapping out their spatial and social ecosystems and experiences with technology, this book redraws, rewrites, and relooks at a city and its transformations from their perspectives. The analysis of their experience is anchored to concepts around neoliberal urbanism, gender, labour informality, and the politics of technology. The authors take an unconventional journey through their spaces, comrades, and battles to announce and affirm their individuality and agency through their empowerment strategies, and through their struggles to reclaim their spaces and assert their identities as informal workers and legitimate citizens of the city.
NLSIU invites you to this week’s faculty seminar by Dr. Christine Frison, FNRS postdoctoral researcher (Law Faculty, UCLouvain) and Associate Research Fellow (University of Antwerp & Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, Montreal, Canada) on the topic ” The Global Seed Commons, Digital Sequence Information and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. What is at stake?”
Abstract
The 2001 FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture has established a multilateral system of access and benefit sharing to govern the access, use and conservation of seeds at a global level. This multilateral system aimed at governing the exchanges of food and agriculture plants in a fair and equitable manner between countries from the global North and the global South, answering the need for specific mechanisms respecting the interdependence of seeds and people around the World. However, discussions under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework have been troubled by the policy debate on the use of digital sequence information (DSI) in bio-based research and development. In view of technological developments which render physical access to genetic resources unnecessary, ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of DSI is considered to be a centerpiece of any agreement on a post-2020 global biodiversity framework. This lecture aims to unpack the issues at stake and set the focus back on the need to respect the three objectives of (agro-)biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and fair and equitable benefit-sharing.
NLSIU, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition and BML Munjal University, is organising a workshop titled ‘Data Sharing for Good Health & Well-Being: India’s Way Forward to Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.’
The workshop will be held on 8th & 9th September 2022 at J.W. Marriott Hotel, Vittal Mallya Road, Bengaluru. This workshop is being organised as part of an international research project titled “Regulating the Data Economy in Emerging Economies” initiated by the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich. The other partner institutions in this project are Université Virtuelle du Sénégal and Mackenzie University of Brazil.
The first workshop, as part of this global collaboration, was organised in Dakar in April, 2022. This workshop is intended to facilitate a comprehensive discussion on the opportunities and challenges for data sharing for good health and well-being, particularly from the Indian context.
This is an invitation-only event with about 50 participants from diverse backgrounds ranging from industry, government bodies, policy makers, and academia. For any queries relating to the workshop, please write to .
This week’s Faculty Seminar will focus on the paper ‘Right to Bail under UAPA: Emerging Jurisprudence from the Appellate Courts in India.’
Speaker:
Radhika Chitkara, Visiting Assistant Professor, NLSIU
About the Paper:
India’s primary anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), encodes special procedures for investigation and prosecution which deviate from ordinary criminal procedure and fair trial guarantees. Human rights organizations have long alleged that these special procedures enact process as punishment by increasing discretionary police powers, prolonging detention without bail, eventually culminating in low rates of acquittal. The UAPA enables this under Section 43D by statutorily extending periods of pre-trial detention and police custody, and raising a bar against bail in case there are reasonable grounds to believe that the allegations against accused are prima facie true. For non-citizens, the UAPA absolutely bars the right to bail. Such prolonged detention before conviction on a prima facie standard of proof undermines a cardinal principle of criminal jurisprudence and fair trial, the presumption of innocence. This creates an exception to ordinary law under the Code of Criminal Procedure, where ‘bail is a norm, jail is an exception’, recognizing the right to bail as an integral part of liberty and due process under Article 21. Where constitutional courts have upheld earlier anti-terror laws for fair trial violations, burgeoning jurisprudence relating to special bail provisions under UAPA reveal a shift in the legal site of struggle from constitutional to criminal courts in the defence of liberty and due process under anti-terror laws. This article seeks to survey this emerging bail jurisprudence under UAPA to clarify the scope of exception from the right to bail under ordinary law, and outlines contemporary contestations on jurisdiction, burdens of proof and the nature of judicial scrutiny. The article further subjects this jurisprudence to a tentative theory of fair trial as separation of powers, to analyse the application of judicial, procedural and democratic checks and balances over executive discretion in the defence of the right to bail.
Here, I am mapping prior precedent under TADA-POTA, and emerging doctrine under UAPA, through a deep dive into legal databases (SCC and Manupatra), documenting legal reportage of unpublished Supreme Court and High Court orders, and monitoring trial court proceedings in select ongoing UAPA prosecutions. As such, this is ongoing research, and this draft may more appropriately be considered as a working paper which maps issues, landmark cases and some preliminary findings focusing on the right to bail. While some references to High Court judgments have been included in this working draft, these are not yet exhaustive. Lastly, I also plan to further map precedent under TADA-POTA, which are widely used to settle legal controversies under UAPA.
