The Institute of Public Policy is organising the 3rd Sri. Hunasikote Abdul Ghaffar Annual Memorial Lecture on May 19, 2023 at 4 pm. The lecture will be delivered by our guest speaker Dr. A Narayana from Azim Premji University on the topic ‘Lingayats: Their Faith and Vote in Karnataka.’

About the Lecture Series

This memorial lecture was initiated by the Institute of Public Policy with the support of Prof. Adbul Aziz, Chair on Religious Minorities, NLSIU in memory of his father Sri. Hunasikote Abdul Ghaffar. Mr. Ghaffar passed away in 1982 in Hunasikote at the age of 74.

The first lecture in this series was delivered by Prof. Karkala Seetharam on April 3, 2019 on the topic “Human Rights as Public Policy.” The second lecture was delivered by Shri. Cyril Diengdoh, IAS, on April 4, 2022 on the topic “Challenges of NREGA in Sixth Schedule Areas.”

About the Speaker:

Dr. Narayana is currently with Azim Premji University where he teaches Political Philosophy and Indian Politics, Law and Governance and Governance Challenges in India.

He has over two decades of experience in the media, academics and consultancy. With a master’s in economics, he started his career as a journalist with the Bangalore-based English daily, Deccan Herald, and switched to academics after obtaining his doctorate from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, United Kingdom, with the Ford International Fellowship. Worked as Associate Professor at the School of Media Studies, Manipal University, Manipal and as Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore. He was the Karnataka State Coordinator for the World Bank’s Land Governance Assessment Framework and a consultant for the Karnataka Government’s High-Power Committee on Restructuring the Governance of Bangalore City. He was also a member of the Election Commission of India’s technical committee on electoral literacy. He writes regularly in Kannada and English newspapers.

NLS faculty member Preeti Pratishruti Dash’s Opinion piece has been published in The Hindu titled, “A Court recall that impacts the rights of the accused.” The piece looks into the Supreme Court’s decision to recall its own order in Ritu Chhabaria vs Union of India “which would deviate from the fundamental principles of criminal procedure.”

Excerpt: 

The Supreme Court of India’s order on May 1, seeking to recall its own decision in Ritu Chhabaria vs Union of India upon the insistence of the Solicitor-General of India, Tushar Mehta, that central investigation agencies were ‘facing difficulties’, has caused concern among legal professionals. Besides the questionable legality of the Court ‘recalling’ its own decision, what is of concern too is how this order would impact the rights of the accused to be released from custody. On May 12, in its interim order, the Supreme Court clarified that courts could grant default bail independent of and without relying on the Ritu Chhabaria judgment. However, the Court’s decision to suspend the rights of defendants in criminal cases would lead to further erosion of the constitutional rights of the accused and deviate from fundamental principles of criminal procedure…

The online link of the article is available here.

 

 

Members of the NLS Queer Alliance (NLSQA), a student collective at NLSIU, will be speaking at the Bangalore International Center on 20th May from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.  The session titled “Worlds Words Weave: Queer Explorations towards Constructing Reality on Our Own Terms” will be an interactive one with the conversation linking anecdotes, polemics, popular culture, legalese and semantics in general. The session will entail 5 speakers from the NLSQA talking about words like family, joy, etc and their meaning to queer individuals.

NLSQA Speaks | About the event 

“Through this conversation, we seek to explain what words mean to the queer community and highlight how language has historically deprived the queer community of participating in public discourse. While at the same time, we shall endeavor to reclaim and redefine these words.

The Queer community has been thrusted into hypervisibility following the widespread publicity of the Marriage Equality petitions in the Supreme Court. The hearings saw the usage of many terms, concepts, and identities integral to the Queer experience. However, the meanings of these words got distorted and confused as they went through the grapevine of petitions, media coverage, and popular discourse.

Language and vocabulary are important tools in any social movement. It sits at the epicenter of any hegemony. The pervasive power of language is visible in how we write our laws and our stories. When the speakers of the language cannot find words to describe themselves, it is imperative that we embrace new words and the worlds that they weave. The fight for the recognition of the rights of queer people seeks to challenge this semantic and linguistic cis-heteronormativity.

Through this session, the NLSQA seeks to reach out to the wider community, highlight the power of language, showcase the queer usage of everyday words, explain what certain words mean to queer individuals, and most importantly, draw links between pop culture, the law and colloquial language.”

About the speakers:

• Dhawal M, Convenor, NLS Queer Alliance, and third-year B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) student
• Sarthak Virdi, Student & Member, NLS Queer Alliance, and second-year B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) student

If you are interested in attending the event, please RSVP here.

 

In our next faculty seminar on 17th May, Dr. Arul George Scaria will discuss a report he prepared for the Delhi High Court.

Abstract of the Report:

Sec. 52(1)(za) of the Copyright Act 1957 is an important exception provision under the Indian copyright law. It exempts from copyright infringement liability public performance and communication to the public of certain types of copyrighted works in the course of bonafide religious ceremonies and official ceremonies. The explanation provided with the provision mentions that ‘religious ceremony’ includes marriage procession and “other social festivities associated with a marriage”. But the scope and limitations of this exception provision remained largely untested. Recently, a copyright infringement case was initiated before the Delhi High Court by Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), which issues licenses for public performance of sound recordings assigned to it by copyright holders, against Lookpart Exhibitions and Events Private Limited (Lookpart), which provides event management services for different social events including weddings. PPL argued that Lookpart was using the sound recordings for social events, including weddings, without obtaining any license from PPL. Lookpart relied on the exception provided under Sec. 52(1)(za) of the Copyright Act, 1957 to argue that use of sound recordings during marriage ceremonies or other social events connected with marriage does not amount to infringement of copyright under Sec. 51 of the Copyright Act 1957. As music is an integral part of marriage ceremonies and festivities associated with marriages in India and as the questions of law involved in the matter has enormous implications for creative artists and copyright owners on one hand and users of copyrighted works, including organisations involved in the management of weddings and other social events on the other hand, the court appointed an independent expert on the matter to examine the scope and historical context of Sec. 52(1)(za). This was also important in view of the fact that not much academic deliberations or judicial opinions were available on the provision, in spite of its socio-cultural significance in the Indian context. This report, prepared by the independent expert appointed by the Court, examines in detail the social, cultural, historical and legal dimensions of Sec. 52(1)(za). The report was submitted to the Court on July 5, 2022.

On May 18, there will be a Public Lecture by our guest speaker, Mr. Manoj Mitta, who will be delivering a talk on his recently published book, Caste Pride: Battles for Equality in Hindu India (Westland 2023).

About the Speaker:

Manoj Mitta is a Delhi-based journalist focusing on law, human rights and social justice. A law graduate from Hyderabad, he has worked with the Times of India, the Indian Express and IndiaToday. Mitta has written two critically acclaimed books on impunity for mass violence: When a Tree Shook Delhi: The 1984 Carnage and Its Aftermath, co-authored with H.S. Phoolka (2007), and The Fiction of Fact-finding: Modi and Godhra (2014). His article on caste was published in 2007 in Writing a Nation: An Anthology of Indian Journalism, edited by Nirmala Lakshman.

Book Abstract :

In this masterful volume, Manoj Mitta uses the lens of the law in an eye-opening examination of the endurance and violence of the Hindu caste system. Linking centuries of legal reform with social movements, he unearths the characters, speeches, confusions and decisions that have shaped the battle on caste hierarchy into one that seeks to mitigate the ways in which this ancient system discriminated between Hindus in their daily lives: where they could live, how they could dress, whether they could go to a shop, a stream, walk a street or mingle, enter a temple, who and how they could marry, whether their actions, innocent or criminal, would attract punishment or impunity.

Describing brilliantly the passage of Hinduism into its modern avatar, the book celebrates women and men across the caste spectrum—leading lights Savitribai Phule, M.C. Rajah, R. Veerian, B.R. Ambedkar, Vithalbhai Patel and others—and outside of the caste system, such as non-Hindu legislators and administrators including Maneckji Dadabhoy, William Bentinck and Lord Willingdon. It re-examines the positions of stalwarts such as Motilal Nehru, Thomas Munro, Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari, and shows why caste prejudice cleaves to names like Madan Mohan Malviya and Surendra Nath Banerjea.

Through these histories of reform, Mitta establishes that untouchability is merely the best-known aspect of the caste system, an elusive purity-based hierarchy that affects the freedoms of all. Studded with groundbreaking discoveries and stunning insights, Caste Pride is at once moving, enlightening and transformative.

The event is open to all. We look forward to seeing you at the session!

On 3rd May 2023, the faculty seminar will be by guest speaker, Shri. Feroze Varun Gandhi, who will be delivering a talk on his recently published book, ‘The Indian Metropolis: Deconstructing India’s Urban Spaces’.

About the Speaker: 

Shri. Feroze Varun Gandhi is a third-term Member of Parliament, representing the Pilibhit constituency in Uttar Pradesh. In his last book, ‘A Rural Manifesto: Realising India’s Future through her Villages’ (published in November 2018), Shri Gandhi presented an alternative approach to mainstream ideas of rural development, which despite their many achievements have certain inherent limitations. Shri Gandhi has published two volumes of poetry – ‘The Otherness of Self’ and ‘Stillness’ – that have been well received. He also writes widely in English as well as several regional language newspapers including The Hindu, The Economic Times, Amar Ujala, Lokmat, and Bartaman.

About the Book: 

For most urban Indians, the past few years have been unsettling—we have seen neighbourhoods locked down for months during a pandemic, increasing the daily challenges of earning a living as well as of access to good healthcare and education. Inflation has ravaged the land with spiralling prices of food, rent and transport. Our cities are hard to live in; lacking basic amenities, while being
unaesthetic and discordant with our civilization.

As economic growth takes priority, questions about liveability and meaningful employment arise, along with concerns about the deteriorating law and order. In blindly and poorly aping Western
models, our cities homogenize, losing their character, their identity and their soul. Meanwhile, climate change is no longer a mythical or distant possibility but a distinct and immediate reality. A typical city must now cope with extreme temperatures, both flooding and water shortages and abysmal air quality. These can no longer be treated as threats but as certainties to be planned for.

The Indian Metropolis seeks to begin a national conversation on these issues and suggests ways to turn our cities into enabling, energizing environments geared towards enhancing the daily life of the average city dweller.” (Source: Rupa Publications) 

The seventh cohort of the Master’s Programme in Public Policy, NLSIU is organising a seminar on “100 Years of Independence: Evolving Identities, Markets, and the Environment” on February 3-4, 2022. The seminar will cover a number of themes as part of the sessions over these two days.

Abstract:

At the stroke of midnight on 15th August 1947, India awoke to a new journey that would go on to define the local and global socio-economic trends for the next seven decades. 75 years later, we find ourselves at a juncture where equitable public policies must act as linkages between our post-colonial past and our post-pandemic future. At this critical point, it is important to introspect as well as look outward, to gauge where Indian development stands. This becomes specifically relevant given that in 25 years’ time, the country will celebrate its independence centennial. The path to the future, thus, needs to be connected to the past, for an equitable present.

India has come a long way since its independence, with evolving economic systems, emerging new markets, rapid development in technology, and a conscious acknowledgment for the need to protect our ecosystems. Indian society faces the challenges of rising inequalities across regions, income categories, social groupings, gender, and rural-urban divides. Moreover, concerns regarding flailing constitutional morality, populism, conservatism and the creation of several ‘imagined communities’ also need to be discussed in this context.

For further details including the programme schedule, click here.

Join a virtual discussion with Dr. Sushmita Pati on her new book, titled Properties of Rent: Community, Capital, and Politics in Globalising Delhi. Sushmita is Assistant Professor, Political Science at the National Law School of India University in Bangalore. Her research interests lie at the intersection of urban politics and political economy.

In her new book, she traces the social history of urban villages around Delhi and offers a new perspective on land, labor, and accumulation in urbanizing India.

Read more and RSVP here.

The Law and Technology Society, NLSIU, in association with the All India Game Developer Forum (AIGDF), announces ‘Consilience 2023′, the 22nd edition of L-Tech’s flagship conference. This year’s conference focuses on emerging issues in the Gaming Industry, particularly online gaming regulatory frameworks and fundraising within the industry. 

The conference will be hosted physically on 21st April, 2023 at the Bangalore International Centre. This year’s conference is anchored on the Online Regulatory Framework on Gaming and is composed of four panels: A. Online Gaming Regulations, B. Taxation of Online Gaming, C. Navigating the Gaming Landscape: Strategies for Successful Fundraising in Today’s Market, D. Making India a global gaming powerhouse: Building Games for Indian and Global Audiences.  

The conference shall include panelists from legal, policy, technology, and business backgrounds including Mr. Arun Prabhu, Mr. Meyyappan Nagappan, Mr. Abhinav Srivastava, Mr. Joyjyoti Mishra, Mr. Sai Srinivas, Mr. Akshat Rathee, Ms. Sanyukta Chowdhury and Mr. Rahul Singh amongst others.

About Consilience:

‘Consilience’ is the annual flagship conference organised by the Law and Technology Society at NLSIU on contemporary issues at the interface of law and technology. First organised in 2001, Consilience is the first conference of its kind in India, bringing together legal insights and technical expertise on a common platform, providing a launch pad for creative and pragmatic solutions to some of the most pressing issues in the domain of technology law and policy. 

Over the years, this annual summit has hosted themes like Artificial Intelligence, Net Neutrality, Cloud Computing, and Intermediary Liability, and has featured prominent speakers, including Kris Gopalakrishnan (Co-Founder, Infosys), Antony Taubman (Director, IP Division at WTO), Prof. Rahul De (Hewlett-Packard Chair Professor, IIM Bangalore), Justice S. Murlidhar (Chief Justice, Orissa High Court), Montek Singh Ahluwalia (Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India) and Meenu Chandra (Senior Attorney, Microsoft India), among others. 

For more information, please visit the L-Tech website. For any queries, please write to

Registration Details: 

Please fill out the registration form by clicking on the relevant link below:

Registration form for students (from any institution).

Registration form for other participants

This week faculty seminar will feature a discussion by our faculty member Harsha N on the topic “Right to occupy airspace – Conflict between airports and landowners on the use of vertical space in India”. Faculty member Dr. Betsy Rajasingh will be the discussant.  The conversation will be followed by a Q&A session.

Abstract

The population density is rising near airports in India due to the economic benefits one can derive. The opportunity to accommodate the interest of various groups for commerce and dwelling has created a dependency on vertical growth. The conflict arises from utilising vertical space by two competing interests, one of the airports and the other of the adjacent residents. Demolition of buildings and structures to ensure safe airspace has become a necessity. Earlier jurisprudence of limiting the rights based on upper and lower stratum might be irrelevant today. The paper will address the Indian perspective and judicial interpretations of airspace in three broad areas: the concept of airspace, challenges to the demarcation of rights and obligations, and the method of determination of rights and obligations in the airspace. The paper will look into the principles of property from Roman Law to the contemporary principles of property law and their applicability to aviation law. The issue of competing interests of various groups to occupy the airspace is also a focus area of the paper.