News Type: News

NLSIU invites applications from passionate and driven candidates with an inclination for field-based research and strong writing skills for two ‘Research Fellow’ positions for a new project on ‘Theory and Practice of Social Accountability’. This is a full-time position for 12 months, renewable upon mutual agreement. The position is based in Bengaluru.

About the Project

Civil society organizations in India and the government have been pioneers in collaboratively designing and institutionalizing reforms that deepen democratic governance at scale such as proactive disclosure of government information, social audits and decentralized grievance redress systems. These reforms have grounded social accountability practices and procedures within the country and demonstrated possibilities for citizen engagement for the rest of the world. Several challenges have surfaced or become even more entrenched two decades since some of these reforms were introduced. For instance, administrative resistance to sharing information remains high and feedback loops for the data generated by social audit processes remain too weak for meaningful action on findings. New digital technologies have simultaneously opened up and foreclosed accountability in governance. Synergies across judicial, administrative and political redress structures needs to be strengthened. Public involvement and scrutiny of social accountability systems especially once they are institutionalized has been declining. Empirical research on social accountability platforms and practices in India which unpacks and addresses these challenges has generally been thin and has not kept pace with legal, institutional and technological developments. This has created an important opening at the intersection of policy research and practice to build an enabling ecosystem for conceptualizing, demonstrating and deepening social accountability and audits within India and beyond.

Through the ‘Theory and Practice of Social Accountability’ project, NLSIU seeks to deepen research and documentation of social accountability in India with the aim of producing knowledge, building an evidence base of good practices and informing policy improvements. The project also seeks to advance the practice of social accountability by bringing together actors – in government and civil society– who have a direct stake in strengthening participatory social accountability practices that combine fiscal transparency and citizen oversight. This project has three streams of work:

• Research on social accountability systems and practices
• Developing resources and toolkits
• Consultations and workshops
• Capacity building
• Strengthening public data systems for social accountability

Responsibilities

Research fellows will have the following responsibilities:

• Work with the research director and advisory group to develop instruments and protocols for data collection.
• Preparing training materials for CSO partners who will participate in research activities and conducting trainings.
• Conduct desk and field-based data collection and analysis.
• Reporting progress of field activities and troubleshooting challenges with the research director and faculty associate on a regular basis.
• Write research reports, briefs, blogs and academic articles.
• Present research findings to a diverse range of audiences.
• Organizing consultations
• Creating training resources and assisting with conducting workshops.
• Developing toolkits and primers to expand access to information and public participation in social accountability initiatives.

Qualifications and Skills

Essential

• Strong academic record with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science/sociology/public policy/law or a related discipline.
• Training and familiarity in research methods and fieldwork – demonstrable experience in qualitative methods such as interviews and focus group discussions.
• Strong writing skills (writing sample will be required).
• 3-5 years of experience working on social policy with government and/or civil society organizations.

Desirable

• Excellent writing and presentation skills. Ability to communicate complex information effectively.
• A willingness to carry out independent fieldwork and be able to demonstrate flexibility and creativity.
• Proficient in Hindi and/or any regional language in addition to English.

How to apply

Please use the Google form available here, and include the following documents:

• An updated CV
• A short statement outlining your research interests, interest in working with us and why you would be a good fit for the role (not more than 500 words).
• 2 writing samples
• Details of two referees with contact details.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview round. Due to time constraints, we can unfortunately only contact shortlisted candidates; if you do not hear from us within 15 days, please assume your application was not taken forward. Candidates from marginalized communities, who have faced social and economic disadvantages, are encouraged to apply.

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications is 5:00 pm, June 7th (Friday), 2024.

NLSIU is looking for an early career scholar, with a strong publication record and professional experience working with government and civil society for the position of ‘Research Director’ for a new project on ‘Theory and Practice of Social Accountability’.

This is a full-time position till 15 February 2026 and may be extended subject to extension of project funds. The position is based in Bengaluru.

About the project

Civil society organizations in India and the government have been pioneers in collaboratively designing and institutionalizing reforms that deepen democratic governance at scale such as proactive disclosure of government information, social audits and decentralized grievance redress systems. These reforms have grounded social accountability practices and procedures within the country and demonstrated possibilities for citizen engagement for the rest of the world. Several challenges have surfaced or become even more entrenched two decades since some of these reforms were introduced. For instance, administrative resistance to sharing information remains high and feedback loops for the data generated by social audit processes remain too weak for meaningful action on findings. New digital technologies have simultaneously opened up and foreclosed accountability in governance. Synergies across judicial, administrative, and political redress structures need to be strengthened. Public involvement and scrutiny of social accountability systems, especially once they are institutionalized, has been declining. Empirical research on social accountability platforms and practices in India which unpacks and addresses these challenges has generally been thin and has not kept pace with legal, institutional, and technological developments. This has created an important opening at the intersection of policy research and practice to build an enabling ecosystem for conceptualizing, demonstrating, and deepening social accountability and audits within India and beyond.

Through the ‘Theory and Practice of Social Accountability’ project, NLSIU seeks to deepen research and documentation of social accountability in India with the aim of producing knowledge, building an evidence base of good practices and informing policy improvements. The project also seeks to advance the practice of social accountability by bringing together actors – in government and civil society– who have a direct stake in strengthening participatory social accountability practices that combine fiscal transparency and citizen oversight. This project has three streams of work:

• Research on social accountability systems and practices
• Developing resources and toolkits
• Consultations and workshops
• Capacity building workshops for social accountability practitioners
• Strengthening public data systems for social accountability

Role description

The research director will have the following responsibilities:

• Develop research plan and strategy in partnership with NLSIU faculty associate and advisory board of researchers and practitioners with expertise in social accountability.
• Lead implementation of all activities including project management, research design, oversight of analytical processes, engagement of internal and external experts, and development of high-quality materials including policy briefs, reports, academic publications, and presentation materials.
• Mentorship of fellows. The research director will be responsible for guiding the work of the fellows to carry out rigorous field and desk-based research. The research director will also organize skills training and provide professional development support when needed.
• Build collaborations with researchers and practitioners working on social accountability initiatives within the country and internationally to strengthen cross-learning across states and global best practices.
• Own, manage, and maintain the organizational activities for the project. This includes acting as the central point-person for all information about ongoing projects and those being developed. It also includes managing and verifying project related payments and expenditures.

Qualifications and skills

The ideal candidate must have the following skills and qualifications:

Essential

• PhD in political science/sociology/public policy/law or a related discipline.
• 13-15 years of experience working on social accountability initiatives with government and civil society organizations.
• Should have proven strong research, writing and analytical skills (publications in refereed journals will be required).
• Strong coordination skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and stakeholders concurrently and effectively.
• Willing and able to discuss, brainstorm, and ideate with a range of different stakeholders across government, civil society, and academic institutions.

Desirable

• Ability to be solution-oriented and get a lot done quickly. You will need to translate strategic ideas into immediate action plans and execute multiple work streams simultaneously.
• Capacity to think strategically and weigh in on conceptual and organizational challenges on topics that might not be familiar to you.
• Demonstrated track record as an entrepreneurial self-starter, including comfort with ambiguity and dynamic environments and workflows.
• High level of independence and attention to detail.

How to apply

Please use the Google form available here, and include the following documents:

• An updated CV
• A short statement outlining your interest in working with us and why you would be a good fit for the role (not more than 500 words).
• Two recently published articles or writing samples.
• Details of two referees with contact details.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview round. Due to time constraints, we can unfortunately only contact shortlisted candidates; if you do not hear from us within 15 days, please assume your application was not taken forward.

Candidates from marginalized communities, who have faced social and economic disadvantages are encouraged to apply.

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications is 5:00 pm, May 31st (Friday), 2024.

 

National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, invites applications for the position of a Research Associate for a new research project in the area of free/libre software. This is a full-time contractual assignment for a period of 6 months, based in Bengaluru.

About NLSIU

NLSIU is the first national law university established in India. It is established under the National Law School of India Act (Karnataka Act 22 of 1986). NLSIU was set up with a mission to pioneer legal education reforms, and to anchor the transformation of the Indian legal system through research and policy interventions. Since its inception, the University has irrefutably remained a leader in the field of legal education in the country.

About the Project

The term free/libre software generally refers to software that gives users the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. The focus of free software is clearly on the ‘freedom’ of developers, and not on price. Many firms and governmental/non-governmental organisations have been using free software for diverse kinds of purposes, including commercial purposes, over the last many years. Though most scholars appreciate the value of such software, not many have attempted to study in detail the value generated by free software, particularly for gaining independence and autonomy in innovation. This project focuses on the economic value of free software and the different legal/ policy measures to augment the adoption of free software, particularly in terms of realising the vision of making India atmanirbhar in innovation and economic development.

Some of the specific objectives of the project include –

• Identifying the value and economic significance of free software for firms in India.
• Identifying the role free software can play in more independent innovation by firms in India.
• Identifying the key legal and policy measures required to protect and augment the value of free software in the emerging AI context.

Role Description

The Research Associate will assist in diverse dimensions of the project, including:

1. Conducting literature reviews.
2. Preparation of case studies.
3. Conducting interviews and/or surveys.
4. Preparation of the research outputs, including academic publications.
5. Organising workshops.

The Research Associate will work under the supervision of Dr Arul George Scaria and Dr Suryaprakash Mishra.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Post-graduate degree in law, economics, statistics, management, or engineering OR undergraduate degree in one of those areas with relevant work experience.
• Demonstrable academic/research interest in the area of intellectual property/open source software.
• Interest in empirical investigations.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.

Desirable:

• Academic/ research/ industry experience in the field of technology/software.
• Policy related research experience.
• Fieldwork experience.
• Quantitative data analysis skills.

Salary

The salary shall be commensurate with the experience of the candidate.

How to apply

Please use the Google form available here, and include the following documents:

• An updated CV.
• A short statement of purpose (not more than 800 words).
• Writing sample (published/unpublished).
• Details of two referees with contact details.

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications is 5:00 pm, May 20th (Monday), 2024.

 

NLSIU invites applications for two Research Associate positions under the Project on “Exploring Digital Transformation of India’s Consumer Grievance Redressal System through GenAI”. This is a full-time contractual assignment (12 months) based out of NLSIU campus in Bangalore.

About the Project

NLSIU is implementing a research project on Digital Transformation of India’s Consumer Grievance Redressal System through GenAI. The project seeks to assess how large language models (LLM) can be used for building public solutions for enhancing efficiency in India’s consumer grievance redressal system. The project is being  executed along with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), in collaboration with the Department Of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Government of India, as the knowledge partner. The project is being supported by a generous donation from Facebook India Online Services Private Limited, an affiliate of Meta Platforms Inc.

The project will explore the feasibility of leveraging Llama 2, Meta’s openly available large language model, in creating and evaluating a proof of concept of a citizen-centric chatbot and a decision-assist tool in the area of consumer law. With the goal of enhancing efficiency, the chatbot will be designed to guide consumers on the procedural aspects of drafting a complaint and answering questions relating to consumer law in India. The decision assist tool in this research also will be designed to support searching case laws and summarisation of documents to provide assistance to judicial authorities in the area of consumer affairs. The research project will explore how LLMs can assist consumers or judicial authorities in the context of ongoing oversight and control by human decision-makers. In keeping with the commitment to responsible innovation, NLSIU and IIT Bombay will also release a white paper explaining the risk mitigation approaches implemented and how responsible design principles have been deployed at every layer of the stack.

Role Description

The Research Associate will:

1. Assist the Project Co-Investigator and other team members in conducting literature reviews, and curating relevant cases and materials.
2. Research on contemporary themes and writing blog notes, academic papers and research
   reports in the areas of consumer law as well as AI and the Law.
3. Conduct field and desk research on consumer procedure including conducting the Consumer Needs Survey and administering the AIAssist Experiment.
4. Participate in project meetings and collaborate with the team from IIT Bombay and DoCA.
5. Testing and giving feedback on applications developed re including conducting the Consumer Needs Survey and administering the AIAssist Experiment by IIT Bombay.
6. Cleaning, coding and analysing data obtained from surveys, experiments and other public sources.
7. Creating a training corpus on consumer law for building AI applications.
8. Managing and Supervising the work of research interns.
9. Organising and conducting workshops and conferences.
10. Preparing progress reports and or managing other reporting needs.
11. Timely completion of  administrative responsibilities under the project

The Research Associate will work under the supervision of the Co-Investigators.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law/ related discipline from a recognised University.

Desirable:

• Candidates with a Master’s degree and relevant working experience will be preferred.
• Candidates who have a background in technology and experience in undertaking law and technology research will be preferred.
• Candidates who have expertise in consumer law and procedure will be preferred.

Experience and Skills

Essential

• 2 years of work experience in an academic or professional setting with demonstrable evidence of research and writing ability (sole- authored writing sample will be required).
• Strong, foundational understanding of the domain studied at the graduate and post-graduate level.
• Analytical skills, collation skills, communication skills (written and oral), technical skills, time-management skills.
• Self-driven, collaborative as well as the ability to work independently, attention to detail, data-driven.
• Proficiency in MS Office, Gmail, Google Documents and Google Sheets.

Desirable

• Detail-oriented project management of academic and research projects.
• Organisation of academic workshops and events.
• Experience of understanding upcoming technology, including coding or programming.
• Experience in conducting empirical research.

How to apply

Please use the Google form available here, and include the following documents:

• An updated CV
• A short statement of purpose (not more than 500 words)
• Sole-authored published piece.
• Details of two referees with contact details.

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications is 5:00 pm, May 9th (Thursday), 2024.

NLSIU invites applications for the position of Executive – PACE. The PACE department offers online and hybrid programmes that leverage technology to assist remote learners and provide access to NLSIU’s faculty, among the best in the country, to a wide range of learners. The PACE also provides refresher, upskilling, and capacity-enhancing programmes to members of the civil services, judiciary, and professionals engaging with the law in private organisations and in the non-governmental sector. Currently, the University has 7 Diploma Programmes and 1 Master’s programme along with the Certificate programme (FLE) under the PACE Department.

Executive (Consultant) – PACE – 02 Positions

These are full-time contractual positions for 1 year (extendable) based out of the NLSIU campus in Bangalore.

Qualifications

Essential:

Graduate/Post-Degree/Diploma in administration/management education, project management, IT or a related field.

Desirable:

1. Experience in managing academic and online programmes in the education technology sector.At least 1-3 years’ experience in administrative or operations roles.
2. Competent in Learning Management technology or digital academic tools.

Skills:

1. Excellent Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and IT skills.
2. High analytical ability. Prior experience in data management and analysis is preferred.
3. Strong communication skills, both written and oral.
4. Excellent interpersonal skills, fostering teamwork and a collaborative work ethic.
5. Critical thinking and ability to suggest alternatives.
6. Ability to work independently and  flexibly and willing to go beyond office hours.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Supporting the academic administration of degree/diploma/certificate and training programmes run by PACE.
2. Coordinating learning and delivery design of classes.
3. Working closely with the programme faculty for upkeep of the different learning platforms.
4. Managing the logistics of class schedules and related correspondence with faculty.
5. Coordinating the logistics of examination processes for different programmes.
6. Facilitating digitisation of study materials.
7. Facilitating effective communication and feedback loops among various stakeholders.
8. Ensuring adherence to processes, timelines, and SOPs.
9. Responding to student queries with speed and accuracy.
10. Collaborating with peers to ensure a high-quality experience for all stakeholders.
11. Preparation of ERP and LMS for courses.
12. Student enrolment on ERP and LMS for all courses and timetable creation.
13. Managing the logistics of conducting classes and office hours.
14. Liaising with faculty on modalities of course work and classes.
15. Planning, assisting, and managing logistics of Formative assessment held twice in a year and Summative assessment held once a year and Repeat examination held once a year.
16. The process of tabulation and declaration of results for all assessments.
17. Work relating to the annual Convocation.
18. Managing student queries.
19. Any other task assigned by the supervisors.
20. The role may include working on weekends.

How to Apply

Please use the Google form available here, and include the following documents:

• An updated CV
• A short statement of purpose (not more than 500 words)

Deadline

The last date for the submission of the application is 5:00 PM, 29th April (Monday), 2024.