News Type: News

Research Positions for Regulatory Governance Project | Call for Applications

The Regulatory Governance Project

To develop a cross-cutting view on regulatory governance, NLSIU is initiating a two-year project on Regulatory Governance supported by Omidyar Network India, to understand how regulators monitor, supervise and penalise regulated entities.
The project aims to ‘restock the regulatory toolkit’ for India by identifying the legal structures and norms of regulatory authorities and their parent bodies that best serve to create autonomous and accountable institutions. This understanding is intended to assist policymakers and regulators in shaping targeted improvements in regulatory frameworks and practices, and update them armed with an understanding of the potential for new technologies in the twenty-first century.

Roles

All roles are full-time based out of the NLSIU campus in Bangalore. Due to COVID related restrictions, engagement may begin on a remote basis.

Team Lead

Role Description:
The Team Lead will be a Research Fellow/Senior Fellow at NLSIU responsible for –

  • Developing and implementing the research agenda for the Regulatory Governance project.
  • Leading an interdisciplinary team of researchers.
  • Leveraging new and existing advisory networks and partnerships across academic institutions, research organisations and government.
  • Participating in, and organising platforms for discussion of issues related to the research.
  • Leading the dissemination of research findings and policy-relevant insights.

Who can apply?

  • A degree in law, and either a Masters degree or extensive professional experience
  • 6+ years of post-qualification academic or professional experience
  • Excellent research, writing and communication skills.
  • Familiarity with contemporary law and policy issues, along with a demonstrable expertise in regulatory governance.
  • Experience in designing and executing research projects.
  • Applicants with experience leading teams will be preferred.

Research Fellows – Law/Economics

Role Description:

  • Inform and implement the research agenda for the regulatory governance project.
  • Conduct original, empirical research on identified issues
  • Coordinate collaboration and dissemination activities,

Who can apply?

  • At least a degree in law or a Masters degree in economics.
  • Excellent research, writing and communication skills.
  • 4+ years of post-qualification academic or professional experience.
  • Familiarity with contemporary policy issues, along with a demonstrable interest in regulatory governance.
  • Applicants with experience in empirical work will be preferred.

How to Apply?

Write to with the subject heading “Application for [Role] in the Regulatory Governance project” with –

  • Your CV
  • A published writing sample or extract on an issue of law, economics or public policy (not more than 2000 words)
  • A short statement of purpose (not more than 500 words)

Deadline for applications is 23rd October, 2020.

 

28th Annual Convocation

Congratulations Class of 2020!

The 28th Annual Convocation of NLSIU was held on September 27, 2020 at 11 am. Due to the COVID Pandemic, the Convocation ceremony was held virtually for the first time in over three decades –  a unique experience for the University as well as its students. This year, 576 degrees and 48 medals were awarded. Chief Justice of India and Chancellor of NLSIU, Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde presided over the ceremony. Professor Niraja Gopal Jayal from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi was the Chief Guest and delivered the Convocation Address on the occasion. Watch the full video of the 28th Annual Convocation.

Press Release

Medal Winners Notification 2020

Vice Chancellor’s Annual Report 2020 

Convocation Address by Chief Guest Prof Niraja Gopal Jayal 

NLSIU Welcomes MPP Batch 2020-2022

Welcome to the 7th Cohort of the Masters of the Policy Programme!

In any other year, we would welcome our new batches into the University with a week-long orientation programme involving the usual campus tour, an introduction to faculty and peers, and a peek into the course features. This year however, our new MPP batch begins its NLS journey on July 22 completely online, and in rather exceptional circumstances in the midst of a pandemic.

We are glad however that the COVID-19 pandemic has not dampened the spirit of our academic endeavours. Students have enrolled in higher numbers this year with our MPP batch growing from 50 to 70. We also welcome the second batch of the Integrated Ph.D. programme in Public Policy. We are excited to welcome all of you to an engaging and intellectually productive time with us through and beyond the pandemic.

The Public Policy programme at NLSIU commenced in 2014. Prof Sony Pellissery, Associate Professor and Member, MPPP Council emphasized that the programme specialises in the interface of law and policy. “Since every good legislation requires clarity on policy, an interdisciplinary learning of politics, law and economics distinguishes our Public Policy pedagogy from any other programme in the world,” he said.

“Given that the world is in the tight grip of a pandemic, what is the most appropriate intervention we can make? A group of enthusiastic faculty members are waiting to engage with young aspiring professionals this year. A comprehensive review of the curriculum was undertaken last year and a new curriculum will be rolled out for the batch of 2020-22,” Prof Pellissery said.

Our Students

A few students from our new batch share their hopes and aspirations as they begin the programme in the midst of a pandemic.

K Ankitha Rao

K Ankitha Rao
K Ankitha Rao

Background: I have an Undergraduate Degree from Flame University with a Major in Literary and Cultural studies and a Minor in Public Policy. I am keen to explore policy advocacy and hope to work in the development sector someday and get involved with social policies.

What attracted me to the MPP programme: I was really interested in public policy and a legal touch to this programme was an added advantage. I feel such courses provide better options of employability with policy related work.

Dealing with the pandemic: When I applied for the programme, the Corona virus scare was not there in India and I never imagined this would start out as an online experience. I really wish I could be on campus right now. But, over the past few months, I had come to terms with the fact that circumstances would be different this year. I was disappointed initially but when I got admission into the course, it somehow balanced the situation for me as I now know what I will be focused on for the next two years.

Staying connected: Given the off campus experience, a few of us from the batch tried to connect with each other on Facebook and have created a WhatsApp group in the hope of establishing some form of a peer network.

Aishwarya Tiwari

Aishwarya Tiwari
Aishwarya Tiwari

Background: I completed my five-year BA LLB programme from Allahabad University and I am interested in civil services as well. I hope to someday work with think tanks and research organisations and eventually venture into academia.

What attracted me to the MPP programme: The interdisciplinary level of education in this course caught my fancy. I am passionate about societal issues and knowledge of policies is crucial for understanding and tackling them. This knowledge is what I hope to gain during the course.

Dealing with the pandemic: Right from the application process to the interviews, the entire process was carried out online in a very interactive manner. We will miss our on-campus experience but this is a challenge Universities across the world are dealing with as it has become the new normal during the pandemic.

Naturally, an interpersonal connect with peers and faculty is preferred any day over anything online. I hope some steps can be taken during the trimester to encourage peer group interactions.

ನಿವೇದಿತಾ ಜಿ.ಡಿ. (Niveditha GD)

Niveditha GD
Niveditha GD

ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆ: ಅಜೀಂ ಪ್ರೇಮ್ಜಿ ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯದಿಂದ ಆರ್ಥಿಕತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪದವಿ ಪಡೆದಿರುವ ನನಗೆ ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೂ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಸೋಚಾರಾ ಮತ್ತು ಮಧ್ಯಪ್ರದೇಶದ ನರ್ಮದಾ ಬಚಾವೋ ಆಂದೋಲನದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಇಂಟರ್ನ್ಶಿಪ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದು, ಮುಂದೆ ತೃಣಮೂಲ ಮಟ್ಟದ ಜನಪರ ಸಂಘಟನೆಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವ ಇರಾದೆ ಇದೆ.

ಎಂಪಿಪಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಆಕರ್ಷಿಸಿದ್ದು: ನೀತಿ-ನಿರೂಪಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಜನರ ಮೇಲೆ ಇದರ ಪ್ರಭಾವದ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಆಸಕ್ತಿಕರ. ಭವಿಷ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ತೃಣಮೂಲ ಮಟ್ಟದ ಜನಪರ ಸಂಘಟನೆಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾ, ಜನರ ಹೋರಾಟಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ದುಡಿಯುತ್ತಾ ಜನ ಮತ್ತು ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ನಡುವಿನ ಸಂಘರ್ಷಣೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತಿಳಿಯಬಯಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.

ಕೋವಿಡ್-೧೯ರ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಬದುಕು: ಈ ವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯಕ್ಕೆ ಡಿಸೆಂಬರ್ ೨೦೧೯ರಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಅರ್ಜಿ ಹಾಕಿದಾಗ ನನ್ನ ಜೀವನದ ಹೊಸ ಅಧ್ಯಾಯವನ್ನು ಈ ರೀತಿ ಶುರು ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆಂದು ಒಂದರೆಕ್ಷಣವೂ ಊಹಿಸಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಕೊರೋನಾ ಪಿಡುಗಿನಿಂದ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಕಾರ್ಯವೂ ಹೊಡೆತ ತಿನ್ನಬಹುದು, ಇದು ದುರದೃಷ್ಟಕರ. ಮೊದಲ ಟ್ರೈಮಿಸ್ಟರ್ ಅವಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಲೇಜಿಗೆ ಬರುವುದನ್ನು ನಾನು ಎದುರು ನೋಡುತ್ತ

ಿದ್ದೆ. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ನಿರಾಸೆಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಆನ್ಲೈನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ವ್ಯವಹರಿಸಲು ಎದುರು ನೋಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಇದು ಹೊಸ ಬಗೆಯ ತರಗತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಇದರಲ್ಲೂ ಹಲವು ಉತ್ತಮ ಅವಕಾಶಗಳಿರುತ್ತವೆಂದು ಆಶಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.

Meet our new faculty member | Dr. Aparna Chandra

We are happy to welcome another NLS alumnus who has returned to the University as a faculty member for the Academic Year 2020-21. Dr Aparna Chandra, NLS ‘LLB 2006, has taught previously at the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, at Yale Law School, and most recently at National Law University, Delhi. She has now joined NLSIU as Associate Professor and will be teaching Constitutional Law at the University.

The University extends a warm welcome to her. We asked her to share more about herself, her academic interests and her recent work.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Dr. Aparna Chandra
Dr. Aparna Chandra (NLS BA LLB 2006), joins NLSIU as Associate Professor, Constitutional Law

I am from Ranchi in Jharkhand. I graduated from the B.A. LL.B (Hons.) programme at NLS in 2006 and pursued my LL.M and JSD at Yale Law School. I spent a year teaching at NLS in 2009-10. I have also worked at the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, at Yale Law School as a Tutor in Law, and most recently at National Law University, Delhi as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Centre for Constitutional Law, Policy and Governance.

How did your interest in Constitutional Law begin? Any other areas of interest?

My love for constitutional law dates back to my first year in law school, and to my first constitutional law course. I felt like I was learning a new language, and a new world of ideas and concepts had opened up for me. At that time, I didn’t think I would one day end up teaching the subject, mostly because for most of my law school life, I did not think I would end up in academia.

It was during my Teaching Assistantship with Prof Somashekhar in my final year that I fell in love with teaching. My main area of teaching is Constitutional Law. My moral and ethical framework is shaped by feminism, so I bring that to my understanding of the law (and of life). I also work on empirical (particularly quantitative) legal studies.

Feminist engagements with the law began with Lizzy Ma’am’s (Prof. V.S. Elizabeth) history courses which sparked my interest. I also took her Feminist Legal Theory seminar in my 5th year and that spoilt me for life!

The importance of Constitutional Law as a subject in your opinion:

I have 60 hours’ worth of lectures on this question! The short version would be that Constitutional Law is one of the most foundational law subjects (perhaps second only to Jurisprudence). Constitutions structure how power is shaped and regulated in state and society. They define the nature of our state, our standing and our rights as citizens, and the expanse and limits of legal possibilities and justice claims in our polity.

As engaged citizens, a knowledge of constitutional principles and theories is crucial for developing and sustaining a democratic and rights protective constitutional culture. In this sense, we are all constitutional actors, and we need to be familiar with the constitution to be able to engage with it. More prosaically, since every other law has to be in consonance with the Constitution, familiarity with constitutional law is critical for practitioners in any legal field.

When did your association with NLS begin? Since you are also an NLS alum, could you briefly share something about your NLS experience?

This is my third stint at NLS. I first came to NLS in 2001 as an undergrad. I also taught at NLS in 2009-10. I know how much privilege lies behind this statement – but I loved my law school life! That’s possibly why I decided to make a career out of it.

As a student, I got up to a lot of things that I wouldn’t have wanted the faculty to know. As a faculty, I can only say, I got up to a lot of things in my student days at NLS that I wouldn’t want my students to know!

NLS Memories: Perhaps the one memory that I associate with law school – and it is not even a single memory, more a sense of nostalgia – is evenings on the hostel terrace with friends. If I close my eyes and think about law school, this is the first image that comes to mind.

Your thoughts on starting your teaching journey at NLS?

I am excited, nervous and curious in equal measure. Students are so much smarter and more knowledgeable with each passing year that I feel the need to constantly reinvent my teaching method to effectively contribute to their education. Taking my classes online will also be a new experience, especially since I prefer a discussion-oriented pedagogy. I am also curious to see what the law school culture is like these days.

As a faculty member in my previous stint at NLS, I appreciated much more than I had as a student, the critical role that the administrative and the library staff play in making NLS what it is. I am looking forward to coming back to work with such supportive colleagues.

Plans ahead: My plan, as much as one can plan in these times, is to set up a space to carry out a range of research activities broadly around themes of constitutional justice. At the National Law University, Delhi, I headed the Centre for Constitutional Law, Policy and Governance. That research space was as integral to my work as my teaching. I hope to build upon that experience at NLS.

Recent Work

Articles

Justice Arun Mishra & The Supreme Court’s Rule Of Whim

Proportionality in India: A Bridge to Nowhere?

Papers

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1316755

Books

Prof Chandra is currently under contract with Penguin for a book on the Indian Supreme Court, tentatively titled, The Supreme Court in Crisis. She is co-authoring this book with Sital Kalantry from Cornell Law School and William Hubbard from the University of Chicago Law School.

Prof Chandra is also on the Editorial Boards of:

Law and Other Things
Article 14

Meet our new faculty member | Dr. Mrinal Satish

We are happy to announce a new addition to our faculty for the Academic Year 2020-21. Dr Mrinal Sathish, NLS ‘LLB 2001, has returned to NLSIU to join us as Professor of Law. His area of teaching is Criminal Law and he has previously been a faculty member at the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, and at the National Law University, Delhi .

The University extends a warm welcome to Dr Satish. We asked him to share more about himself, his academic interests and his recent work.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Dr. Mrinal Satish
Dr Mrinal Sathish, NLS ‘LLB 2001, joins as Professor of Law, NLSIU

I am from Shimoga in Karnataka. I grew up and did my schooling in Belgaum, Bangalore, Bhadravati and Shimoga. I am a graduate of the LL.B and LL.M programmes at NLSIU. I began my teaching career at NLSIU, where I initially worked for 4 years. I then went to Yale Law School, USA, where I got my LL.M and JSD (Doctor of Science in Law) degrees. I have been a faculty member at the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, and at the National Law University, Delhi. I have also been the Chairperson of the Delhi Judicial Academy. Other than my professional interests, I enjoy travelling, reading, and watching true crime shows/docuseries.

What is your area of teaching? How did your interest in Criminal Law begin?

I have focussed on Criminal Law throughout my career. My fascination with the field began right from my second year at law school, when we were taught criminal law. In my final year of law school I was a teaching assistant to Prof. S.V. Joga Rao for the criminal law course. That was a career-defining moment for me. I realised how much I enjoyed teaching, and criminal law. This passion for teaching and criminal law led me to return to NLSIU to teach after a short stint as a corporate lawyer.

The importance of Criminal Law as a subject in your opinion:

Criminal law impacts our daily lives in many ways. People are fascinated by crime, as the current unhealthy media circus around actor Rhea Chakraborty indicates. It is also a political issue, as is exemplified by the 2020 US Presidential elections. In the recent past, I have focused on sexual offences laws.

My doctoral dissertation was on sentencing for rape in India. I was also part of the research team of the Justice Verma Committee that suggested reforms to rape laws in 2013. One of the recommendations of the committee was a definition of “consent” in the context of sexual activities. As the Committee noted in its report, the objectives of the Committee’s recommendations were not only about criminalizing actions or recommending punishments, but to shape and guide people’s behaviour. Since criminal law sets normative frameworks to guide people’s behaviour, failing which it curtails liberty, it is a very important area of law. Criminal Procedure on the other hand is a charter for protection of people’s rights in their interaction with the criminal justice system. Hence, criminal law as a subject is not only interesting to study, but also a particularly important facet of people’s lives.

Tell us about your association with NLS and the experiences at the University.

I am what I am today thanks to NLS. My association with NLS began in 1996, when I moved to Bangalore from a small city in Karnataka to join the ninth batch of the LL.B programme. At that time, the University was short of hostel space, and put around 25 of us in a dormitory. That was my introduction to NLS!

Having to live, and study with 25 others was quite an experience, which made all of us close friends, and also gave us various interesting life experiences. The academic programme was rigorous and provided us opportunities to engage in a vast array of activities. As a student, I worked extensively with the Legal Services Clinic, and with research centres such as the Centre for Child and the Law, and The Institute of Law and Ethics in Medicine, amongst others.

These experiences have shaped my life, and my career choices. The faculty, and the administrative staff played a very important role in guiding us both academically and personally, in what were still initial years of the law school. I learnt a lot (and continue to learn) from my professors, peers, and students.

Your thoughts on starting your teaching journey at NLS? What are your plans ahead?

I am excited to begin what will be my third stint as a faculty member at NLS. NLS has always taken the lead in introducing and updating approaches to legal education – be it in terms of course syllabi, pedagogy, or research. With NLS entering its fourth decade, it is an exciting time for us to innovate further. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, and students at NLS, and contributing to the field of law and legal education.

 

Introducing the Dr N R Madhava Menon Doctoral Scholarship for PhD students

N.R. Madhava Menon, NLSIU Founding Director
N.R. Madhava Menon (1935-2019), NLSIU Founding Director

At NLSIU, our pursuit of academic excellence goes hand in hand with efforts in raising our research output quality to the highest standards. Continuing these efforts in 2020, the University is delighted to introduce its first PhD scholarship in honour of the University’s Founder-Director Dr N R Madhava Menon.

‘The Dr N R Madhava Menon Doctoral Scholarship’ is a three-year programme that will sponsor three meritorious students admitted to NLSIU’s PhD Programme. GE India has partnered with the University for an overall sponsorship value of around ₹75 lakh which will fund 3 Scholars for 2020-2023.

The Scholarship ensures that scholars of the highest calibre and merit are recognised and encouraged to pursue their goals, and helps make the degree a competitive and highly regarded programme, on par with international fellowships.

On Sep 1, NLISU and GE India announced ‘The Dr N R Madhava Menon Doctoral Scholarship’ over a virtual MoU signing ceremony.

Vice Chancellor, NLSIU, Prof (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy, said, “The Dr. N. R. Madhava Menon Doctoral Scholarship was created to honour and celebrate the role of our Founder who pioneered legal education reform in India. This Scholarship programme will identify and support PhD Research Scholars at NLSIU to make an exceptional contribution to legal knowledge and legal education and to become future leaders in India.”

The Scholarship is also an attempt to deepen the University’s engagement with research initiatives and high technology industries in Bangalore and emerge as a leading research hub.

Eligibility: All candidates accepted for the doctoral programme at NLSIU will be eligible to apply for this scholarship. The three candidates will be selected by interviews conducted by the selection panel based on academic excellence, compelling trajectory and potential of their study proposal. The selected candidates must be full-time PhD scholars who will continue to demonstrate adequate progress in their doctoral studies during the term of their scholarship.

Benefits: The Menon Scholars will get fully funded opportunities including annual tuition fees, monthly stipend, a laptop and travel costs for attending a conference.

Srijoni Sen, Assistant Professor, NLSIU said that the University wants to build a promising community of scholars with mentoring and support from legal luminaries and renowned experts. The intention is for the Dr. Menon Scholarship to become an aspirational scholarship for meritorious students who want to engage in higher education and legal research in India, where such prestigious scholarships are relatively lacking.

General Counsel, GE- South Asia, John Thaliath, said, “GE is honored to support the scholarship of deserving PhD candidates who will take forward the rich research tradition of NLSIU. GE has stood for upholding the highest virtues of integrity and commitment to excellence. We believe that the same rigour needs to be cultivated within budding talent in humanities especially in the field of legal studies.”

“Clear Verdict” – India Today

Aravind Gowda of India Today spoke with the Vice Chancellor of NLSIU, Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy about NLSIU’s innovations in legal education, it’s efforts towards being Covid-ready, and its plans at the post-graduate level. The conversation, and the accompanying article are available here.

NLSIU Teaching Associate nominated for Consumers International Next Generation Leaders Network

We are happy to share that Akshay Yadav from The Chair on Consumer Law and Practice (CLAP), NLSIU, has been nominated for the Consumers International Next Generation Leaders Network.

Consumers International is the renowned membership organisation for consumer groups around the world. This Network provides a platform for the next generation of leaders in the consumer movement to share ideas, insights, and inspiration to help shape future action on a range of consumer issues. These issues could range from sustainable consumption and digital privacy to fairer food systems and product safety.

Prof. (Dr.) Ashok R. Patil, Professor, Chair on Consumer Law and Practice, said the Network is an initiative of Consumer International, a Global Federal Association in the United Kingdom, to recognise, develop and support youth voices from across the global membership.

“This network nominated 25 young and innovative consumer advocates between the ages of 18 to 30 years across 21 countries. It is pertinent to note that only 2 members are nominated from India and Mr. Akshay Yadav, from NLSIU is one among them. I congratulate Mr. Akshay Yadav for being nominated for Consumer International Next Generation Leaders Network and wish him all the best for his future endeavours,” he said.

About Akshay Baburao Yadav:

Akshay, a law graduate with an LL.M. from Karnataka State Law University, Hubballi, is a 26-year-old Teaching Associate at NLSIU. His focus areas include consumer law and practice. Akshay has been involved in drafting a variety of policies, has edited a number of consumer law journals and worked on various projects sponsored by the Government of India, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Government of Karnataka as well as the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Reacting to the announcement, Mr Akshay said it was a great moment for him when he heard about his nomination into the Leaders Network. “I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude to Prof Ashok R. Patil, for his support, invaluable guidance and encouragement,” he said.

Selection Process: The selection process was divided into two stages, one involving the call for nominations for the Network following which, he was asked to submit a write-up and a short video on consumer advocacy.

About Consumers International:

The membership organisation for consumer groups brings together over 200 member organisations in more than 100 countries to empower and champion the rights of consumers everywhere. The forum is a voice in international policy-making forums and the global marketplace to ensure they are treated safely, fairly and honestly. Its vision focuses on a world where everyone has access to safe and sustainable products and services. https://www.consumersinternational.org/

Bengaluru: NLSIU, IISc rank top in survey

National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, has yet again topped the National Ranking Institutional Framework (NIRF) survey of the best law institutions in the country.

The university has scored a hat-trick of wins by remaining on top of the rankings in 2018, 2019 and 2020. This year, it has increased its lead on its peers.

Published in Bangalore Mirror