News Type: News

Call for Applications | Faculty Positions at NLSIU | November 2025

NLSIU was the first National Law University established in India in 1986. The premier law school 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.

We pioneered the five-year BA LLB (Hons) programme in 1988. We also offer a Master’s in Laws, Master’s in Public Policy, and PhD programme. In 2022 we launched a new three-year LLB (Hons) programme. In 2025, we admitted the first cohort of the NLS BA (Hons) programme, India’s first BA (Honours) programme by a professional law university. And for over 35 years now, the University has irrefutably remained a leader in the field of legal education in the country.

NLSIU holds the top ranking in India for law programmes, consistently securing the #1 spot in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and various private ranking systems, for multiple consecutive years, including 2024 and 2025.

The University invites applications from accomplished, committed, and dynamic individuals for the following positions. Please click on the titles to view the official notifications of each position with roles and responsibilities.

1. Assistant Professor (Humanities & Social Science) (5-Year Contract) | 2 vacancies
To apply, click here.

2. Assistant Professor (Law) (5-Year Contract) | 6 vacancies
To apply, click here.

3. Assistant Professor (Social Science) | 4 vacancies
To apply, click here.

4. Assistant Professor (Law) | 3 vacancies
To apply, click here.

5. Associate Professor (Humanities & Social Science) | 2 vacancies
To apply, click here.

6. Associate Professor (Law) | 3 vacancies
To apply, click here.

7. Ford Foundation Chair in Public Interest Law | 1 vacancy
To apply, click here.

The last date to submit applications for all positions is January 2, 2026 (5 PM IST).

Please note that only those applications completed and submitted via the applicable Google form prior to the stated deadline will be considered.

Call for Applications | Research Associate on Assessment of Karnataka’s Shakti Scheme Project

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) invites applications for one full-time Research Associate position to work on the project titled “Bus, benefits and beyond: A comprehensive study of transport equity through Karnataka’s Shakti Scheme” project. The position is up to August 2026 from the date of joining and will be based on campus in Bengaluru, with some time spent on fieldwork in four field sites of Karnataka (Mysuru, Hubballi, Karwar, Kalaburgi).

The project is the recipient of Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Urban Development Department, Govt of Karnataka’s annual research program, ASPIRE(ASPIRE-02/2025), that aims at conducting studies for identified priority research areas in the field of urban mobility, in collaboration with Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). The Research Associate will report to the project’s co-investigator, Dr. Vijayamba R, who is faculty at NLSIU.

About the Project

The Shakti scheme of the Karnataka government is a new addition to a long list of cities implementing fare-free public transport (FFPT). This project will evaluate the Shakti scheme both from a demand (user) perspective and a supply (transport personnel) perspective. In the first phase of studying user perspective, apart from the obvious affordability component of the Shakti scheme, this project will employ the 4As framework (accessibility, availability, acceptability and affordability) to understand their experiences comprehensively. In the second phase, the study will focus on the supply (transport personnel) perspective through focus group discussions at bus depots and related offices. Through these two phases, the study will capture the scheme’s invisible, unaccounted and disparate impact on bus users and society at large.

The study will adopt a mixed methods approach with both quantitative methods with structured, in-person, researcher-administered surveys. Qualitative methods using in-depth interviews for a purposive sample will be administered to understand the experiences of access and barriers in detail and their perceptions about the scheme. Focus group discussion will be conducted to understand the range of perceptions, opinions and experiences of transport personnel. The outputs of the project include capacity building, workshops for research personnel, analysis, popular media pieces and reports.

Role description

The Research Associate will be responsible for:

  • Assisting in undertaking literature reviews in a combination of fields of transport studies, feminist studies and urban studies;
  • Preparation of quantitative survey tools;
  • Collection of survey data from the field sites;
  • Entry of the survey data;
  • Analysis of the survey data;
  • Attending periodic team meetings organised by Principal Investigators and Co Investigators ;
  • Write short-form articles and commentaries for the NLS repository under the guidance of the project CI; and,
  • Any other tasks as required

Qualifications

Essential

  • Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies or any other allied discipline
  • Proficiency in spoken and written Kannada to collect data on field

Desirable

  • Academic background in urban, gender studies, mobilities research or cognate fields
  • Working knowledge of MS Excel, STATA or an equivalent software package to analyse quantitative data

Experience

Essential

  • At least 1 year of research experience post Master’s degree in the broad domain of development.

Desirable

  • Familiarity with academic debates on the topics of schemes of distributive justice and livelihoods
  • Prior experience of conducting fieldwork in research cities and engaging with relevant stakeholders
  • Experience in project coordination roles within a research team

How to Apply?

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

  1. An up-to-date CV
  2. A statement of purpose (not more than 500 words) indicating your interest and suitability for the position
  3. Contact details and designation of two professional references

Suitable candidates will be called for an interview after the initial screening.

Compensation

Salary will be up to Rs 40,000 per month commensurate with the candidate’s experience.

For any queries, please write to

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications has been extended to December 15, 2025 by 5 pm (IST).

NLSIU’s BA LLB Student Receives Rhodes Scholarship for 2026 | Manhar Bansal

We congratulate our student Manhar Bansal, a final year student of the 5-year BA LLB (Hons) programme for receiving the Rhodes Scholarship for 2026!

Image source: Rhodes Trust Press Release

Six Rhodes Scholars-Elect for India 2026 have been selected this year, marking the culmination of a rigorous national selection process.

Manhar joins the list of 26 NLSIU scholars who’ve been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship so far (including this year). He will be heading to the University of Oxford in October 2026 to join a cohort of more than 100 scholars from around the world to undertake fully funded post-graduate studies and become part of a strong community of people determined to make a positive difference in the world.

In an official statement, Professor Sir Rick Trainor, CEO of the Rhodes Trust, said: “The Rhodes Trust is delighted to introduce the extraordinary 2026 Class of Rhodes Scholars Elect who represent cultures and perspectives from every corner of the world. For more than a century, the Rhodes Trust has brought exceptional individuals to Oxford and fostered a vibrant global community. We eagerly anticipate the invaluable contributions these Scholars will make, not just during their studies, but throughout their lives as they join the community of Rhodes Scholar alumni who are creating a more equitable and sustainable future for the world. 

The Trust is committed to ensuring that the world’s diversity of background and thought is reflected at Rhodes House, which has expanded the Rhodes Scholarship to include the Global Scholarships and new constituencies in recent years, including West Africa, East Africa, China, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon & Palestine and the United Arab Emirates.” 

About Manhar Bansal

Hailing from Muktsar, Punjab, Manhar Bansal is a final year BA LLB (Hons) student at NLSIU, Bengaluru with an interdisciplinary focus in philosophy and literature. In his words, “his work seeks to theorise the possibility of a human self that is attuned but not reducible to its socio-historical specificities.” His academic writing has been published in multiple venues and has received recognition by the Society for Humanistic Anthropology and the South Asian Studies Association of Australia. At NLSIU, he served as the chief editor of a student journal, headed a student-led academic support programme, and co-convened a theory reading group. He has also been learning French, writes for his public newsletter, and enjoys dancing and swimming. Manhar aspires to a public-facing academic career with the aim of introducing humanistic education to young people. At Oxford, he intends to pursue the MSt in Comparative Literature and Critical Translation.

Reflecting on his scholarship, Manhar said: “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to receive the Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford which will allow me to develop my academic and intellectual interests. I want to study literature and philosophy at Oxford. NLS has been an increasingly interdisciplinary University, and my degree is not just in the law but also the social sciences and the humanities. First year onwards, as I sat in the classrooms, I understood the expanse of possibilities which humanities offers; it allows you to contemplate the human condition, in all its terror and beauty, and that’s what draws me to it. NLS has been the most transformational four years so far of my life – both inside and outside the classroom – of learning about yourself, about the world, and what you didn’t know existed.

Among the many people I’d like to thank, I would like to mention Dr. Atreyee Majumder, Dr. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, and Dr. Samyak Ghosh from NLSIU; my schoolteacher Ms. Swati Verma, and my French teacher Ms. Vibha GK for supporting my application. I also want to thank other faculty at NLS for their time and encouragement.”

We wish Manhar the very best for his academic journey ahead!   

About the Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship since 1903, and is awarded by the Rhodes Trust, an educational charity based at the University of Oxford. The Scholarships for India began in 1947 and have been awarded to five outstanding applicants each year.

After a competitive application process and two rounds of preliminary interviews, shortlisted finalists were interviewed and six were chosen to receive the prestigious scholarships for 2026. This includes a sixth scholarship this year – ‘Rhodes Scholarship for India in partnership with the Radhakrishnan-Rajan Family.’

“Students from anywhere in the world can apply for a Rhodes Scholarship and many find that taking part in our rigorous selection is a profoundly positive experience which leaves them well placed to go on to a Rhodes Scholarship or other opportunities worldwide. The Rhodes selection process aims to choose young people with proven academic excellence who also show exceptional character, leadership, the energy to use their talents to the full and a commitment to solving humanity’s challenges. The selection process includes a rigorous review process before the finalists’ interview with a selection committee composed of renowned experts and leaders in diverse fields.

Rhodes Scholars form a lifelong community of people in many fields and careers, united by a commitment to having a positive impact on the world. Scholars from India have gone on to pursue careers ranging from public policy, literature, law, medicine, scientific research, etc. This year’s winners continue the fantastic legacy of excellence.,” said an official statement from the Rhodes Trust.

The applications for the 2027 Rhodes Scholarships will open in June 2026. More information about the Scholarship application can be found at: www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/apply.

The official press release from the Rhodes Trust is available here. 

 

CCL at NLSIU Participates in National Consultation on 12 Years of the NFSA at NLU Odisha

Representatives from the Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), National Law School of India University, Bengaluru — Akshaya P and Aditi Thakur — participated as resource persons in the National Consultation on “12 Years of NFSA: Reflecting on Implementation, Exclusion, and the Future of Food Rights,” organised by the Centre for Tribal Studies, National Law University (NLU) Odisha, on September 20 and 21, 2025. The consultation brought together experts, practitioners, and scholars from across the country to share their experiences and chart the way forward for advancing the implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

The CCL team delivered a presentation on “The Role of Delegated Legislation in the Implementation of NFSA,” highlighting the importance of delegated legislation in realising the objectives of the NFSA, 2013. The presentation reflected on the challenges and experiences in framing comprehensive state rules, reviewed progress made across different states, and examined gaps in the Odisha Food Security Rules. The session concluded with suggestions to strengthen the state’s legal framework to enhance accountability and ensure effective implementation of the NFSA. The representation drew from the ongoing research on the importance of subordinate legislation in realisation of the right to food in different states in the country.

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Guest Lectures by Prof. Stanley Yeo from National University of Singapore | Nov 13 & 14, 2025

NLSIU is hosting two guest lectures by Prof. Stanley Yeo, Visiting Professor, National University of Singapore (NUS) at the NLS campus on November 13 and 14, 2025. Details of both talks are provided below.

Conjuring Criminal Law on the good ship “The IPC” | Nov 13, 2025

Room 204, New Academic Block | 4 pm – 5.30 pm
This talk is primarily for faculty and researchers, but is open to other members of the NLS community.  

Abstract: Professor Stanley Yeo will share his personal journey as a legal academic from a young inexperienced lecturer in the early 1980s to the present day as a visiting research professor at the National University of Singapore. He will show how his teaching and research of the Indian Penal Code (“IPC”) has borne much fruit over the years, both in terms of personal satisfaction as a teacher, and witnessing the impact of his research on legal change. Stanley will highlight some lessons from his long academic career with the aim of benefitting his listeners. This lecture will be directed as much to law students as to emerging academics and researchers, and anyone who may be curious to know what legal academics in their ivory towers think and do in their working lives.

Influences on Criminal Law and its Reform in Asia | Friday, November 14

Room 104, New Academic Block, NLSIU | 4 pm – 5.30 pm
This talk is primarily aimed at students but is open to other members of the NLS community.

Abstract: In this lecture, Professor Stanley Yeo will draw on his expansive knowledge and experience accumulated over four decades to describe three significant areas impacting the criminal law and its reform in the Asian region. They are the continuing influence of Western concepts of criminal responsibility; the influence of legal scholarship on the development of criminal law; and the development of a shared Asian criminal jurisprudence. The lecture will encourage listeners to acknowledge the value of 19th century colonial roots of the criminal law in our country and broader region; to appreciate the vital role that legal scholarship can play in bringing the criminal law into the 21st century; and to explore the prospects of fostering a shared criminal jurisprudence in our region.

About the Speaker

Stanley Yeo is a visiting scholar at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies, National University of Singapore. He has made legal academia his life-long career spanning over 40 years during which time he has held permanent positions at law schools in Australia and Singapore, and short term visitorships to law schools in Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, Bhutan and India. He has published extensively in the fields of criminal law and criminal justice, with special leaning towards comparative criminal law. He has served as a consultant to law commissions in Australia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

 

 

2nd FinTech Moot Court Competition 2025-2026 | By NLSIU and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas

The Moot Court Society of NLSIU, in association with Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM), organised the second edition of the NLS–SAM FinTech Moot Court Competition, 2025, on November 15–16, 2025.

Results

The team comprising Arjun Sagar, Ayush Sagar Sharma and Chahat Jain, from the UILS, Panjab University, Chandigarh emerged as the winners of the competition.

The final bench was presided over by a distinguished panel from the legal community consisting of Senior Advocates Siddharth Aggarwal, Shyel Trehan and Raghenth Basant.

SAM will offer an internship to each member of the winning team as well as to the recipient of the Best Speaker, Best Memorial (Claimant) and Best Memorial (Respondent).

The Problem

This year’s moot proposition raised pressing and contemporary legal questions in fintech ranging from digital public infrastructure to virtual reality, offering participants an opportunity to engage with complex legal, regulatory, and commercial dimensions of fintech law.

The moot problem was expertly drafted by the Fintech team at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., with valuable contributions from Ms. Ranjana Adhikari’s team on gaming law and Mr. Shashank Mishra’s team on litigation aspects. Mr. Vivek Reddy (NLS BA LLB 2003), Senior Advocate, also shared his invaluable insights, lending significant industry realism to the problem.

A total of 36 teams submitted their memorials, and 24 qualified to argue in the oral rounds, representing some of the top universities across the country.

Read The Brochure

 

Reflections

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Shilpa Mankar Ahluwalia, Co-Head, Banking & Finance at SAM, said, “We are thrilled to have successfully completed the second edition of the NLS-SAM Fintech Moot Competition which allows the lawyers of tomorrow to critically engage with real world regulatory issues facing the fintech ecosystem today. We had thought leaders and leading practitioners from the fintech and financial services community join us as judges for the competition and actively engage with the students. The moot competition brings students, professors and practitioners together onto a single platform to engage with policy & legal issues in fintech reflecting our commitment to nurture the next generation of lawyers and to thought leadership.

Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice-Chancellor, NLS, said, “The support of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas has made the NLS–SAM Fintech Moot possible. Alongside the moot court competition, we have also focused on advancing academic research on recent developments in fintech law. The first edition of the moot in 2024 led to a collaboration between NLS and SAM, under which we are preparing White Paper on Asset Tokenisation to be published later this year. We look forward to continued engagement on emerging issues in the year ahead.”

In the Press

Call for Applications | Visiting Faculty for the Programme in Indian Languages and Literatures

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) invites applications from experts in Hindi and Kannada for Visiting Faculty (2 positions) at NLSIU based out of the University campus on a contract basis for 2 years, (March 2026 to February 2028) with the possibility of extended engagement on a need basis. This position will be based in Bengaluru.

About the NLS Programme in Indian Languages and Literatures

In 2025, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) launched the NLS BA (Hons) programme to nurture a cohort of students equipped to engage with and shape contemporary concerns in India.

This programme will require a study of Indian languages to encourage cultural immersion, social sensitivity, and critical thinking in non-English linguistic modes.

The Programme in Indian Languages and Literatures will host a number of scholars of Indian languages who will deliver basic, intermediate and advanced courses to NLSIU students, as well as develop over time a set of certificate language courses to be delivered in online/hybrid modes. Its primary goal is to equip students to develop professional careers in a multicultural and multilingual India. Language learning at NLSIU is not conceived as mere literacy or rote acquisition, but as a pedagogical tool to develop functional linguistic ability to engage with everyday life, professional and cultural forms, as well as participate in public discussion.

Qualifications

Essential

  • MA/MPhil degrees in the relevant language and its literature

Desirable

  • A PhD in a relevant discipline is preferred

Experience

Essential

  • At least 2 years of experience in senior high school or UG programmes at universities or in civil society organisations, engaged in language teaching.

Preferred demonstrable qualities:

  • Innovative approaches to teaching language.
  • Ability to work closely with students.
  • Open to developing pedagogical methods to foster inclusive and innovative teaching.
  • Taking an active interest in pedagogy.

How To Apply?

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

1. Teaching Statement of 2-3 pages (single spaced): Develop a teaching statement to introduce a first-year undergraduate class (of 60 hours) comprising 30 students to the language – in its script, phonetics, cultural worlds, visual and aural environments. The statement should include the following components:

  • Teaching resources used in designing the session(s).
  • A selection of possible readings for the course, accompanied by a brief explanation of your choices.
  • An in-class worksheet.
  • A detailed lesson plan for one session.

When developing your session plan, describe how you will teach this class to students with different learning capacities and levels of preparation to succeed in such courses.

2. CV

3. A Statement of Purpose  (800 – 1000) words

4. Contact details and designation of two professional references

Compensation

Salary will be commensurate with qualification and experience.

For any queries, please write to

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications has been extended December 4, 2025 at 5 pm.

Guest Lectures by Prof. Wing-Cheong Chan from Singapore Management University | Nov 13 & 14, 2025

NLSIU is hosting two guest lectures by Prof. Wing-Cheong Chan, Professor of Law, Singapore Management University (SMU) at the NLS campus on November 13 and 14, 2025. Details of both talks are provided below.

‘Deconstructing public opinion on the death penalty’ | Thursday, November 13

Room 201, New Academic Block, NLSIU | 5 PM
This talk is primarily aimed at students but is open to other members of the NLS community.

Abstract: Governments often use public support to justify and legitimise the retention or reinstatement of the death penalty, rejecting evidence, expert opinion and international human rights standards. This presentation explores the importance of critically examining the public opinion survey’s methodology and question design in order to have an accurate understanding of attitudes towards capital punishment.

‘SMU’s Pro Bono Programme’| Friday, November 14, 2025

Room 205, New Academic Block, | 4- 5:30 PM
This talk is primarily for faculty, specifically those teaching clinics, but is open to other members of the NLS community.  

Abstract: This presentation highlights some of the pro bono activities organised by the SMU Pro Bono Centre. From running a legal clinic on campus and delivering legal awareness talks to drafting wills for caregivers, these projects empower students to make a tangible difference in the community. By engaging in pro bono work, students not only apply their legal knowledge to real-life situations but also develop empathy, social responsibility, and a deeper understanding of the issues faced by those in need.

About the SMU Pro Bono Centre

Since 2013, the Singapore Management University (SMU) Pro Bono Centre has championed access to justice and nurtured a generation of socially conscious lawyers from the Yong Pung How School of Law. Through student-led initiatives and partnerships with the wider community, the Centre connects classroom learning with real-world impact — empowering future legal professionals to serve with empathy, integrity, and purpose. To learn more about the SMU Pro Bono Centre, please click here.

About the Speaker

Wing Cheong is Professor of Law at SMU. He completed his undergraduate studies in Law from Oxford University, England and his Master’s degree from Cornell University, USA. He is an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, a barrister of Gray’s Inn (England & Wales), and a qualified attorney of New York State (USA).

His academic career started with the Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1993. His areas of specialisation include Criminal Law, Family Law, Child Law and Elder Law. He is the co-author of ‘Criminal Law in Singapore’ which is used by law students and practitioners, and it has been cited numerous times by the courts of both Malaysia and Singapore. His recent projects include an examination of the death penalty in Singapore, and the criminal laws of regional countries (Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Laos, Bhutan and Bangladesh). Two of his works have been translated into other languages: ‘Family Law in Singapore’ (Japanese) and ‘Criminal Law in Myanmar’ (Burmese).

 

 

 

Call for Panels | 6th India Public Policy Network Conference | June 1-4, 2026

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru is hosting the 6th India Public Policy Network Conference (IPPN) from June 1 to 4, 2026. The theme for this edition is ‘Public Policy Praxis in Global South: Building Coherence and Capacity for Future Challenges.’

Call For Panels

We invite researchers, faculty and policy practitioners to this conference to highlight potential opportunities and challenges that are relevant to India. We invite contributions that could include working papers, monographs, case studies, demonstrable interventions and other forms of substantive reflective contributions that can help us collectively understand Public Policy Praxis in India.

About The Conference

Instructions for Submission of Panel Proposals

Each co-chair needs to register on the IPPA website to submit the call for panels. Only one of the co-chairs will submit the call for panels.

Panel Structure

We will have panels for the duration of 90 minutes with 4 presentations followed by discussant comments and Q&A. The call for panels should be structured as follows:

  • Title of the panel with names, affiliations, and email addresses of co-chairs (maximum 4 co-chairs for one panel)
  • Specification of track: Teaching track/ Research track/ Practice track

Abstract Submission

An abstract and call for panels (maximum of 500 words) with the following details:

  • Significance of the panel topic: What is the relevance of the topic? How is it in line with the conference theme? The abstract should provide a brief state-of-the-art literature and identify specific contributions expected from papers.
  • Research question(s): What are the research questions of the panel proposal to which participants are expected to contribute? These can be a theoretical, empirical, and/or methodological research question.
  • Context: The proposal should present the context of the research questions proposed and justify the significance of the context.
  • Papers expected: What type of contributions is the panel looking for- theoretical/ empirical/ methodological?
  • Potential papers: If the chairs have already identified possible papers, they should provide the titles of the paper proposals and the names of authors with their affiliations. The list of paper proposals must contain a maximum of 4 papers before they can be opened to other participants.
Submit A Panel

Submission Deadline

Please note, the deadline for submission of panels has been extended to December 12, 2025.

Registration

  • INR 1500 for Indian students;
  • INR 3500 for non-students (includes faculty members from India, participants from research organisations, and practitioners);
  • INR 8700 for international participants

Note: Registrations will open only after submissions have been accepted.

Contact Us

For any enquires, reach out to us at .

Chief Economic Advisor Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran Visits NLSIU

We were delighted to host Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), Govt of India, at the NLSIU campus on November 6, 2025, where he delivered a special lecture on the topic ‘Judicial Decision-Making for Viksit Bharat 2047’.

The session was organised for the first-year Master’s Programme in Public Policy (MPP) and 3-Year LLB cohorts and was also open to the wider NLS community.

Abstract

The world economy is changing, and India has a narrow window of opportunity to grow fast and take its place within it as a major global player, which would also provide a high standard of living to its citizens. In this session, Dr. Anantha covered why the legal system must play an essential role in this process, where the lacunae exist presently especially from the perspective of economically grounded reasoning in our legal system. Specifically, Dr. Anantha covered the importance of trade-offs, opportunity costs and unintended consequences. The session also took students through the application of the lens of economic reasoning to some prominent issues.

About the Speaker

Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran is the 18th Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India. Before being appointed CEA, he was a writer, author, teacher and consultant. He wrote a weekly column in Mint on Tuesdays from 2007 until 2022. He has co-authored books on Derivatives, Global Finance and the Indian economy. He earned his doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1994 for his work on exchange rate behaviour. In 1985, he received a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He worked in macroeconomic and financial markets research for international financial institutions in Switzerland and Singapore from 1994 to 2011.

Excerpts from the Lecture

Achieving Viksit Bharat 2047 in a Changing World 

Dr. Anantha spoke about how global dynamics are being transformed by supply shocks, geopolitical realignments, technological breakthroughs, and demographic shifts. In an evolving landscape, he mentioned that India has a limited but critical window of opportunity to establish itself as a major global economic power. Achieving this vision demands investment-friendly and growth-oriented regulatory institutions, he said.

At the foundation of this transformation lies a predictable, economically grounded legal system—essential to building investor confidence and accelerating progress toward the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’- the Indian government’s vision to transform India into a developed nation by the 100th anniversary of its independence in 2047.

Stating that there is enormous responsibility on policy makers, Dr. Anantha highlighted that two key qualities that are required in policy makers, lawyers and judges today are open-mindedness and humility, in the sense of being open to emperical evidence and apply post-corrective measures as may be required.

He also spoke about the concept of asymmetries and non linearities in Economics, Life, and Public Policy – highlighting how certain actions, while offering no guarantee of success, have clear asymmetrical risks. He elaborated this point with several examples during the lecture.

Economic resilience and strength

He spoke about how economic strength comes from a legal system that understands and considers economic consequences; that comes from people’s freedom to start, trade, invest, and compete under predictable rules. He also touched upon how strong legal institutions can help ensure fair processes to secure property, speedy contract enforcement, and dispute resolution; and thus a high-performing, economically informed legal framework builds trust and strong incentives for both human and physical capital formation.

No such thing as a free lunch – trade offs 

“Sound economic thinking requires recognising trade-offs, opportunity costs, and unintended consequences in every decision. Every choice involves a trade-off, because nothing is truly free—there’s always a cost in time, money, effort, or opportunity,” he said, sharing examples of personal trade-offs, and legal and policy trade-offs.

One of the most important and unseen costs is the next best opportunity 

He elaborated further on how every choice may involve giving up the next best alternative, which represents a real but often unseen opportunity cost. “People make decisions after considering the best options available to them but the next best alternative that you gave up is also a cost. For example, what will factory owners do if you make it very expensive to employ labourers? Is their next best alternative always to increase wages?,” he questioned, indicating that when one option becomes unviable, people may shift to their next best alternative, not necessarily the one policymakers prefer.

The road to <unintended consequences> is paved with good intentions that don’t consider trade offs 

Dr. Anantha spoke how well-intended policies can backfire when they ignore trade-offs, opportunity costs, and incentives. And thus ignoring economic incentives and trade-offs can also turn good intentions into barriers to growth and inclusion.

Taking the example of The Industrial Disputes Act which requires government permission for factories with over 100 workers to dismiss employees, he explained the intentions, trade offs and the consequences that could arise.

Interactions on Campus

After concluding his talk, Dr. Anantha interacted with members of the University including – NLSIU Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy,  Registrar In-Charge, Prof. (Dr.) N S Nigam, MPP Chair Dr. Srikrishna Ayyangar, MPP faculty Dr. Sneha Thapliyal, Dean-Academics & Associate Professor of Law Dr. Saurabh Chatterjee, and Director – Communications & External Relations, Ms. Deepti Soni.

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