The Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), NLSIU successfully concluded the first batch of a 6-month course titled ‘Understanding and Advancing Food and Nutrition Security’ held from August 12–16 2026 at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar School of Economics University, Bengaluru. The course brought together civil society representatives, lawyers, academicians, and researchers from nine states for four days of dialogue on the pressing challenges of food security in India, with a particular focus on ground-level realities. It was inaugurated with an induction session by Dr. Neetu Sharma, who thanked participants for their diligence and the state-specific insights they brought to the discussions.
Day 1 opened with a recap of preceding modules and participant reflections, followed by a session on budget transparency led by Mr. Nesar Ahmed, covering budget allocation across different schemes.
Day 2 focused on Advocacy and the State Rules and implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), identifying gaps across states and discussing advocacy through executive and delegated legislation to strengthen transparency and accountability, facilitated by Dr Neetu Sharma.
Day 3 centred on media advocacy, with Dr. Rehman Pasha discussing the media’s role in strengthening the right to food movement.
Day 4, the valedictory session, featured a panel on discourses and emerging debates in the right to food, with Mr. Nesar Ahmed, Dr. Swati Narayan, Dr. Tara, Dr. Neetu Sharma, Dr. Veena, and Mrs. Sudha. Dr. Narayan spoke on universalising the PDS, touching on hunger, ration card access, and outdated census data. Mr. Ahmed discussed how technology — Aadhaar, mobile linking, biometric authentication — can strengthen the PDS while reducing leakage. Dr. Tara stressed the need for government investment in both food security and food safety, and Dr. Veena flagged the persisting severity of anaemia. Dr. Sharma invited deliberation on cash transfers versus physical food distribution, and Mrs. Sudha discussed food sovereignty and its role in food security.
The course concluded with the distribution of certificates and a memento reflecting the ideals of the Preamble to participants from Nagaland, Odisha, West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh. Fifteen participants from nine states received certificates of completion for the Certificate Course on Understanding and Advancing Food and Nutrition Security at a valedictory session held on August 16, 2026.
The National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU), established under the National Law School of India Act, 1986, invites quotations from eligible persons for the “Supply and Installation of Laptops at NLSIU”.
Interested parties are requested to submit their quotations in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in the RFP document.
Date of Issue of the RFP: August 21, 2026
Last date of submission of RFP proposal: August 28, 2026 | up to 5:00 PM.
Note: Refer the RFP document for the detailed scope of work.
The Moot Court Society of NLSIU, in association with Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM), presents the third edition of the NLS–SAM FinTech Moot Court Competition, 2026, scheduled on November 28–29, 2026.
This competition is dedicated to the evolving field of fintech law, at the intersection of finance and cutting-edge technology. This year’s moot problem is focused on the legal, constitutional, and regulatory challenges arising from the deployment of artificial intelligence and machine learning systems in financial services. The problem was selected to deliberate on real-world questions ranging from the constitutionality of a blanket prohibition on AI-driven credit underwriting and KYC verification, the fundamental rights of informal-income applicants systematically excluded by opaque algorithmic decisioning, and the application of copyright law to the training of machine learning models on proprietary datasets, so that participants engage with issues currently before policymakers, regulators, and courts at the intersection of emerging technology, financial inclusion, and intellectual property.
Eligibility
The Competition is open to all students enrolled bona fide on a regular basis in an undergraduate or postgraduate law course (including LL.M. programmes) or its equivalent conducted by any recognised institution, provided that only students in their 2nd year or above of the B.A. LL.B. (or any integrated 5-year law programme) and the 3-year LL.B. programme shall be eligible to participate. Further, a recognised institution shall be entitled to send only one team to the competition. Where a university has constituent colleges, each college may register a team, or the university may be represented by a team comprising students from different constituent colleges.
Registration Details
Deadline for provisional registration: August 18, 2026; Deadline for final registration: August 24, 2026.
A non-refundable upfront registration fee of INR 2,500 will be charged. Teams which qualify for the offline oral rounds shall be required to pay an additional participation fee of INR 7,500. This fee is inclusive of accommodation, food, and travel to and from the venue to the accommodation provided
August 22, 2026: Release of Moot Proposition to Registered Teams
August 24, 2026: Deadline for Final Registrations
August 29, 2026: Deadline to Submit Clarifications
September 3, 2026: Release of Clarifications
September 25, 2026: Submission of Memorials
October 24–25, 2026: Virtual Qualifier Rounds
November 28–29, 2026: Oral Rounds (Advanced Rounds)
Please refer to the Brochure & Rulebook for further details here.
Contact Information
For queries, please contact us at .
About National Law School of India University
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, established in 1987, is the first National Law University in India and continues to be recognised as a premier institution for legal education. It has consistently upheld a tradition of academic excellence, while also excelling in mooting and advocacy at both the national and international level. NLSIU is the only Indian institution to have won the Philip C. Jessup Moot twice and has also triumphed at the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot and reached the advanced stages of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in recent years.
About Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM), founded on a century of legal achievements, is one of India’s leading full-service law firms with the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification – the latest global benchmark for information security management systems. The Firm’s mission is to enable business by providing solutions as trusted advisers through excellence, responsiveness, innovation, and collaboration. SAM is known globally for its exceptional practices in mergers & acquisitions, private equity, competition law, insolvency & restructuring, dispute resolution, international commercial arbitration, capital markets, banking & finance, tax, intellectual property, data protection and data privacy, white collar crime, technology law and infrastructure, energy and project finance.
With the full suite of Harvey AI functionalities, the Firm has a pan-India presence and has been at the helm of major headline transactions and litigations in all sectors, besides advising major multinational corporations on their entry into the Indian market and their business strategy. Currently, the Firm has over 1002 lawyers including 193 partners, offering legal services through its offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Gurugram, Ahmedabad, GIFT City (Gandhinagar), Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai.
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) invites applications for a full-time (contractual) role of a Paralegal Assistant for a period of one year (extendable based on performance). The role will be based out of Assam (Focus on Goalpara/Matia: Assam).
The Citizenship and Immigration Law Clinic seeks to provide legal assistance in cases under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and allied legislation, and conduct law and policy research in this area. The clinic will be led by faculty and legal professionals experienced in research and practice in the fields of citizenship and immigration law. The clinic will focus on expanding legal aid to cases of citizenship and immigration law by providing legal representation and advice to individuals in cases of citizenship determination, asylum/refugee status, deportation, and detention. Wherever possible, the clinic will work closely with authorities under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
The Clinic will deliver academic courses for credit where students will learn effective legal practice in the area, thereby improving access to justice. The Clinic will also conduct research on citizenship and immigration law in India, in order to identify areas of policy reform. Students in the clinic will work on assigned cases under close supervision of consultant advocates and clinic leadership, and learn about litigation strategy, drafting, and legal research, in addition to becoming experts in specific laws. The Clinic’s activities will begin in the states of Karnataka and Assam in the first year and expand to other states thereafter.
About the Role
The Paralegal will serve as the primary link between the Citizenship and Immigration Law Clinic’s lawyers and clients. The Paralegal Assistant will be required to collect relevant information from clients, assist in the translation of documents, conduct legal aid camps and assist in the organisation of training programmes for lawyers and other paralegals. This role focuses on executing legal aid camps and identifying individuals in need of representation within the detention system.
Key Responsibilities
Camp Organization: Organize and conduct monthly legal-aid camps in the Matia Detention Centre, Assam.
Stakeholder Liaison: Coordinate activities with the Assam Legal Services Authority and the Goalpara District Legal Services Authority.
Client Intake: Elicit information from detainees during camps to identify those in need of quality legal representation.
Case Initiation: Assist in initiating cases wherever necessary based on information gathered at camps.
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
Bachelor’s degree (Law/Social Work preferred) or significant paralegal experience.
Fluency in Assamese (Written and Spoken).
Desirable:
Prior experience working with Legal Services Authorities (DLSA/SLSA).
Compensation
Salary will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and University norms.
How to apply
Please use the Google form provided and include the following documents:
An updated CV.
A statement of purpose (100 – 200 words) outlining your suitability for the specific role. This can be written in a language other than English.
Details of two professional references.
Deadline
The last date for submission of applications is 1 September 2026, 5 PM (IST).
For any queries regarding the position, applicants may write to:
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) invites applications for a full-time (contractual) role of a Research Associate, based at the NLSIU, Campus, Bengaluru), for a period of one year (extendable based on performance), for the Citizenship and Immigration Law Clinic.
The Citizenship and Immigration Law Clinic seeks to provide legal assistance in cases under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and allied legislation, and conduct law and policy research in this area. The clinic will be led by faculty and legal professionals experienced in research and practice in the fields of citizenship and immigration law. The clinic will focus on expanding legal aid to cases of citizenship and immigration law by providing legal representation and advice to individuals in cases of citizenship determination, asylum/refugee status, deportation, and detention. Wherever possible, the clinic will work closely with authorities under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
The Clinic will deliver academic courses for credit where students will learn effective legal practice in the area, thereby improving access to justice. The Clinic will also conduct research on citizenship and immigration law in India, in order to identify areas of policy reform. Students in the clinic will work on assigned cases under close supervision of consultant advocates and clinic leadership, and learn about litigation strategy, drafting, and legal research, in addition to becoming experts in specific laws. The Clinic’s activities will begin in the states of Karnataka and Assam in the first year and expand to other states thereafter.
About the Role
The Research Associate will execute the groundwork for the Clinic’s research projects, including critical legal resources and empirical studies on citizenship and immigration law in India. The role involves travel to tentative research sites to gather data.
Key Responsibilities
Contribute to the Citizenship Clinic’s research agenda.
Engage in data Collection for all research activities.
Assist in researching and drafting research outputs.
Assist the Clinic in preparing legal briefs on important developments in citizenship and immigration law.
Maintain records of research outputs and coordinate with partner lawyers for case data.
Regularly publishing research-based writing on citizenship and immigration law in India.
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
Bachelor’s degree in law.
1-3 years of research or practice experience in Citizenship and Immigration Law.
Excellent writing and editing skills.
Desirable:
Master’s degree (in law or allied disciplines)
Compensation
Salary will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and University norms.
How to Apply?
Please use the Google form provided and include the following documents:
An updated CV.
A statement of purpose (500 words) outlining your vision for the Clinic and suitability for the role.
Names, designations and contact details of two professional or academic referees.
Deadline
The last date for submission of applications is 1 September 2026, 5 PM (IST).
For any queries regarding the position, applicants may write to:
The Chair on Consumer Law and Practice, NLSIU invites students and young creators from across India to translate ground realities into powerful visual communication through the first edition of the National Online Poster Making Competition.
About the Competition
Consumers today navigate a marketplace that looks very different from the one the consumer protection movement first responded to one shaped by e-commerce, digital payments, algorithmic recommendations, influencer marketing and cross-border transactions.
Participants are invited to design an original poster that raises awareness about a contemporary consumer protection issue, explains a consumer right or remedy, or calls for more responsible, informed and ethical consumption in a manner that is visually compelling, factually sound and accessible to a lay audience.
Themes
Participants may choose any one sub-theme connected to consumer protection, including — but not limited to — the following:
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019: new rights, new remedies
Dark patterns, drip pricing and manipulative design in e-commerce
Misleading advertisements, surrogate advertising and celebrity endorser liability
Consumer rights in the digital and platform economy (quick-commerce, ride-hailing, gig platforms)
Data privacy and algorithmic decision-making as consumer protection concerns
Product liability, product safety and recall mechanisms
Food adulteration, labelling and nutritional misinformation
Digital payments, online financial fraud and cybersecurity for consumers
Greenwashing and the case for sustainable, informed consumption
Access to consumer justice: e-Daakhil, mediation and the three-tier Commission system
Competition Timeline
Competition opens — registration & submission portal live – 15 August 2026
Last date for submission of entries (no extensions) – 20 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST
Screening and evaluation by the Jury constituted by the Chair on Consumer Law – October – November 2026
Announcement of results on NLSIU / CLAP official channels – Early December 2026 (tentative)
Felicitation of winners on National Consumer Day, at the Consumer Law Day event of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India – 24 December 2026 (tentative)
The Chair on Consumer Law and Practice, NLSIU is organising the 4th National Essay Competition 2026 to commemorate the celebration of National Consumer Day (24th December). The Essay Competition endeavours to stimulate interest and foster growth amongst students, academics, professionals and consumer advocates to explore and engage with contemporary and seminal issues in the field of consumer law and policy.
Participants are invited to critically examine an issue of consumer protection — whether legal, regulatory, technological or policy-driven — and to present a well-researched, original and analytically sound essay that contributes meaningfully to the ongoing discourse on consumer rights in India.
Themes
Consumer Protection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Decision-Making
Dark Patterns, Drip Pricing and Manipulative Design in E-Commerce
Cross-Border Consumer Protection in Digital Trade
Consumer Rights in the Gig and Platform Economy
Data Privacy as a Consumer Protection Concern
Children and Young Consumers in the Digital Age
Digital Payments, Online Financial Fraud and Cybersecurity for Consumers
Consumer Protection in Healthcare, Pharma and Telemedicine
Sustainable Consumption and the Case Against Greenwashing
Access to Consumer Justice: e-Daakhil, Mediation and the Three-Tier Commission System
The above themes are only indicative, and participants are free to choose any other topic under the broad theme of consumer protection, provided its relevance to consumer law and policy is clearly established in the essay.
Timeline
Competition opens (submission portal live) – 15 August 2026
Last date for submission of entries (no extensions) – 20 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST
Screening and evaluation by the Jury constituted by the Chair on Consumer Law – October – November 2026
Announcement of results on NLSIU / CLAP official channels: 24 December 2026. Winners felicitated on National Consumer Day – Early December 2026 (tentative)
Contact
Chair on Consumer Law, NLSIU:
Website: clap.nls.ac.in
For clarifications regarding themes, formatting or submission, participants are encouraged to write in well before the closing date.
Find the Eligibility, Submission Guidelines, Judgement Criteria and more information here.
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) invites applications for a full-time (contractual) role of a Social Worker for a period of one year (extendable based on performance). The role will be based out of the NLSIU Bengaluru campus.
Juvenile Justice Clinic
Established in 2021, the Juvenile Justice Clinic delivers direct legal aid and clinical support to children under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015, working with both Children in Conflict with Law (CiCL) and Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP). The Clinic is headed by Dr. Madhubanti Sadhya and Ms. Amaidhi Devaraj.
The Clinic’s core fieldwork is anchored at a dedicated legal aid Helpdesk within the Government Observation Home in Madiwala, Bengaluru, where clinic staff provide sustained, on-ground legal representation and psychosocial support to CiCL. This includes case tracking, assistance with bail and disposition proceedings before the Juvenile Justice Board, liaison with probation officers and legal aid counsel, and follow-up on rehabilitation and reintegration plans post-release.
Building on this foundation, the Clinic is expanding its fieldwork to reach CNCP, extending legal aid and case support to children referred through Child Welfare Committees, shelter homes, and allied child protection institutions across Bengaluru. This work involves case documentation, coordination with District Child Protection Units, and support through inquiry and rehabilitation processes under the Act.
The Clinic’s legal aid extends across the full range of forums, boards, and courts before which children’s matters are adjudicated, including the Juvenile Justice Board, Child Welfare Committee, Sessions Courts, and the High Court, as required. This encompasses drafting and filing of applications, bail petitions, and appeals, representation at inquiry and hearing stages, and continuous follow-up on case status to ensure timely disposition. The Clinic’s involvement is sustained through each stage of proceedings, ensuring that children receive consistent legal support from first production before the Board or Committee through to final disposition and, where applicable, appellate remedies.
Beyond direct casework, the Clinic engages closely with police, judiciary, and child protection functionaries through structured capacity-building trainings aimed at improving frontline handling of juvenile justice cases. This is complemented by ongoing field-based research and evidence generation on systemic gaps in implementation, which feeds into targeted advocacy for reforms strengthening protection and rehabilitation outcomes for children across both categories.
About the Role
The Social Workers will be responsible for anchoring the psychosocial activities of the Juvenile Justice Clinic Project. The Social Worker will report to the Clinic Co-Directors.
Key Responsibilities
Overseeing the Psychosocial services provided to children through the ‘HELPDESK’ at the Observation Home, Madiwala;
Reviewing and improving the quality of reports (SIR, ICP, Counselling Reports) created for children in conflict with the law as mandated by the Juvenile Justice Act;
Building institutional capacities for social work interventions within the Observation Home;
Anchoring awareness and outreach programmes for children and families, both within the Observation Home and in vulnerable community settings;
Coordinating partnerships with other CSOs, NGOs and Institutions working in the Observation Home;
Supporting the team in preparing, organising and conducting training programmes, workshops and conferences;
Ensuring timely preparation of progress notes, social investigation reports and individual care plans for children in conflict with law;
Supporting the follow-up and rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law;
Attending state and national meetings, consultations and conferences.
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
Candidates with a Master’s Degree in Social Work or allied fields from a recognised University
Minimum of three (03) years experience working directly with vulnerable children/communities
Background in child rights or human rights
Excellent writing and communication skills in English
Demonstrated proficiency in speaking (mandatory), reading and writing (desired) in Kannada
Proficiency in the use of G-Suite, MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and google workspace
Desirable:
Familiarity with statutory child protection frameworks, including the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
Experience in psychosocial support, or case management for children in vulnerable situations
Key Attributes
Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively in a team, with strong attention to detail and self-motivation.
Capacity to connect with vulnerable children through empathy, trust, and meaningful rapport-building.
Compensation
Salary will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and University norms.
How to Apply
Please use the Google form provided and include the following documents:
Updated Curriculum Vitae.
Statement of Purpose (500–800 words) explaining their interest in the position and relevant experience.
Names, designations and contact details of two professional or academic referees.
Deadline
The last date for submission of applications is 26 August 2026, 5 PM (IST).
For any queries regarding the position, applicants may write to:
The National Law School of India Review (NLSIR), the flagship student-edited, double-anonymous peer-reviewed law journal of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, is pleased to announce the institution of the ‘Chief Justice E.S. Venkataramiah Memorial Best Essay Prize’, an annual national essay competition open to undergraduate law students across India, instituted with the support of the family of late Justice E.S. Venkataramiah. The inaugural edition of the contest is now open. Please see below for more details.
The competition will be conducted between July and September every year. Each year’s essay competition will be organised around a contemporary and significant theme in law. Shortlisted entries will be evaluated by a panel of eminent academics and practitioners with relevant subject-matter expertise. The winning entry will be published in NLSIR and the winner will receive a cash prize of Rs. 25,000 and a citation plaque bearing the winner’s name.
Theme for the Inaugural Edition
“Does the Constitution Choose an Economic Model? Directive Principles and the Question of Ideological Neutrality”
In Property Owners’ Association v. State of Maharashtra (2024), a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court considered whether all privately owned property falls within the expression “material resources of the community” under Article 39(b) of the Constitution. The majority held that it does not, reasoning that the Constitution does not commit India to any single economic ideology and that treating all private property as a material resource would require the Court to endorse a particular vision of the country’s economic and social order.
The judgment raises a deeper constitutional question: can the Constitution – and particularly the Directive Principles dealing with ownership, distribution, and the common good – ever be neutral between competing economic models? Or does interpreting these provisions inevitably involve normative choices about property, markets, redistribution and the role of the State?
This year’s essay competition invites participants to engage with these questions through the lens of constitutional theory. Rather than writing a case comment, entrants should use Property Owners’ Association as a starting point to explore whether and to what extent, the Constitution embeds, permits, or rejects particular economic visions. Strong essays will engage with comparative constitutional perspectives, as well as political and economic theory, to reflect on the implications of these questions for constitutional interpretation.
Submission Guidelines
Each entry should be an original, unpublished, single-authored essay in English.
Every essay must clear anti-plagiarism checks.
Every essay must be supported by a bonafide certificate, duly signed by the Registrar/Vice-Chancellor or other Appropriate Authority, confirming their enrollment as undergraduate students in a law programme at the time of submission.
Abstracts or proposals are not required. NLSIR will not consider or review abstracts or proposals submitted separately.
Entries should be formatted in Times New Roman, size 12 font, 1.5 spaced on an A4 sheet and carefully referenced using the OSCOLA citation guide.
Word Limit: 8,000 to 10,000 words (inclusive of footnotes)
Submission Deadline: October 10th, 2026.
Every essay must comply with the NLSIR Style Guide and other policies notified on the NLSIR Repository.
Submit your essay here. This form will begin accepting submissions from 1 September 2026 onwards.
No prior registration or registration fee is required. Interested participants may directly submit their manuscripts, provided they satisfy all the eligibility and submission requirements specified in the submission form.
For any queries, please write to .
Eligibility
The competition is open to all undergraduate law students (enrolled in either the five-year or three-year law programmes) at any law school recognised by the Bar Council of India (BCI).
About NLSIR
NLSIR is the flagship student-edited, bi-annual, double-anonymous peer-reviewed law journal of NLSIU. The journal is one of India’s oldest student-edited law reviews, now in its 38th year of publication. It occupies a distinctive place in Indian legal academia as a forum that has consistently sought to combine rigorous doctrinal analysis with broader normative and theoretical inquiry. Over the years, the journal has been cited by the Supreme Court of India on multiple occasions, in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India; Unaided Private Schools of Delhi v. Director of Education; Union of India v. M/s Mohit Minerals and A.M.U. v. Naresh Agarwal.
NLSIR features pieces from both scholars and practitioners. NLSIR has featured contributions from Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud (Former Chief Justice of India), Prof. Michael Furmston (who was at the time Dean and Emeritus Professor of Law, Singapore Management University), Prof. Cass Sunstein (Professor, Harvard Law School), Prof. Chan Wing Cheong (Professor of Law, Singapore Management University), Prof. Richard Whish (Emeritus Professor of Law, King’s College London), Prof. Martin Hunter (who was at the time Barrister, Essex Court Chambers), Prof. Rosalind Dixon, Prof. Dev Gangjee (Professor of Law, University of Oxford), Justice (Retd.) Altamas Kabir (Former Chief Justice of India), Justice (Retd.) S.B. Sinha (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India), Justice (Retd.) B.N. Srikrishna (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India), Prof. Jonathan Herring (Professor of Law, University of Oxford), Late Fali Nariman (Former Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India), Arvind Datar (Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India) as well as other eminent practitioners and scholars.
“Justice E.S. Venkataramiah was born to a schoolteacher in the village of Manikyanahalli and rose to become the 19th Chief Justice of India. He was also the Advocate General for the State of Mysore, and a Judge of the High Court of Karnataka prior to his elevation to the Supreme Court where he served for nearly a decade. Throughout his life, he sustained a commitment to scholarship in general and legal scholarship in particular, evident in his judgments, and other writings. He devoted time as an Advocate to teaching and writing, alongside a flourishing practice. Unusually for a former Chief Justice of India, he returned to the classroom at NLSIU where he also held the M.K. Nambiar Chair in Constitutional Law and taught till his passing in 1997. This Prize instituted in his memory seeks to honour his legacy of commitment to legal scholarship. While the prize rewards excellence, its deeper purpose is to give students an opportunity to reflect on contemporary legal issues with intellectual rigour and discipline of persuasive writing. The Prize materialises Justice Venkataramiah’s conviction that scholarship paves the way for development of the law.”
Statement from the NLSIR Editorial Board
“Justice E.S. Venkataramiah, a former Chief Justice of India, was also a member of the faculty at the National Law School of India University, and his distinguished contributions to the legal profession, adjudication, legal education and cultural life continue to inspire us. At NLSIR, we hope this Prize will encourage rigorous academic writing among undergraduate students and serve as an aspirational benchmark for sustained scholarly engagement with legal theory and doctrine across law schools in India. We are very grateful to Hon’ble Mrs. Justice B.V. Nagarathna (Judge, Supreme Court of India) and Ms. Nayana Tara B.G. (Advocate and alumna of NLSIU) for their immense support in making this endeavour possible.”
NLSIR thanks Prof. (Dr.) Arun K. Thiruvengadam, Dr. Sidharth Chauhan, Mr. Kunal Ambasta and Ms. Hrishika Jain for their inputs in finalising the theme. NLSIR also thanks the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, and the Dean Research’s Office of NLSIU for their support in instituting this Prize.
The International Society of Public Law (ICON•S) is an association of scholars of public or constitutional law. Its membership consists of scholars drawn from across the world in all fields of law and beyond to the humanities and social sciences, and at all levels of seniority, from students to sitting judges of apex courts to emeritus faculty. The predominant focus of this society is on constitutional or public law, but it also encompasses many other areas of the law.
Faculty members from the National Law School of India University participated in the Annual Conference of the (ICON•S), which was held in Dublin, Ireland from 29th June to 1st July, 2026. Convened at the beautiful campus of University College Dublin, the principal host was the UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies. The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Reimagining public law for a Fractured world – Technology, Identity and Truth’.
The three-day Annual Conference offered a forum for the global community of public law scholars, judges, and practitioners to gather, exchange ideas, and build collaborations. The conference featured plenary events, parallel panels, and social events to make the world of public law more global, more inclusive, and more connected. This was one of the biggest conferences of the society, featuring 2,088 participants who presented their work across 601 sessions.
Highlights of the research papers presented by NLSIU faculty members.
Aparna Chandra, Professor (Law)
Prof. Aparna Chandra was part of a Panel titled ‘Transformative Constitutionalism in India and the EU: Showcasing Slow Comparison Between Continental Politics’
Paper Title: A “Swadeshi” Transformative Constitutionalism in India
Read the abstract here.
Salmoli Choudhury, Assistant Professor (Law)
Dr. Salmoli was part of a Panel titled ‘Gandhian Thought as an Alternative Decolonial Constitutional Imaginary in India”
Paper Title: Civil Resister’s Law: Gandhi and the Making of Anticolonial Political Jurisprudence
Read the abstract here.
Panellists (from left to right): Benedict Douglas (Durham University, United Kingdom), Rodrigo Perez de Arce (University of Birmingham, United Kingdom), Hrishika Jain (National Law School of India University, India), and Fatima Dhanani (SOAS, United Kingdom)
Hrishika Jain, Assistant Professor (Law) Hrishika Jain was part of the Panel titled ‘ Liberal Constitutionalism and Its Critics.’
Plenary Panellists (from left to right), Adrienne Stone, Christoph Möllers, Michaela Hailbronner, Aslı Ü. Bâli and Arun K. Thiruvengadam
Arun Thiruvengadam, Professor (Law)
Prof. Thiruvengadam was part of a Plenary discussion, a Panel and also a book Roundtable.
Plenary Discussion | The Fragility of Academic Freedom
Academic freedom is increasingly contested across different political and institutional contexts. Universities face growing pressures from governments, political movements, social media, and public debates over free speech, discrimination, and the role of higher education. Bringing together Adrienne Stone (Melbourne Law School), Arun Thiruvengadam (National Law School of India University), Aslı Ü. Bâli (Yale Law School) and Christoph Möllers (Faculty of Law, Humboldt University), this session examined contemporary challenges to academic freedom, including controversies surrounding student protests, institutional autonomy, the regulation of teaching and research and declining public trust in universities. They were in conversation with ICON.S Co-President Michaela Hailbronner.
Panel | Indian Constitutional Theory
Paper Title: India’s Unfolding Constitutional Moment (with Parv Tyagi)
Read the abstract here.
Book Roundtable | The Failures of Others – Justifying Institutional Expansion in Comparative Public and International Law.
Prof. Arun was one of the discussants in the book roundtable.
Read the details here.
The Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), NLSIU successfully concluded the first batch of a 6-month course titled ‘Understanding and Advancing Food and Nutrition Security’ held from August 12–16 2026 at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar School of Economics University, Bengaluru. The course brought together civil society representatives, lawyers, academicians, and researchers from nine states for four days of dialogue on the pressing challenges of food security in India, with a particular focus on ground-level realities. It was inaugurated with an induction session by Dr. Neetu Sharma, who thanked participants for their diligence and the state-specific insights they brought to the discussions.
The National Law School of India Review (NLSIR), the flagship student-edited, double-anonymous peer-reviewed law journal of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, is pleased to announce the institution of the ‘Chief Justice E.S. Venkataramiah Memorial Best Essay Prize’, an annual national essay competition open to undergraduate law students across India, instituted with the support of the family of late Justice E.S. Venkataramiah. The inaugural edition of the contest is now open. Please see below for more details.
