Campus Visit for the NLS BA (Hons) Programme | February 8, 2025

NLSIU is hosting a Campus Visit Day for prospective NLSAT-BA (Hons.) candidates on Saturday, February 8, 2025. This event is open to anyone interested in applying for the NLS BA (Hons.) programme for the academic year 2025-26. It offers a unique opportunity to:

  • Attend demo classes in History, Politics, Economics, and Sociology & Anthropology, conducted by NLSIU faculty.
  • Interact with members of the NLS community and gain insights into university life.
  • Explore the NLSIU campus through a guided campus tour.

Parents or guardians are welcome to accompany applicants. Registration for the campus visit is mandatory. The schedule for the campus visit will be shared with registered attendees before the event.

Login to the application portal nlsatadmissions.nls.ac.in to access the campus visit form and register!
📅 Deadline for registration: February 1, 2025 (11:59 PM)

To know more about the programme, visit the BA (Hons) page on our website.

We look forward to seeing you on campus soon!

Call for Quotations | Reconstruction of Old Academic Block at NLSIU

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) solicits proposals from qualified bidders for “Reconstruction of Old Academic Block at NLSIU” in accordance with the specifications and requirements as per the notification below.

Date of Issue of Tender: 10.01. 2025
Last Date for Submission of Technical and Commercial Bids: Up to 5.00 PM on 31.01.2025
Revised Last Date for Submission of Technical and Commercial Bids: Up to 5.00 PM on 07.02.2025 (Refer to Addendum-1 attached below)

Note: Technical and Commercial bids should be submitted separately, in separate sealed envelopes.

For more details along with the terms and conditions, please read the following:

  1. Tender Document
  2. Annexure-1: BOQ and Drawings for the Reconstruction of Old Academic Block at NLSIU
  3. Reference View
  4. Corrigendum : Pre-Bid Meeting Link
  5. Addendum-1: Extension of Timelines for Tender

Call for Quotations | Roofing Work at Library NLSIU

The National Law School of India University (“NLSIU”) established under the National Law School of India Act, 1986, invites email quotations from eligible contractors for ‘Roofing Work at NLSIU Library.’

Date of Issue of Quotation: 10.01.2025
Last Date for Submission: Up to 5 PM on 20.01.2025

Please read the terms and conditions in the official notification here.

Call for Applications | Training Manager and Content Lead – BCPT Project at Professional and Continuing Education (PACE)

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) invites applications for the following full-time roles in the new Training Programme in collaboration with the Bengaluru City Police Training (BCPT) project at the Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) department at NLSIU: Training Manager (1 position) and Content Lead (1 position).

This programme will conduct training for all personnel belonging to the BCP on issues of gender and gender-based violence. It will also include a training and awareness programme for members of the public to address violence against women in public spaces under the “Active Bystander Initiative”. NLSIU will collaborate with civil society organisations in the delivery of these programmes. This role is based out of the University campus in Bangalore. It is till December 2025 and may be extended subject to extension of the project and availability of funds.

About the Professional and Continuing Education (PACE)

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) was established in 1987 to be a pioneer in legal education. Over the last three decades the University has consistently been an innovative leader in legal education and research in India and has been ranked First among Law Universities in the National Institute Ranking Framework for the last seven years.

In recognition of its mission to promote excellence in legal education, and to broaden access to the highest standards of learning in the law for all, NLSIU’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) Team provides a post-graduate master’s degree, and several post-graduate diplomas for students from all backgrounds. The PACE team designs and delivers training programmes for several leading organizations and government agencies. These programmes blend a deep understanding of the theoretical aspects of the law, practical know-how, and applications and examples from the field.

I. Training Manager

Role description

The Training Manager will work closely with the Co-Director, PACE and Project Coordinator. Specifically, the Training Manager will be responsible for:

  1. Plan and execute the training schedule over the project.
  2. Coordinate with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society organisations and police personnel in the execution of the training schedule
  3. Any other task that may be assigned by the department.

A. Qualifications

Essential

  • LLB degree or graduate degree in the social sciences or humanities.
  • Experience in working with a variety of stakeholders in the execution of a programme.

Desirable

  • An advanced degree in the social sciences or humanities will be preferred.

B. Experience

Essential

  • 2 – 3 years of post-qualification experience. Candidates with relevant work experience in
    gender-related training will be preferred.
  • Strong attention to detail and time-management skills.
  • A proven ability to collaborate with varied stakeholders.

Desirable

  • Candidates with reading, writing and speaking knowledge of Kannada will be preferred.
  • Experience in funded training programmes.

C. Skills and Competencies

  • Excellent communication and writing skills.
  • Strong execution rigour and operational skills.
  • Strong presentation and time management skills.

How to apply?

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

  1. An updated CV.
  2. A statement of purpose (500 – 800 words).
  3. Contact details and designation of two professional references.

Compensation

Salary will be commensurate with qualification and experience and will be in the range of Rs. 40,000–50,000 per month.

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications is January 30, 2025 at 5 pm.

II. Content Lead

Role description

The Content Lead will work closely with the Co-Director, PACE and Project Coordinator. Specifically, the Content Lead will be responsible for:

  1. Responsible for overall content development for the training programme.
  2. Responsible for design, production and translation of training content.
  3. Gather and incorporate inputs on content from experts in relevant fields and revise the content.
  4. Any other task that may be assigned by the department.

A. Qualifications

Essential

  • LLB degree.

Desirable

  • An advanced degree will be preferred.

B. Experience

Essential

  • 1 – 3 years of post-qualification experience. Candidates with relevant work experience in the
    project sector (e.g. criminal justice, gender sensitisation, or police training) will be preferred.
  • A proven ability to collaborate with varied stakeholders.
  • Strong attention to detail and time-management skills.
  • Strong reporting and writing abilities.

Desirable

  • Candidates with advanced degrees will be preferred.
  • Working knowledge of Kannada.

C. Skills and Competencies

  • Excellent communication and writing skills.
  • Strong execution rigour and operational skills.
  • Strong presentation and time management skills.

How to apply?

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

  1. An updated CV.
  2. A statement of purpose (500 – 800 words).
  3. Contact details and designation of two professional references.

Compensation

Salary will be commensurate with qualification and experience and will be in the range of Rs. 40,000– 50,000 per month.

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications is January 30, 2025 at 5 pm.

For any queries, please write to

Results of the 1st NLSIU-NHRC Moot Court Competition | Jan 3-5, 2025

The inaugural edition of the NLSIU-NHRC Moot Court Competition was successfully conducted at National Law School of India University, Bengaluru from January 3-5, 2025. The competition, jointly organised by the NHRC Chair at NLSIU and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), witnessed participation from law schools across India.

The theme for this year’s moot was ‘Censorship, and Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19 of the Constitution of India.’ The Moot proposition is available here.

Eligibility

  • Open to students enrolled in LLB (3-year/5-year) or LLM courses
  • One team per institution
  • Team members must be from the same institution
  • Team Composition: 3 members per team (2 speakers and 1 researcher)

Participation

The competition drew tremendous response with 99 teams from various law schools across India submitting their memorials in the qualifying rounds. Following a rigorous evaluation process, 16 teams were selected to participate in the oral rounds held at the NLSIU campus.

Final Rounds

The final round of the competition was presided over by a distinguished panel of judges:

  • Ms. Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, Member, National Human Rights Commission
  • Justice (Retd.) P. Krishna Bhat, Karnataka High Court
  • Dr. Sanjay Jain, Professor of Law and Faculty In Charge, NHRC Chair on Human Rights, NLSIU

Results

  • Winner: Symbiosis Law School, Noida
  • Runner-up: School of Excellence in Law, Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University, Chennai

Individual and Team Awards

  • Best Speaker: Ashwad Dhinakaran, School of Excellence in Law, Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University, Chennai
  • Best Memorial Team: Symbiosis Law School, Pune

Gallery

 

NLSIU Welcomes Prof. Umakanth Varottil as Centre Director (Visiting) of the JSW Centre for the Future of Law

We welcome NLS alum Prof. Umakanth Varottil, Vice-Dean (Graduate Studies), National University of Singapore, as Centre Director (Visiting) and Independent Expert on the Advisory Board of the JSW Centre for the Future of Law at NLSIU.

About Prof. Varottil

Prof. Umakanth Varottil (NLS BA LLB ’95) specialises in corporate law and governance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. While his work is generally comparative in nature, his specific focus is on India and Singapore. He has co-authored or co-edited five books, published articles in international journals and founded the IndiaCorpLaw Blog. He has also taught on a visiting basis at law schools in Australia, India, Italy, New Zealand and the United States. (Source: National University of Singapore)

About the Centre

In September 2024, NLSIU announced a grant from the JSW Group for a comprehensive redevelopment and expansion of the University’s core Academic Block & Precinct, along with the establishment of the ‘JSW Centre on the Future of Law’.

This Centre will anchor academic and policy research and curricular interventions that explore the effects of new technologies on the future of the legal system, the legal profession and legal education. The Centre will develop new and appropriate models of legal regulation and incubate new technologies that facilitate legal system reform and access to justice. Under the leadership of a Centre Director, the Centre will host doctoral and postdoctoral researchers who will engage with multiple stakeholders including governments, domestic and international regulators, academia, civil society and private sector entities. It aims to foster collaboration among academia, government bodies, regulatory authorities, and the private sector, driving the development of innovative models for legal regulation and incubating cutting-edge legal technologies.

 

Call for Applications | ‘CopyrightX: NLSIU’ – A Copyright Law Course offered by NLSIU in collaboration with Harvard Law School | Mar-Apr 2025

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), in collaboration with the Harvard Law School (HLS), is offering a comparative copyright law course titled ‘CopyrightX: NLSIU’ in the upcoming trimester. This eight week hybrid course will start on March 3, 2025 and end by April 30, 2025. This is an affiliate course of the CopyrightX program, offered by Prof. William Fisher and Prof. Ruth Okediji at Harvard Law School, and is open for professionals and students from across South Asia.

About the course

The course will explore diverse legal aspects of copyright and its impact on different fields like art, entertainment and technology. This year, the course will be focusing in detail on the impact of AI on copyright law and creativity. The course will examine the current status of AI related copyright litigations in different jurisdictions across the globe and also introduce debates on reforming copyright law.

What makes the course at NLSIU unique is its equal focus on both the US Copyright law and the Indian Copyright law, aimed also to provide the participants a comparative perspective. The course will also discuss copyright laws in other jurisdictions, wherever relevant. The course outline can be accessed from this link.

The course relies extensively on the case study method to explore the complex concepts in detail. The course follows a unique pedagogical approach of combining recorded lectures of Prof. William Fisher (HLS) and Prof. Ruth Okediji (HLS) with interactive live discussions led by Prof. Arul George Scaria (NLSIU). This may also be supplemented by discussions with copyright experts/ artists.

Course details

There will be three sessions (of two hours) per week. The course will be following a hybrid approach, wherein external candidates (students from outside NLSIU) will be joining the sessions online and NLSIU students will be joining offline on campus. A minimum of 80% attendance is mandatory for the enrolled students to participate in the final examination. Students are required to watch all the recorded videos and are required to attend the live lectures as well. As a fairly rigorous course, the course will have different in-class and take-home assignments for students.

The final examination will be administered primarily by the Harvard Law School. The students who meet all the course requirements and pass the final examination will receive a certificate from the Harvard Law School.

Eligibility

Candidates from any countries in South Asia, who are currently enrolled in or completed an undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral research programme are eligible to apply. We particularly welcome applications from professionals including judges, law practitioners, artists, data scientists and software developers, who are interested in learning about copyright law. However, as a course that demands extensive interactions, the enrolment will be limited and highly selective.

How to apply

Candidates interested in enrolling in the course should submit a formal request for enrolment through this link latest by January 31, 2025 (11:59 PM IST) along with the following documents:

1. CV

2. Motivation letter (clearly indicating why and how this course would be helpful for your career)

3. Copy of the student ID (if you are currently enrolled in any full-time academic course in a public funded university in South Asia)

The selection shall be primarily on the basis of the CV, academic and professional background of the candidate, and motivation letter. During the selection process diversity of backgrounds shall be given due consideration.

Fee

The fees for enrolment in this course shall be INR 50,000 + applicable taxes. However, NLSIU and Harvard Law School have decided to offer a complete fee waiver for students currently enrolled in any public funded university in South Asia for any full-time academic course. Please note that this fee waiver is not applicable for candidates who are in employment (for example, candidates who may have taken leave from their job to pursue a full-time Ph.D. programme).

Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this course, please write to Prof. Arul George Scaria ().

NOTE:  Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and it will not be possible to respond to individual queries on application status.

Conference on ‘Indian Political Thought’

The National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU) is organising a three-day interdisciplinary conference that delves into Indian Political Thought (IPT) from January 8 to 10, 2025.

Aim of the IPT Conference

The conference aims to explore the historical foundations of Indian political thought, assess their contemporary relevance, and envision future trajectories. Renowned scholars, researchers, and practitioners will participate in critical discussions to analyse the dynamics, intersections, and evolving contours of Indian political thought and practice, offering fresh perspectives and valuable insights.

Conveners: Prof. Shruti Kapila (University of Cambridge) and Dr. Karthick Ram Manoharan (NLSIU)

Venue

Schedule

The conference will kick off with a keynote address by Prof. Madhavan K. Palat at BIC on January 8, followed by panel discussions at the NLSIU campus on January 9 and 10.

Keynote Address by Prof. Madhavan K. Palat on “Nehru’s Democracy “

Date: January 8, 2025
Time: 6.30 PM
Venue: Bangalore International Centre (BIC)

Watch the keynote address

Abstract

Nehru presented himself as liberal and socialist; and while he did not declare himself to be a conservative, he readily deployed Burkean and traditionalist arguments for the legitimation of Indian democracy. But he also warned repeatedly that democracy could destroy itself through a democratic dictatorship and the tyranny of the majority. He derived the sources of democracy from the panchayats of tradition and from the nationalist traditions from the 19th century, and he asserted that it had become the yugadharma after Independence. He always argued that democracy had to be a movement that was dynamic but with institutions that were stable. When these came into conflict, as they inevitably must, he chose movement over institutions. The movement emerged from nationalist mobilization, and the institutions from the Constituent Assembly and its Constitution. He never ceased to warn that the Constitution was not a sacred text and that democracy could be protected only by democracy, not by the Constitution. As such, he repudiated in effect any concept of a Basic Structure. He sought to extend parliamentary democracy through Panchayati Raj, reasoning that democracy must be broadly based like a pyramid lest it topple. But ambiguities stalked him. He looked upon panchayats as bureaucratic as much as democratic extensions; he was dismayed that the electoral system was run ever more by knaves and scoundrels rather than visionaries like himself; and he feared that democracy was breeding an elective aristocracy and oligarchy. While he was unhappy that the two-party system did not seem to be evolving in India, he presciently discerned that India was run by a two-ideology system of Congress and Hindutva which could, at some time in the future, become parties. He saw the vital need for a moral ideal, but his idols were Buddha, Ashoka, Akbar, and Mahatma Gandhi, none of them democrats except for Gandhi, who was confessedly autocratic while engaging in a democratic mobilization. The only consistently democratic ideal he could present was himself, but he found a personality cult vulgar and comic. He despised democracy as promoting the average and the dull, but he feared that inspiration, charisma, and lofty commitment seemed to lead into politics of the right, which he deplored. His politics consisted in reconciling contradictions of this sort and living with ambiguities and inconsistencies, preferring the pragmatism of the conservative to the theoretical clarity of the socialist.

About the speaker

Prof. Madhavan K. Palat was born in 1947 and read history at the Universities of Delhi and Cambridge. Thereafter he specialized in late Imperial Russian history and took the D.Phil. degree at the University of Oxford. He taught history at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University from 1974 to 2004, was Visiting Professor in Imperial Russian History at the University of Chicago in 2006, National Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla 2010-2011, and was Editor of the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru from 2011, seeing the project to completion in 2019. He is now the Secretary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund and is editing the online edition of the Nehru Archives, which will be as comprehensive as possible on Nehru rather than selective.

A selection of his publications may be accessed at www.madhavanpalat.academia.edu

 

 

View the schedule for the main sessions:

DAY ONE | January 9, 2025

Venue: Allen and Overy, NLSIU

8.30-9.00 AM:
Tea and Welcome Address by Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Prof. Shruti Kapila, Dr. Karthick Ram Manoharan

PANEL I – LAW
9.00-11.00 AM
Panelists:
Sudhir Krishnaswamy
Moiz Tundawala
Sandipto Dasgupta
Moderator: Sidharth Chauhan

Tea Break: 11-11.30 AM

PANEL II – AUTHORITY
11.30 AM-1.30 PM
Panelists:
Shruti Kapila
Karthick Ram Manoharan
Arun Thiruvengadam
Moderator: Aishwarya Birla

Lunch – 1.30-2.30pm

PANEL III – VISIONS OF GEOPOLITICS
2.30-4.30 PM
Panelists:
Faisal Devji
Rahul Sagar
Moderator: Anindita Adhikari

Tea: 4.30-5 PM

Dinner: 7.30 PM

DAY TWO | January 10, 2025

Venue: Allen and Overy, NLSIU

Tea: 8.30-9.00 AM

PANEL I – LIBERALISM
9.00-11.00 AM
Panelists:
Rajeev Bhargava
Salmoli Choudhuri
Rochana Bajpai
Moderator: Atreyee Majumder

Tea: 11-11.30 AM

PANEL II – CASTE
11.30 AM-1.30 PM
Panelists:
Chandan Gowda
Suraj Yengde
Shivani Kapoor
Moderator: Aniket Nandan

Lunch: 1.30-2.30 PM

PANEL III – RELIGION/SECULARISM
2.30-4.30 PM
Panelists:
Rinku Lamba
Gitanjali Surendran
Jessica Patterson
Moderator: Sushmita Pati

Concluding Remarks: Shruti Kapila and Faisal Devji

Tea and Conclusion of Conference

 

NLSIU Announces the Establishment of the Justice Ahmadi Initiative on Rule of Law, Democracy and Social Justice

The National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU), and the Ahmadi Foundation announce the establishment of the Justice Ahmadi Initiative on Rule of Law, Democracy and Social Justice (The Justice Ahmadi Initiative) in honour of, and to preserve and promote the legacy of former Chief Justice Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi.

Justice Ahmadi was Visitor (now termed as Chancellor) of NLSIU during his term as Chief Justice of India between March 1995-March 1997.  The Ahmadi Committee Report on Legal Education, 1994 is considered a landmark in legal educational reform in India, and played a vital role in enhancing the prestige of the ‘NLS model’ at an early stage of the institutional evolution of NLSIU.  The Justice Ahmadi Initiative at NLSIU will help revive this long-standing connection and enable it to be expanded in new directions.

NLSIU and the Ahmadi Foundation have entered into a MoU to set up the Justice Ahmadi Initiative. The MoU was signed by Justice Ahmadi’s granddaughter, Ms. Insiyah Vahanvaty, on behalf of the Ahmadi Foundation and Prof. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice Chancellor, NLSIU on behalf of the University. The MoU was exchanged, and announced on the occasion of the Inaugural Lecture of the Ahmadi Foundation in New Delhi on December 5, 2024. Prof. Arun Thiruvengadam attended the event on behalf of NLSIU, and exchanged the MoU with Ms. Insiyah Vahanvaty, whose book “The Fearless Judge,” a biography of Justice Ahmadi was also launched during the event.

About the Initiative

The Initiative will work to advance the ideas that Justice Ahmadi championed throughout his distinguished career, including but not restricted to, human rights, education, inclusion and protection of vulnerable communities, judicial independence, alternate dispute resolution mechanisms, and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

NLSIU and the Ahmadi Foundation will initially focus on jointly organizing an annual distinguished lecture series. The University and the Foundation have resolved to work together to eventually establish an endowed Chair in the name of Justice Ahmadi, at which point the chair will subsume the Initiative.

Insiyah Vahanvaty, Trustee, Ahmadi Foundation

“The Justice Ahmadi Initiative on Rule of Law, Democracy, and Social Justice represents not just a tribute to the legacy of Justice Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi, but a commitment to continue the work he so passionately championed throughout his life. By advancing the values of human rights, equality, judicial independence, and democratic integrity, we hope to inspire a new generation of legal minds and leaders who will carry forward his vision of a just society where the law is a tool for equality and empowerment – a lasting homage to his legacy.”

Mrinal Satish, Dean (Research), NLSIU

“NLSIU will work with the Ahmadi Foundation in promoting values that Chief Justice Ahmadi advanced through his life, and his work. These include human rights, judicial independence, inclusion and protection of vulnerable communities, and strengthening of democratic institutions. NLSIU has been committed to these values, which reflects in the work of its faculty, research centres, and Chairs. We look forward to organizing the Distinguished Lecture series in collaboration with the Ahmadi Foundation, bringing speakers of repute to discuss and debate issues of contemporary significance.”

Reflections on the ‘Equality and the Law Workshop’ | Organised by NLSIU and the University of Zurich

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) hosted the ‘Equality and the Law’ Workshop in collaboration with the University of Zurich (UZH), Faculty of Law on December 3 and 4, 2024.

Conceived by Prof. (Dr.) Matthias MahlmannProf. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy and Prof. (Dr.) Arun Thiruvengadam, an intimate closed-door workshop was organised to (a) foster interdisciplinary engagement around problems of equality in the law and (b) catalyse collaboration between NLSIU and UZH early-career scholars.

Theme

Equality is a foundational concept of legal systems. It is a bedrock principle of the rule of law. Equality before the law and the equal application of law are centrepieces of legal system. The legal means to do so are manifold and differentiated.

There is wide ranging and, in many aspects, controversial discussion about what equality means within this general legal framework and in the practice of law. It certainly encompasses formal equality, but it is usually understood to demand more than this formal equality, namely some form of substantive equality. What this means in detail is far from clear and is constantly renegotiated in legal systems. These questions are not only questions of legal system but concern problems that have deep roots in the long reflection about what justice in ethics and politics actually means.

Reflections

Prof. (Dr.) Matthias Mahlmann, Chair of Philosophy and Theory of Law, Legal Sociology and International Public Law, University of Zurich

“Scientific work in all disciplines needs challenges — ideas must be rigorously probed to ascertain their merits. Innovation depends on the possibility of critical, creative thought. The key to reach this aim is international dialogue to develop an understanding of different perspectives and to discover common ground. This workshop provided ample evidence for the significance and the meaningful results of open minded intellectual debate questioning, clarifying and probing the indispensable idea and universal value of equality in different spheres of law.”

Pranav Verma, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU

Verma authored a paper titled ‘Bench Constitution and Case Assignments in the Indian Supreme Court,’ that was discussed at the workshop.

“I found the workshop on equality and law to have been a unique platform for early career academics who are in various stages of their doctoral work. It provided an opportunity to early career scholars to present their work-in-progress drafts, test their arguments, and get feedback from their peers. This was particularly helpful since opportunities for such peer-group learnings don’t come by easily for early career academics. The workshop stood apart for me for two more reasons. First, the intimate setting of a limited number of participants made peer connections more organic and free-flowing, as opposed to a larger conference. Second, the format of presentations was innovative for me. The discussant led the presentation by explaining the structure of a paper and raised clarificatory questions; the commentator presented a critique of the paper; and the author only came in at the end to respond. As each author led the discussion on someone else’s paper, it added to the sense of collegiality and collaborative effort to the workshop. I hope to see similar workshops being institutionalised as part of doctoral programs of universities, and the present workshop certainly presents a successful model for the same.”

Jai Brunner, Assistant Professor of Law, NLSIU

Brunner authored a paper titled ‘The Promise of Substantive Equality? Transplanting the Indirect Discrimination Test into India.’

“The diverse range of papers allowed each of us to critically engage with areas of equality law and methods of analysis we were unfamiliar with. Personally, this allowed me to see my own research through several new lenses, which I had not previously considered. Furthermore, the unique format of the workshop – each paper had both a dedicated discussant and commentator – facilitated productive and substantive dialogue. I had a very positive experience and I hope to continue collaborating with the other participants in the months to come.”

Dr. Abhilasha Chattopadhyay, Project Manager, Project on Women’s Leadership in Law

Dr. Chattopadhyay authored a paper titled ‘Conjugality in Crisis: Mediation, Gendered Power, and the Pursuit of Equality in Matrimonial Disputes,’ that was discussed at the workshop.

“The Equality and the Law Workshop exemplified the collaborative spirit that lies at the heart of meaningful intellectual inquiry. The format with dedicated discussants and commentators  fostered an environment where we not only engage deeply with each other’s work during the sessions but also continued these dialogues beyond the formal proceedings. This ongoing exchange of ideas is the essence of an enriching educational experience. What made this workshop particularly refreshing was its interdisciplinary nature, bringing together legal scholars and social scientists. This confluence of disciplines offered us varied perspectives on the complex idea of equality, enhancing our understanding of the topic through diverse lenses. It was invigorating to discuss our research, share the challenges of navigating academic spaces across borders, and realize that what connected us most was our shared commitment to rigorous methodologies and critical inquiry.”

Gaurav Dahiya, PhD Candidate, NLSIU

Dahiya authored a paper titled ‘Equality in Patent Licensing: Towards Ensuring Access to Standard-Essential Patents’

“The workshop was a great learning experience for me. Not only to gather feedback on my own research, but also to listen to other researchers and engage with them. It really piqued my curiosity, and left me wishing to read much more on the topics which were discussed. In this way, those two days were extremely fulfilling.”

Matthias Hächler, RA MLaw, MJur (Oxon)

Hächler authored a paper titled ‘Equality, Civic Identity and the Regulation of Private Schools in the Canton of Zurich’ that was discussed at the workshop.

“It was very fruitful also to get a different perspective on what issues of identity formation there are, what private schools play as a role within the educational system, and what they should do. I’m really grateful for this opportunity, not just this workshop, but also to see how life is in different parts of the world and what university academia is like in India. And I really love that whether you’re doing a workshop in Switzerland or in the UK or in India, you have this common ground of the scientific community.”

Dr. Elif Askin, Senior Assistant for Constitutional, Administrative and International Law and Basic Subjects (URPP Equality of Opportunity), University of Zurich

Dr Askin authored a paper titled ‘Feelings towards Law: Societal Occurrence and Impacts on Legal Norms Author,’ that was discussed at the workshop.

“I really liked having this dialogue with colleagues from India. I think the format followed during the conference was great – we had a discussant and a commentator. The discussant presents the paper, and the commentator comments on it, and I would then react to it.”

Nicole Nickerson, MLaw, LL.M. (King’s College London)

Nickerson authored a paper titled ‘Equality: A Problematic Concept? – Decolonial Arguments and Counterarguments,’ that was discussed at the workshop.

“I did a lot of research in Uganda last year, and I had some ideas, which I was not sure how one might view from an Indian context. And I did get really good feedback from the commentators and the discussions. I also loved the informal side of the workshop. If it’s a lot of junior scholars coming together and just sharing their work in progress, ideas don’t have to be perfect. They don’t have to be carefully fleshed out. Workshops like these are a good way to get junior scholars to talk to each other about their work and their struggles.”

Balu G Nair, Assistant Professor of Law

“I was involved in the workshop both as an organiser and as a participant. My experience was rewarding on both the counts: as one of the organisers, I was able to view from close quarters the evolution of a great idea of intensive participation translate into tangible results for early career scholars. As a participant, I had the pleasure of going through a number of thought provoking papers and commenting on them. A few ideas in particular have stayed with me from the workshop. While at one level, many of the papers sought to re-examine some of the seemingly fundamental notions associated with equality, Prof. Mahlmann reminded us how it is important to continue having clarity and agreement over these foundational ideas, irrespective of the jurisdiction.”

Prof. (Dr.) Arun Thiruvengadam, Professor of Law and Chair, Doctoral Council at NLSIU

“This workshop was an experiment, but one that seems to have worked well.  Professor Mahlmann and I have been discussing for many years ways to bring scholars together to build a sense of comity at a time when conversations across cultures are becoming more difficult to conduct because of all kinds of barriers that are rising up in our world.  We are fortunate that both of our home institutions have been supportive of our attempts.  We hope to replicate this in 2025 with a similar workshop in Zurich.  We will continue to think of ways to enable such exchanges of ideas including within the MoU between our two home institutions.  In future editions we will strive to bring together people from more diverse backgrounds, including non-legal scholars and members of civil society groups.”

Gallery