Weaponizing Vagueness: The Chilling Effect of Karnataka’s Fake News Bill on Free Speech and Democratic Pluralism
In March 2025, the Government of Karnataka introduced the draft Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, currently under cabinet review. At first glance, the Bill seems to respond to a...
Teenage Love Caught between Consent and Criminality under POCSO
In a country where the age of consent is fixed at 18 years, what happens to a 17-year-old in a consensual relationship? This has become a pressing legal concern after...
Legislation Meets Compassion: Frontline Workers Fighting Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse (CSA) leaves a profound scar, with physical, psychological, and social impacts. CSA survivors face stigmatization, often leading to emotional withdrawal and behavioural changes. Globally, the UNCRC sets...
Narco-Analysis and Procedural Abuse in Bail Proceedings in India
Recently, in Amlesh Kumar v. State of Bihar (2025), the Supreme Court of India set aside a bail order passed by the Patna High Court. The order accepted the proposal...
Revisiting Right to Information in India: Is the DPDP Act counterproductive to RTI Act?
The Right to Information Act of 2005 (‘RTI Act’) in India empowers citizens to demand transparency and accountability from the government. However, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (‘DPDP...
The Peculiar Phenomenon of ‘Kid-Gurus’ in India
At just 10 years old, Abhinav Arora has garnered nearly a million followers on Instagram – as a spiritual leader. He is not alone. There are many other ‘kid-gurus’ being...
Bangladesh’s National Human Rights Commission: A Watchdog Without Teeth?
The haunting image of fifteen-year-old Felani Khatun’s body hanging from a barbed wire fence after being shot by the Border Security Force (BSF,) the extrajudicial killing of 1,926 individuals over...
Breaking the Cycle of Injustice: The Global South’s Struggle to Climate Equity in International Forums
In the Global South, climate change is not merely an environmental crisis but a major human rights issue. This region experiences the most severe consequences of climate change, from rising...
Two children too many? Expanding maternity benefits to mothers with more than two children in India
On 23 May 2025, the Indian Supreme Court in K. Umadevi v. Government of Tamil Nadu broadened the interpretation of Tamil Nadu Fundamental Rule (‘FR’) 101(a), which only provided maternity...
How a Caste Census Could Transform India’s Reservation Policies
The Indian government recently announced that the next nationwide population census will be conducted in 2026-27, and will include collection of caste data. This was a central issue in the...
When The Shield Becomes A Sword: The Abuse Of Involuntary Treatment Provisions For Mentally Ill Persons In India
The involuntary admission and treatment of persons with mental illness is a breach of privacy and autonomy. It can also be a dehumanising experience for the patient and there have...
Un-“sexing” Sex as a Ground for Anti-Discrimination
There has been significant commentary on UK Supreme Court’s (UKSC) decision which held that the terms “man”, “woman” and “sex” under the Equality Act 2010 (EA) only refer to a...
