Latest news with #JindalGlobalLawSchool
Indian Express
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Writer's Corner: Gautam Bhatia looks back at a path straddling law and science fiction
Constitutional law and science fiction don't sound like they belong together – but don't try to tell that to Gautam Bhatia, a lawyer and adjunct faculty member at Jindal Global Law School. His latest sci-fi novel, The Sentence, sits on bookshelves alongside a previous sci-fi duology — The Wall and The Horizon — and six volumes on different aspects of constitutional law. Both sci-fi series feature distinctly constructed worlds, with their own histories and struggles – perhaps it is apt that a constitutional scholar is the one who created them. A graduate of Bengaluru's National Law School of India University (NLSUI), Bhatia, 36, began his foray into writing science fiction as a law student. He recalls, 'There was a very strong interest in science fiction at NLSIU…it definitely played a big part in my career as a fiction writer. Much of my reading in college was via Blossoms (in Church Street). They had a lot of books affordable for students.' Bhatia first came into contact with the worlds of fantasy and science fiction as a Class 6 student, when his parents bought him a copy of J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit. Isaac Asimov's Foundation followed the next year. Both are foundational works in their genres, but extraordinarily distinct from each other – Tolkien envisioned a classic heroes' journey by an unlikely protagonist, while Asimov's narratives span a galaxy, taking centuries to come to completion. Bhatia says, 'I was immediately immersed and very interested in writing. As a teenager, I wrote tons of fan-fiction…later on, a major influence on The Wall, but a much greater influence on The Horizon is Ursula Le Guin. Of course, Le Guin's most famous book is The Dispossessed, which goes into the mechanics of an anarchist society. I do something similar in The Sentence.' He adds, 'In many ways, the genre has passed Asimov by, and he is dated now. But he still informs the way sci-fi writers think – the idea of empire, and how you deal with that. So he continues to exert a pull over the genre, even though it is more diverse and plural now.' Bhatia's works in the field of law stretch from an academic outlook, such as an analysis of constitutionalism in Kenya, to books designed to explain facets of the Indian Constitution to informed readers who may or may not be familiar with the law, such as his recent book The Indian Constitution: Conversations with Power. Bhatia said, 'Writing fiction and non-fiction are entirely different projects. Your mental state is different….the way you use language is so radically different. In certain ways, the two do inform each other, but the process is completely different. In genre fiction, you have the 'gardener' or 'architect' approach. I am much more of a gardener. I often end up beginning with an image and an ending. With The Sentence, I began with the image of a person stuck in a cryo-chamber, and I knew how the story would end. The rest of the novel unfurls around that.' While a new generation of Indian sci-fi writers has begun to make their mark, Bhatia, also a coordinating editor at the Strange Horizons sci-fi magazine, notes that the genre as a whole still has a way to go in India. He says, 'In India, it is only Westland that has a sci-fi publishing imprint. If you look at the West, you have imprints, sci-fi conventions, entire communities of reviewers and critics, magazines, awards etc. There is an entire support system. We do not have that in India at this point of time.' By way of advice to sci-fi beginner writers, apart from the usual emphasis on reading, Bhatia says, 'Look at what the author is trying to do. Try to get behind their intentions — the more you write, the better you will become. You need friends who will give you constructive advice, who will not mollycoddle or destroy you.' Another novel in the world of The Sentence is in the works following its acquisition by American publishing house Simon & Schuster for an international edition. Interested readers can also meet him at the Champaca Bookstore in Bengaluru in October, when he is scheduled to release a sci-fi anthology.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Rs 15 crore endowment establishes Cyril Shroff Centre for AI, Law & Regulation at Jindal Global Law School
O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has announced the establishment of the Cyril Shroff Centre for AI , Law & Regulation at its Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), marking a historic milestone for legal education and technology policy in India. The Centre is being launched with a landmark endowment of ₹15 crore from Cyril Shroff, founder and managing partner of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM), a leading law firm. Shroff emphasised the significance of this initiative, stating: "Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic idea-it is here, deeply embedded in the way we live, work, and govern. India has an opportunity to take a leadership role in the development of ethical frameworks for policy and regulation of AI and digital technologies. I am delighted to support the establishment of the Cyril Shroff Centre for AI, Law & Regulation at Jindal Global Law School. This Centre will be a platform for thought leadership, rigorous research, and policy engagement, helping India craft a balanced, ethical, and forward-looking regulatory framework for AI." The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) took place during CAM's 10th anniversary celebration in Mumbai, building on the 108-year legacy of the Amarchand Mangaldas family. This Centre will be India's first dedicated Centre of Excellence with a focus on the complex intersection of AI, law, policy and regulation. It will lead national and international efforts to understand and regulate AI's transformative impact on our societies, said the university. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bouira: AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Aroun... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo "We are deeply grateful to Cyril Shroff for his visionary support and generous endowment. This Centre will not only strengthen India's capacity for thought leadership in AI governance but will also set new global standards for research, scholarship, and policy engagement in this critical field," it added. The Centre will forge partnerships with Indian agencies such as NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Electronics & IT, RBI, SEBI, and TRAI, as well as international regulators like the OECD, EU AI Act institutions, US FTC, and UK AI Safety Institute. It also plans to collaborate with leading universities including Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, and MIT, and engage with technology leaders like Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and Meta. Over the next five years, the Centre will launch interdisciplinary research projects, AI-integrated law courses, and executive training programmes. It will develop an AI ethics framework for India, publish policy whitepapers, and host an international AI law summit. The Centre will also establish chair professorships and research grants, and publish scholarly works on AI law and governance.
Scroll.in
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Video: How will the amended Waqf Act impact India's constitutional values?
Play What was the reasoning of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which ostensibly to regulate Islamic charitable endowments? What impact could it have on India's Muslim community and on constitutional values? That is the discussion of the latest episode of Karwan e Mohabbat's Yeh Daag Daag Ujala series. It features peace worker and author Harsh Mander in conversation with Nizamuddin Ahmed Siddiqui and Ali Khan Mahmudabad. Nizamuddin Ahmed Siddiqui used to teach law at Jindal Global Law School and is a co-founder of Project Mishkat, which seeks to critically examine the intersection of law, religion, and identity within the Indian context, with a particular focus on the Muslim community. Ali Khan Mahmudabad is a Samajwadi Party national spokesperson and a historian, political scientist and poet. He teaches at Ashoka University. The name of Karwan e Mohabbat's Yeh Daag Daag Ujala series is a tribute to the iconic poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Hans India
23-04-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Jindal Global Law School admissions close on April 30, students must take LNAT-UK test
Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) of OP Jindal Global University (JGU) announced that applications for its flagship five-year Law programmes will close on April 30, 2025. Students must take the LNAT-UK test before April 30, 2025. The law school was recently in the news for being ranked by Quacquarelli Symonds UK (QS) as India's No 1 Law School in the QS World Universities Rankings By Subject Law 2025. For the sixth consecutive year, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) has been ranked as the No 1 Law School in India and amongst the top 100 worldwide (78th ranked globally in 2025). OP Jindal Global University, recognised as an Institution of Eminence (IOE) by the Government of India, recently celebrated 15 years of its establishment and built India's First Constitution Museum on its campus. JGLS is now the world's only law school with a Constitution Museum on its campus. 225 seats to be admitted The Founding Vice Chancellor Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, who's also the Founding Dean of JGLS, highlighted the success of the law school admissions this year and said: 'Our best decision was to use the LNAT Test for JGLS admissions. LNAT Test, being the world's leading law school admissions test administered by the LNAT Consortium based at the University of Oxford, is a standardised test of reading comprehension and logical thinking. It has no questions on law, general knowledge, mathematics, or anything based on rote learning. Students can take the LNAT anytime, anywhere in the world at over 500 centres during the test window. I'm glad to see a perfect and flawless administration of this Test worldwide and providing JGLS aspirants a fair and smooth opportunity to compete.' Professor Anand Prakash Mishra, Vice Dean, JGLS and Director of Law Admissions of the University, further added, 'We admitted 75 per cent of seats in the 5-year LLB Hons programmes (BCom LLB, BA LLB & BBA LLB) in the Early Admission Process itself, which ended on January 31. The deadline of April 30 applies to the remaining 25 per cent of seats in each programme. JGLS has an approved intake of 300 seats (5 sections of 60 seats each) in all three 5-year law programs. We will admit 75 seats in each of the three programs or 225 seats in total, based on the LNAT Test taken on or before April 30. Today, the brightest students in the country are aspiring to study law, and most aspire to study at JGLS as well. This is the last opportunity for students willing to join our law school in the academic year 2025-26 starting August 1, 2025.' Students must take the LNAT-UK test before April 30, 2025, it is free. It is the National Admission Test for Law or LNAT (also called LNAT-UK as accepted by Oxford, Cambridge, LSE & other leading UK law schools). The Test Owner is LNAT Consortium Ltd., based at Oxford University. JGLS is the only member law school from India, and of a duration of 95 minutes with 42 questions to be answered. Test pattern: 12 passages with 3-4 multiple-choice questions each. Full-length LNAT Question papers can be downloaded from the LNAT-UK website. The Format is Computer-Based Test or CBT with 500 Test Centres worldwide, including 40-plus test centres in India. JGLS doesn't require essay writing. Admission cutoffs may vary across admissions cycles. A score of 15 on 42 was the cutoff in early admissions. It may rise in the future. LNAT-UK scores will be considered for over 300 merit-cum-means scholarships instituted by the law school. Scholarships are awarded in the range of 10 per cent, 25 per cent, 50 per cent, and 75 per cent of Tuition Fees as per merit and annual parental income criteria, which must not exceed Rs 50 lakh in the latest ITR of both parents. Students must note that the LNAT Test is free for admitted students as the test fee of 120 GBP is adjusted in the first-year tuition fee.
