Articles
Romanticising Caste System-Institutional Complicities
It appeared in news reports from last few weeks that the Government of Madhya Pradesh in an affidavit to the Supreme Court has endorsed a statement that “India's caste system was originally founded on social harmony, equality, and fraternity during the Vedic period, but was gradually altered due to contact with foreign powers”. As per reports, the claim has been submitted as part of the state's plea to raise Other Backward Class (OBC) reservations from 14% to 27%.The statement and a detailed...
Dancing In The Shadows: The Dark Underbelly Of Bihar's Orchestra System
Flashy vibrant lights, sparkled-tight-fitted costumes and the teenage girls swaying their bodies to the rhythm of the music playing in the background, audience cheering, hooting and uttering vulgar words, this is something not depiction of a Bollywood movie rather it is a reality in the state of Bihar. This particular event is infamously known as an orchestra and it is attended by good amount of audience with majority of them being men. An orchestra being held is so common that it serves as an...
Deepfakes And Dignity: The New Battle For Celebrity Rights In India
Enforcement of celebrity and personality rights has witnessed a marked upswing in India over the last decade, particularly between 2022 to 2025, driven by high-profile litigation and the rise of AI-enabled misuse of identity. The Delhi High Court has increasingly become the preferred forum for celebrities seeking urgent injunctions against unauthorised use of their name, image, voice, catchphrases, and AI-generated replicas of their personality in deep-fake videos, advertisements, etc. Recent...
Presidential Reference Opinion Turns The Constitution On Its Head
It has been famously said that no case is ever finally decided until it is rightly decided. The Supreme Court's opinion in the latest Presidential Reference -In re: Assent, Withholding or Reservation of the Bills by the Governor and the President of India 2025 LiveLaw (SC) 1124 (the opinion) falls in that category. It has turned the Constitution on its head. References under Art 143 are made to illumine and resolve a constitutional or other question of law or fact where there is any doubt and...
The Quiet That Justice Needs: Privacy, Openness, And Digital Court
The Problem, Stated PlainlyI reminisce. There are hearings where the facts stand undisputed, the police step back, and the State chooses silence. The courtroom holds its poise. No theatrics. Law is simply being reasoned into meaning. Yet, outside that space, snippets of the hearing may be clipped and shared online, out of context and out of proportion. A stray line becomes a slogan. A tense exchange becomes a headline. What stands violated then is not secrecy, but the sanctity of...
How India's Anti-Corruption Law Fails Victim Of Coercion
In 2018, India amended its Prevention of Corruption Act with the stated aim of strengthening the fight against graft. Among the changes was a provision under Section 8 that has attracted both interest and controversy. This provision states that a person who offers or gives a bribe to a public servant will not be held criminally liable if they can prove that the payment was made under compulsion and if they report the incident to a law enforcement agency within a period of seven days. At first...
Crime Against Women And Enabling Of Manosphere
This contribution is an attempt to contextualize the recently released NCRB data on violence against women in the form of “cruelty by husband”. In its annual report for 2023, the bureau revealed a concerning trend on crimes against women with 448,211 reported cases of crimes against women- a small rise from 445,256 cases in 2022, although consistent. The national crime rate was 66.2 incidents per lakh female population, based on mid-year projections of 67.7 crore females. The overall...
Threats Of False Accusations Of Rape Resulting From Breakdown Of Relationships: An Emerging Problem In India
Law evolves with society. As human interactions change, the nature of conflicts and the way law responds to them also undergo transformation. In contemporary times, particularly by 2025, romantic relationships among young adults have become more open, informal, and frequent. Many such relationships begin with genuine affection, companionship, and sometimes even discussions about long-term commitment and marriage. But as relationships have become more fluid, their breakdown too has become more...
Sorry, Not All Roses Smell The Same: A Critical Look At The Decision In Sumitomo's Smell Mark Application
Smell is one of the most powerful and primal senses. Many brands invest heavily in creating and maintaining unique smells as part of their products or services to foster positive associations with their brands. While in many instances, smell is a function of the nature of the concerned product or service, in some cases they are introduced externally for specific reasons. For example, the Bengaluru International Airport has reportedly invested heavily in a signature fragrance called 'Dancing...
When Hashtags Becomes Identity: The #ProudRandi Controversy
Imagine scrolling through your Instagram and you see a mental health professional you follow posting content with #ProudRandi and reclaiming a word that has wounded women for generations. You skip to give attention to that post but the next post pops up to your screen is of your minor daughter with the same hashtag. You will stop her or the influencer? This is what the latest controversy of therapist Divija Basin's #ProudRandi campaign is. The word “Randi” has always used as a general insult...
