NALSAR’s Inaugural Workshop on Anti-Caste and Adivasi/Indigenous Perspectives on Law

The Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair on Constitutional Law and Social Inclusion at NALSAR successfully organised a first of its kind, fully-funded residential Workshop on Anti-Caste and Adivasi/Indigenous Perspectives on Law from 27 to 30 August 2026. The workshop represented a rare initiative in Indian legal education to bring anti-caste and Adivasi perspectives as important ways of understanding law, power and justice.

The workshop was inaugurated by Professor Srikrishna Deva Rao, Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law. Professor N. Vasanthi, Professor of Law and Registrar of NALSAR, also attended the inaugural session.

The workshop brought together 17 young scholars, students, and researchers from different parts of India. It encouraged participants to examine the limits of formal equality and the ways in which caste, tribal identity and social exclusion continue to shape institutions, laws and legal processes. Participants presented papers on themes related to caste discrimination, Adivasi rights, legal pluralism, land and resource governance, environmental justice, access to legal education, caste discrimination at the workplace, non-Brahmin priesthood, digital testimony and anti-caste movements, criminal justice, and substantive equality.

Over the four days, the participants met several teachers, writers, lawyers and researchers. Professor Sameena Dalwai from O.P. Jindal Global University spoke about writing a book. Professor Nupur Samuel, also from O.P. Jindal Global University, led writing workshops and helped participants improve their papers. Dr. Shireen Azam, a postdoctoral fellow at NLSIU and a Ph. D from the University of Oxford, spoke about applying for a PhD abroad. Karthik Venkatesh, a Commissioning Editor at Penguin, explained the process of developing a book idea and pitching it to a publisher. Dr. Vinod Mishra from TISS Hyderabad spoke about publishing research in academic journals. Senior journalist Mahtab Alam helped participants think about writing opinion articles. Dr. S.P.V.A. Sairam spoke about researching the life and writings of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Supreme Court lawyer Disha Wadekar discussed papers on caste discrimination, penal reform and the experiences of Adivasi students. NALSAR faculty members Professor Sitaramam Kakarala, Professor Murali Karnam, Professor Shraddha Dubey, Professor Prithiraj Bora and Professor Balu Sunilraj shared their thoughts on papers about indigenous governance, caste, land, environmental justice and equality. Dr. Anurag Bhaskar, Adjunct Professor of Law and Faculty Coordinator of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair, coordinated the workshop.

Apart from the academic sessions, the workshop included a campus walk, a visit to Shameerpet Lake and a screening of the documentary 13th which examines how law has been used in the United States to criminalise African Americans. These activities allowed participants and resource persons to continue their conversations outside the formal sessions and helped create a close and supportive learning environment.

Through this annual initiative, the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair aims to provide young scholars with academic mentorship, detailed feedback on their research and opportunities to develop their work for publication.

Workshop Participants:

• Vrishti Shami
• Vishakha Chele
• Swati Kerketta
• Shubham Kumar
• Shreyas Dhamapukar
• Shobhit Pratap Singh
• Shipra Gautam
• Palagadda John Gracia
• Osama Noor
• Nikita Kujur
• Malavika S Madhu
• Joy Makhal
• Jyoti
• Garima Sidar
• Deepaksha Velip
• Deepak Kumar Meena
• Bhupender Nagauri