The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam stands as a major landmark of engineering and water management in the region. Completed in 1967 across the Krishna River, it is among the world’s largest masonry dams, irrigating vast stretches of farmland and generating hydroelectric power.
NALSAR in Dialogue with Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta on Emerging Challenges to Constitutional Morality in Contemporary India
Category:
NALSAR in Dialogue
Where:
Class Room No. 11, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
When:
08 September 2026
Organised By:
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
About the Speaker
Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta is University Lecturer at Princeton University and Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi. He was previously vice-chancellor of Ashoka University, and president, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi. He has previously taught at Harvard, Ashoka University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and NYU Law School.
Professor Mehta’s policy experience includes being convenor of the Prime Minister of India’s Knowledge Commission (2005-2007) and member of India’s National Security Advisory Board. He is also an editorial consultant to the Indian Express and a prolific contributor to public debates.
Excerpts from the Talk
Constitutional morality is commonly defined as adherence to the core values and principles of the Constitution. It prioritises the spirit of the law over its literal text. It is invoked often in contemporary political discourse, when the law as interpreted by the state is challenged on grounds of constitutional principles.
This edition of NALSAR in Dialogue was moderated by Dr. Balu Sunilraj, Assistant Professor of Politics, NALSAR. The wide-ranging discussion explored themes of constitutional morality and the challenges faced by it over the years. Professor Mehta outlined the expectations from political systems and state institutions as envisioned in the constitution, and analysed their record of standing up to constitutional principles in the past and in contemporary times.
