Call for Submissions: Vol 36(2) of NLSIR Journal | Democracy, Free Expression, and Press Censorship; Submit By 15th May, 2024

What Is The National Law School of India Review (NLSIR)?

The National Law School of India Review (NLSIR) is inviting submissions for its upcoming Volume 36(2), this year’s special issue on ‘Democracy, Free Expression, and Press Freedom’. NLSIR is the flagship student-edited law review published by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru. It is a bi-annual, peer reviewed journal and holds the distinction of being cited thrice by the Supreme Court of India. NLSIR has also been cited by courts abroad, such as the High Court of South Africa.

Concept Note: The freedom of expression finds expression in the world’s largest democracy in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India. In any democratic polity, accountability, checks and balances, and transparency among various institutions are of paramount importance. As an institution, the media and the free press play a critical role in upholding accountability and transparency norms in public life. In India, particularly, the press has often been referred to as the “fourth pillar” of Indian democratic life.

Over time, serious questions have been raised about the independence of the media and the press in India. In 2023, India ranked 161 out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index, the lowest it has ever been. This comes at the same time that state authorities arrested Prabir Purkayastha, the editor of NewsClick, an independent Indian news website. Purkayastha was booked under terror charges on allegations of money laundering and promoting Chinese propaganda.

The press in India is, and has always been, a prominent institution in exposing various issues that affect public life. The undermining of such an institution raises important questions of academic interest and warrants in-depth analyses.

Volume 36(2) will focus of the multiple legal issues around press freedom in India. The Special Issue aims to analyse the relationship between various laws and press freedom. In doing so, it emphasises the deeply intertwined relationship between press freedom and democracy in the Indian context.

What Are The Details Of The Opportunity?

Submission Guidelines: Submissions for the Special Issue may be made in accordance with our Submission Guidelines under any of the mentioned categories.
CLICK HERE For The Submission Guidelines
Interested authors are requested to submit their manuscripts via our Digital Commons platform. Please refer to this guide for instructions and clarifications with respect to navigating Digital Commons.
The deadline for submissions: 15th May 2024.
Please note that we do not accept submissions over email.
NLSIR Symposium: Once the Special Issue is finalised, NLSIR will invite all authors to be a part of the annual NLSIR Symposium conducted in the form of a roundtable discussion. The transcript of the same will be published as a part of Vol. 36(2).

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