Call for Papers: Code Shift, A National Conclave on Navigating the Labour Codes at WBNUJS, Kolkata [Hybrid, 12-13 September 2026]

Code Shift: A National Conclave on Navigating the Labour Codes is a two-day conclave organised by the Centre for Financial and Regulatory Governance Studies (CFRGS) of The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata, on 12-13 September 2026 at the WBNUJS main campus. The organisers describe it as an examination of "the transformative shift brought about by India's four new Labour Codes", framed around the agenda of Viksit Bharat 2047, and it aims to bring together academicians, practitioners, policymakers and students to critically engage with the evolving landscape of labour law and governance.

The conclave is held in collaboration with the All India Federation of Tax Practitioners, Eastern Zone (AIFTP, EZ), and is supported by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, ZTI, Kolkata and the Employees' State Insurance Corporation, Regional Office, Kolkata. A dedicated ESIC and EPFO help desk will be available at the venue for participant queries.

CFRGS was established at WBNUJS in 2015 to address financial, regulatory and policy challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. The centre states that it seeks to "create and share knowledge, to engage stakeholders in an exchange of ideas, and to enhance the appreciation of legal and regulatory issues", with a focus on bringing greater theoretical and analytical clarity to banking and financial system questions at the national, regional and global levels. It runs capacity-building programmes for government and private organisations, certificate courses and internships. The centre is headed by Prof. Vaneeta Patnaik as Director, with Dr. Sanjay Kumar and Dr. Shouvik Kumar Guha as Joint Directors.

The call invites original, unpublished papers on themes related to the four new Labour Codes and their broader implications for financial regulation, corporate governance and labour welfare in India. The organisers have not published a closed list of sub-themes; any paper falling within that scope may be submitted.

The conclave is open to academicians, practitioners, policymakers, professionals and students. The abstract submission form asks each author to record a designation from the following options:

• Student/Researcher
• Professional
• Practitioner
• Academician

Authors must also state their affiliated institute, or write "Independent" if not affiliated with any institute.

• Abstract: maximum up to 1,000 words, submitted through the Google Form.
• Full paper: 4,000-5,000 words, exclusive of footnotes. Papers will be run through Turnitin.
• Co-authorship: one co-author permitted, so a maximum of two authors per paper.
• Citation style: the NUJS Citation Standard is to be strictly followed.

The abstract must be uploaded to the form as a single PDF or document file of up to 10 MB, along with the author's name, designation and affiliated institute.

• All selected abstracts will be invited to present the corresponding paper at the conclave on 12-13 September 2026.
• Papers may be presented online or offline, as per the author's convenience.
• A Certificate for Presentation and Participation will be provided, and the organisers state that all registered participants shall be issued a certificate.
• The two best papers among those selected will be published in the NUJS Law Review.
• Other meritorious papers meeting publication standards will be published by the CFRGS Centre.

The registration form lists four fee heads, all inclusive of GST:

• Student/Researcher registration: Rs 1,500
• Registration for others: Rs 2,500
• Paper presentation cum registration (offline): Rs 2,500 per author
• Online paper presentation cum registration: Rs 3,500 per author

The submission guidelines set out the presenting-author fee as Rs 3,500 for online presentation and Rs 2,500 for offline presentation, per author, which matches the registration form. Payment is to be made by account transfer using the QR code printed on the official banner, and the form requires an image of the payment proof together with the transaction number.

There are two separate Google Forms, both created inside the WB National University of Juridical Sciences account and both requiring a Google sign-in:

• Abstract submission ("Call For Paper | Abstract Submission") - upload the abstract with your name, designation and affiliated institute. This must be done by 7 September 2026.
• Registration ("Code Shift: Labour Law Conference | Registration Form") - name, phone number, email, organisation, place, designation, the applicable fee head, proof of payment and the transaction number.

For group booking queries, the organisers ask participants to contact the coordinators listed below.