Call for Papers: International Conference on Interconnection between Indian Knowledge Systems and Law, Political Theory and Economics 2026 [Hybrid]

The Conference Committee of the School of Law and the Office of International Affairs at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, are jointly organising an International Conference on Interconnection between Indian Knowledge Systems and Law, Political Theory and Economics on 24 and 25 September 2026, in hybrid mode.

Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) represent an intellectual tradition that has shaped philosophical, legal, political and economic thought for centuries. Classical schools such as Mimamsa, Nyaya, Arthashastra and Dharmashastra developed systematic frameworks for reasoning, governance and interpretation that remain relevant to contemporary discourse. Modern Indian legal and governance systems, however, have largely evolved through Western frameworks of jurisprudence and institutional design, creating a disconnect between indigenous intellectual traditions and present-day academic and policy engagement.

The conference seeks to bridge that gap by creating a platform for critical engagement with Indian knowledge traditions and their application to law, political theory and economics, and to explore how indigenous frameworks can complement modern doctrines in interpretive clarity, institutional ethics and policy innovation. It is aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020.

The School of Law at CHRIST Pune Lavasa was set up in 2019 and offers B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) and B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M. in Corporate and Commercial Law and in Constitutional and Administrative Law, and a Ph.D. in Law.

• To examine the philosophical and jurisprudential foundations of Indian Knowledge Systems in law and governance.
• To foster interdisciplinary dialogue between law, philosophy, political theory and economics.
• To analyse classical frameworks such as Mimamsa, Nyaya and Arthashastra in contemporary legal interpretation.
• To critically engage with economic thought in Indian traditions, including taxation, welfare and regulation.
• To encourage original research integrating indigenous knowledge with modern legal and policy challenges.
• To explore civilisational approaches to statecraft, constitutionalism and governance.

• Academicians, research scholars, Ph.D. and post-doctoral researchers in law and allied disciplines.
• Lawyers, policy professionals and practitioners.
• Students of LL.M. and LL.B. programmes.
• Researchers and students from political science, economics, philosophy and public policy.
• Anyone with an interest in Indian Knowledge Systems and interdisciplinary research.

Papers are invited under eighteen sub-themes.

• Conceptual framework of Indian Knowledge Systems: the concept of IKS, misconceptions about it, its relevance, and its influence on law, political theory, administration and economics.
• Indian jurisprudence and the concept of Dharma: dharma as a foundational principle of justice; duty, morality and legal order in ancient and contemporary legal systems.
• Ancient Indian legal systems and contemporary law: legal principles in the Dharmashastras, the Arthashastra and the Smritis; customary practices and their relevance to modern legal frameworks.
• Indian jurisprudence, hermeneutics and interpretation: Mimamsa and statutory interpretation, Nyaya epistemology and evidentiary reasoning, Arthavada-Vidhi and purposive interpretation, Shruti-Smrti and the limits of literalism.
• State, governance and constitutionalism: Rajadharma and constitutional morality, limits of state power in classical texts, welfare state and rule of law traditions.
• Law, economy and fiscal governance: Arthashastra and taxation frameworks, ethical foundations of taxation, wealth distribution and welfare, market regulation and economic justice.
• Sustainability, environmental ethics and ecological governance: ecological jurisprudence in Indian traditions, traditional environmental ethics, resource governance in the Arthashastra, sacred groves and sacred ecology.
• War, security and strategic statecraft: ethics of warfare in the Dharmashastra, just war theory in Indian philosophy, intelligence and espionage in the Arthashastra, national security and civil liberties, geopolitics in ancient India.
• Traditional dispute resolution mechanisms and ADR: panchayat systems as dispute resolution; mediation, reconciliation and community-based justice as precursors to modern ADR.
• Indian Knowledge Systems, indigenous knowledge and intellectual property: traditional knowledge of India and its interconnection with intellectual property rights.
• Ancient Indian statecraft, national security and ethical governance.
• Indian Knowledge Systems, human rights and social justice: equality and dignity in Indian philosophical and ethical traditions, gender justice, community welfare, protection of vulnerable and marginalised groups.
• Indian Knowledge Systems and criminal justice administration: theories of punishment in early Indian jurisprudence, reformative justice, restorative practices and ethical governance.
• Ancient Indian political thought and contemporary public policy and education: political ideas from the Arthashastra and Manusmriti, Buddhist and Jain traditions, diplomacy and administration, education in Indian tradition.
• Indian economic thought, sustainability and inclusive development: trusteeship, self-reliance, ethical trade, village and circular economy, sustainable development in early Indian tradition.
• Technology, digital economy and Indian ethical traditions: IKS and digital civilisation, ethical foundations for artificial intelligence, data sovereignty, cyber governance and fintech innovation.
• Transformation of IKS through the ages: secular aspects of IKS across the ancient, medieval and modern periods.
• Decolonising legal, political and economic education through IKS: reimagining higher education through Indian epistemologies, NEP 2020 and the institutionalisation of IKS, India-centric approaches to research, pedagogy and policy analysis.

The conference runs in hybrid mode over two days and comprises keynote lectures by scholars and legal experts, panel discussions on specific themes, and research paper presentations followed by question and answer sessions.

• Publication: selected papers will be published in the CHRIST University Law Journal (CULJ), or as a conference proceedings volume, or as an edited book with an ISBN. Publication follows editorial review and author approvals, and is expected to be completed within approximately three to four months of the conference. No separate publication fee or additional charge is levied.
• Certificates: certificates are awarded to all paper presenters. Where a paper is co-authored, both authors receive certificates but only one may present.
• Networking and mentorship: the conference is intended to connect scholars for future collaborations, with senior scholars guiding early-career researchers.

• All submissions must be made electronically in .doc format only, through the prescribed Google Form. Submissions sent to any email address or through any other mode will not be considered.
• Papers must be in English and between 3,000 and 6,000 words, inclusive of references and footnotes.
• Formatting: Times New Roman, font size 12 for the main text and 14 for headings, single line spacing, bold headings.
• Citations must conform to APA 7th edition.
• An abstract of not more than 300 words must accompany the paper, along with a maximum of five keywords, which are not counted in the word limit.
• Co-authorship is permitted for up to two authors.
• The cover page must carry the title, the name, designation, postal address, email address and contact number of the author or authors, and the name and address of the affiliated college, university, institution or firm. A brief author profile of not more than 250 words must be submitted with the paper.
• Submissions must be original and unpublished, and must not be under consideration for publication, presentation or any other competition elsewhere.
• The overall similarity index, including AI-generated similarity, must be below 10 per cent, and the submission must be free from unacknowledged AI-generated content. Plagiarism results in immediate disqualification.

• All submitted papers undergo an initial screening by the Organising Committee for relevance to the conference theme and compliance with basic academic standards.
• Full papers then go through a peer-review process, assessed on originality, thematic relevance, conceptual clarity, methodological rigour and contribution to existing scholarship.
• Authors of selected submissions are informed through the email address provided in the Google Form, and are then invited to present at the conference on payment of the registration fee.
• A common WhatsApp group may be created for selected participants to coordinate.
• Selected submissions are considered for publication only with the consent of the author and co-author, and all selected manuscripts go through editorial review and editing before publication.

The registration fee falls due only after a full paper is accepted, and is non-refundable.

• Professionals, Academicians and Post-Doctoral researchers: Rs 1,500 for sole participation and Rs 2,500 for joint participation (USD 20 and USD 30 for foreign participants).
• Ph.D. Scholars: Rs 1,000 sole and Rs 1,500 joint (USD 15 and USD 20).
• Post Graduate and Undergraduate students: Rs 750 sole and Rs 1,200 joint (USD 10 and USD 15).
• Joint authorship of an academician with a Ph.D. scholar: Rs 2,000 (USD 25).
• Joint authorship of an academician with a UG or PG student: Rs 1,700 (USD 20).

Participants attending offline must arrange and bear their own travel and accommodation costs, though the University may assist in arranging accommodation on request.