National Conference on Digital Governance and Sustainable Development: Balancing Security and Rights in the Age of Data Protection

The Department of Criminology and Police Science, St. Thomas College (Autonomous), Thrissur, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), New Delhi, is organising a three-day National Conference on Digital Governance and Sustainable Development: Balancing Security and Rights in the Age of Data Protection from 5 to 7 August 2026 at the college campus in Thrissur, Kerala.

As data-privacy laws evolve globally, the conference brings together academicians, researchers, legal and criminology professionals and students to examine the intersections of fundamental rights, predictive policing, algorithmic bias and digital state accountability. The NHRC joins the forum to anchor rapid technological advancement firmly within constitutional rights and democratic accountability.

Core theme: Data Protection, Fundamental Rights and Democratic Governance.

• Critical overview of the DPDP Act, 2023
• Right to privacy and the Puttaswamy judgment
• Data fiduciaries and consent mechanisms
• Children's data protection and online safety
• Role of the Data Protection Board of India
• EU GDPR comparative insights
• Alignment with UN SDG 16

Core theme: Technology-Driven Crime Control - Security Imperatives and Human Rights Safeguards.

• Predictive policing and AI investigations
• Facial recognition and algorithmic bias / discriminatory profiling risks
• Data protection laws versus criminal procedures
• Digital forensics and data retention
• National security exemptions
• Emerging cybercrimes (dark web, cyber-grooming, digital sexual exploitation)

Core theme: Balancing Security, Freedom and Sustainable Development in the Data-Driven State.

• Mass surveillance versus civil liberties
• Platform governance and corporate accountability
• Gig / platform labour data risks
• Digital exclusion impacts on marginalised communities
• Human rights impact assessments
• Rights-based regulatory policy reforms

Academicians, researchers, legal and criminology professionals, forensic and security-studies experts, policymakers, and postgraduate and research students working at the intersection of law, technology, human rights and policing.

All submitted abstracts and full papers undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. Papers must demonstrate sound methodological frameworks and direct relevance to digital governance, security and human rights. Detailed full-paper submission guidelines are emailed to authors following abstract acceptance. A recognised plagiarism-check report with a similarity index of 10% or below is required.

• Official conference kits
• Entry to all academic and interactive sessions
• Lunch and refreshments
• Entry to the exclusive conference Gala Night
• Official certificates of participation

• Dr. Shekhar Seshadri, former Senior Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NIMHANS Bangalore
• Dr. Sandhya R S, Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Kerala
• Dr. Muthumani Sundaram, Assistant Professor, CUSAT and IPR Consultant
• Dr. Upma Gautam, Professor, University School of Law and Legal Studies, GGSIPU, New Delhi
• Dr. Sumit Kumar Choudhary, Senior Assistant Professor, School of Forensics, Risk Management and National Security, Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), MHA
• Dr. Sramana Majumdar, Assistant Professor, Nayanta University, Pune

Register and submit abstracts through the official Google Form: https://forms.gle/XrXQ7mcasBVq7i5S6. Early-bird registration closes on 22 July 2026, abstract submission on 25 July 2026, and full paper with final registration on 30 July 2026. For queries, email cpsstc.nhrcconf26@gmail.com or call +91 91880 70353, +91 94001 62737 or +91 89211 39627.