Research Associate (01 Post, Contractual) at Centre for Research in Land & Housing, NLU Jodhpur [Full-time; apply by 16.11.2026]

National Law University, Jodhpur invites applications for one Research Associate post on a contractual, full-time basis in a sponsored research project of the Centre for Research in Land & Housing: Law, Policy and Governance. The university acts as the Regional Centre for the Western Region under a national initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India.

The Centre has been set up at the university to advance research, teaching, capacity-building and policy engagement in the law and governance of land and shelter. Under the MoHUA initiative, the Ministry is working with leading National Law Universities through Regional Centres that undertake legal research, policy analysis and reform recommendations to strengthen the urban housing ecosystem, in support of PMAY-U 2.0 and the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

The project runs for an initial period of three years from the date of signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with MoHUA. It looks at legal, regulatory and institutional impediments to affordable housing across Central, State and Urban Local Body (ULB) frameworks. Its main areas of inquiry are:

• land titling and records, agricultural land conversion, and legal frameworks for land pooling, value capture and assembly;
• tenancy law reform, including the adoption of the Model Tenancy Act;
• approval mechanisms, building bye-laws and RERA compliance, including the adjudicatory practice of the Rajasthan Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RRERA);
• contract enforcement, stamp duty and registration, and urban planning and inclusionary zoning.

The project will produce a legal mapping report and bottleneck register, consultation reports and policy briefs, model laws, bye-laws and standardised contracts, training modules and legal literacy programmes, and a searchable legal repository with a legal-tech prototype.

• Post: Research Associate
• Number of posts: 01 (One)
• Nature of engagement: contractual, full-time, project-specific
• Consolidated remuneration: ₹ 35,000 per month, consolidated; no other allowance is payable
• Place of work: National Law University, Jodhpur, with field visits within Rajasthan and the Western Region as required
• Funding: sponsored research grant of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India

Essential qualification: a Master’s degree (LL.M. or equivalent) in Law, or a Master’s degree in Urban/Regional Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics or an allied discipline, with a minimum of 55% marks (or an equivalent grade) from a recognised University.

Desirable qualifications:

• research experience in real estate regulation (RERA), land laws and land records, tenancy and rent control, urban planning and building regulation, housing policy or urban governance;
• publications in UGC-CARE listed or Scopus-indexed journals, or policy reports in the field;
• proficiency with legal databases (SCC Online, Manupatra, etc.) and working knowledge of data analysis or legal-tech tools;
• fluency in English and Hindi, written and spoken, for fieldwork and outreach in Rajasthan.

Having the minimum qualifications does not entitle a candidate to be called for interview or appointed. Preference goes to candidates with demonstrated research experience and publications in land, housing and real estate law or allied fields.

• The engagement is initially for one (01) year from the date of joining. It can be extended on satisfactory performance and subject to the availability of project funds, and cannot go beyond the duration of the MoHUA project.
• It is purely contractual and co-terminus with the project, and gives no right to regular appointment, continued engagement or absorption in the university.
• The selected candidate gets only the consolidated monthly remuneration, with no HRA, medical, pension or retirement benefits. Travel for project fieldwork is reimbursed as per university norms and project provisions.
• Either party can end the engagement with one month’s notice, or the university can end it immediately for unsatisfactory performance or breach of terms.
• The selected candidate works under the supervision of the Vice-Chancellor, Director and Co-Director of the Centre.

• Undertake doctrinal and empirical research on Central, State and ULB-level laws, rules, regulations and bye-laws on land, housing and urban development, and assist in preparing the Legal Mapping Report and Bottleneck Register.
• Collect, analyse and summarise judgments and orders of RERA authorities and Appellate Tribunals, with particular reference to Rajasthan and the Western Region, and of the High Courts and the Supreme Court.
• Assist in drafting model legal provisions, bye-law templates, tenancy agreements, standardised housing contracts and frameworks for land monetisation, pooling and assembly.
• Coordinate and document stakeholder consultations and policy roundtables with State Governments, ULBs, housing boards, developers and civil society, and prepare consultation reports and policy briefs.
• Assist in designing and conducting capacity-building workshops for government functionaries and legal literacy programmes for low-income communities, including training modules and multilingual guides.
• Contribute to the Centre’s legal resource repository and legal-tech prototype, including case-law summaries and structured datasets.
• Assist in drafting the Inception Report, interim progress and completion reports, and the Final Report to MoHUA, and keep the project records needed for reporting and utilisation.
• Supervise and coordinate student research assistants and interns associated with the Centre, and undertake any other project-related task assigned by the Director or Co-Director.

• Integrity in data collection, analysis and reporting, with no fabrication, falsification or plagiarism.
• Strict confidentiality of unpublished data, internal deliberations and draft deliverables. No part of the project work may be published or shared independently without the prior written permission of the Director of the Centre.
• Intellectual property in work produced under the project vests as per the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the university and MoHUA.
• A neutral, evidence-based approach, disclosure of any conflict of interest, and professional conduct with officials, stakeholders and communities.
• Compliance with the rules, regulations and policies of National Law University, Jodhpur.

Send the application by e-mail to recruitment@nlujodhpur.ac.in, with a copy to crlh@nlujodhpur.ac.in, on or before 16.11.2026. The subject line should be “Application for the Post of Research Associate – Centre for Research in Land & Housing”.

The application must be a single PDF file containing:

• a detailed Curriculum Vitae;
• a Statement of Purpose of not more than 500 words setting out the candidate’s interest in and suitability for the position;
• self-attested copies of mark sheets and degree certificates;
• a list of publications, if any, with links or copies of up to two representative works.

Incomplete applications, or those received after the last date, will not be considered.

A Screening-cum-Selection Committee constituted by the competent authority will scrutinise the applications. Only shortlisted candidates will be called for interview, and the date and mode (physical or online) will be communicated by e-mail. No TA/DA is admissible for appearing in the interview. Candidates employed elsewhere must produce a No Objection Certificate from their employer at the time of joining.

The university reserves the right to shortlist candidates, to change the number of posts, to keep any post vacant, or to cancel the call without giving a reason. Its decision in all matters relating to selection is final.