Two-day Seminar on Transformative Constitutionalism

Submissions are invited for the Regional Seminar on Transformative Cons،utionalism: Emerging Trends and Challenges by the Department of Law, University of North Bengal, Darjeeling on March 22-23. Submit by March 6!

About the University of North Bengal

Welcome to the University of North Bengal, an esteemed educational ins،ution seamlessly blending education with nature. Our campus is renowned for its verdant surroundings, creating a tranquil and conducive atmosphere for both academic pursuits and relaxation. Established in 1962 through an Act of the West Bengal Legislature, the University of North Bengal is committed to nurturing education, training, and research across diverse disciplines.

Our mission is to propel and disseminate knowledge, tailoring higher education to meet the evolving needs of society. Nestled on 315.99 acres at the foothills of the Himalayas, our university provides breath-taking views of the Kanchenjunga peak, enveloped by tea gardens and forests. In a commitment to expanding educational opportunities, we have also set up a second campus in Jalpaiguri, further enri،g avenues for higher education and research.

About the Department

The Department of Law is prominently situated on Asian Highway 2 between Bagdogra and Siliguri in the District of Darjeeling. The distance from Bagdogra is six kilometers and from Siliguri is seven kilometers. The Department has its own campus in the South Block of the University of North Bengal.

The sprawling campus of the University enjoys the pristine beauty of the eastern Himalayas and is the intellectual hub of North Bengal. Siliguri is an important subdivision of the district and commercial capital of North Bengal. Located at the foot hills of eastern Himalayas, Siliguri is the gateway to North eastern India and land locked countries like Bhutan and Nepal.

It shares a huge and porous international border with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. It is well connected with all metropolis and major cities by air and rail.

The Department of Law, formerly known as the North Bengal University College of Law, was established in the year 1974 and upgraded as the Department of Law in the year 2000. Presently the Department offers B.A. LL.B. [Honours] 5-year integrated course, LL.M. course and Ph.D. The intake at the LL.B. level is one ،dred twenty-five, and the LL.M. course which was s،ed in 1993 has forty seats.

The criteria of admission both at B.A. LL.B.[Honours] under CBCS mode and LL.M. under CBCS mode are on merit. The department has a rich Ph.D. programme. It was s،ed in 1999 and since then more than 50 Ph.D. degrees have been awarded.

Presently, there are about Eighteen sc،lars engaged in doct، research under various faculty members under the UGC Regulation, 2009 and UGC Regulation, 2016. The Department attracts sc،lars and students from all over India and especially from Sikkim, Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa.

About the Event

The Cons،ution of India em،ies movements of profound transformation since 1950, in general and post 1976 in particular. Transformative cons،utionalism is based on the fundamental goal of transforming society for the better, i.e., making it more progressive and inclusive and places its trust on Judiciary as a tool for social and political change. It em،ies a dynamic approach that recognizes cons،utions as living do،ents capable of responding to the evolving needs and aspirations of society.

In India, the State has never been the power center, deeply pervasive hierarchies have been maintained by structures that took various forms like caste, religion, etc. where the state has limited aut،rity to interfere. It has been necessary to transform these ins،utions of hierarchies to enable a social pedestal on which the politico-legal structure can stand.

This form of transformative cons،utionalism has been pivotal in recent judgments addressing issues such as same-، relation،ps, animal rights, the practice of triple talaq, and the annulment of beggary laws of colonial origin. In line with this theme, the Department of Law, University of North Bengal plans to ،ise a Regional Level Seminar.

The seminar aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current developments, emerging trends, and challenges related to these transformative issues. The Seminar, also, tends to unveil the trend of transformation that hitherto fore has taken place under the Cons،ution of India and uncover the untrodden areas and portray the challenges that lie therein.

Sub-themes

• The golden triangles in the Cons،ution and Transformative Cons،utionalism
• Right to Equality under Cons،utional Transformation
• Socio Economic Justice under Cons،utional Transformation
• Socio Political Justice under Cons،utional Transformation
• Any other topic reflecting Transformative Cons،utionalism

Submission Details and Guidelines:

• Abstracts of not more than 300 words, for original research papers on the above-mentioned themes are invited, submitted as Word do،ents, with a cover letter containing the name and designation of the aut،r(s).
• There can be a ،mum of two Aut،rs only for each Abstract/Paper. ·
• Aut،rs of s،rtlisted abstracts shall be required to send their full-length papers w، would have the privilege of presenting their papers at this seminar.
• Full-length research papers in the form of articles within 5000 – 7000 words (inclusive of footnotes), s،uld be sent.
• Potential contributors are required to adhere to a uniform mode of citation (19^th or 20th Bluebook mode of Citation)
• Selected papers may be considered for publication in our journal, Indian Journal of Law and Justice or in the edited book.
• All Abstracts are to be sent by filling the Google Form, the link of which is provided at the end of this post.