In conversation with Shristi Borthakur

In this interview conducted by CLS, we talk to Shristi Borthakur. As an advocate practicing in the Delhi High Court, her role in high-profile constitutional cases and her contributions to shaping significant legal principles have greatly influenced both the legal profession and public policy in India. She has particularly been involved in a few landmark cases, such as Dr Sarbesh Bhattacharjee v. State NCT of Delhi and Supriyo & Anr. v. Union of India, which have been instrumental in advancing constitutional principles and shaping the jurisprudence of our country.

Contradictions Unfolded: A Dive into Delimitation Dilemmas

Haryanaโ€™s 2024 elections exposed key delimitation challenges within Indiaโ€™s electoral framework. This article examines vote-share disparities, the North-South seat imbalance post-2026 delimitation, and judicial oversight in constituency mapping. Highlighting the Kishorechandra judgmentโ€™s implications, it advocates for autonomous delimitation, equitable representation, and judicial consistency to uphold democratic fairness and electoral integrity.

Threats to Fundamental Rights in the Digital Era: Analysing Rule 4(2) of IT Rules 2021

This blog ais to analyse Rule 4(2) of the IT Rules, 2021 which mandates identification of the first originator of information. Wherein, It threatens userโ€™s privacy, free speech, and intermediaryโ€™s immunity by breaking end-to end encryption, promotes chilling effects, creates arbitrary state actions and violates international principles. Thus, the need of reforms is necessary to balance regulation with fundamental rights in the digital age.

Justice at a Crossroads: The Promise & Peril of Judicial Privatization in India

Imagine a justice system where the snake of briskness in business is forever strolling on the crosshairs of the crocodile of justice's sobriety. That is the imagination invoked with the privatization of justice: the makings of a once-in-a-lifetime overhaul of the justice administration system. The question would then be whether, on grounds of judicial inefficiency, such a bold step would offer the key to a resolution or would only serve to open the box of Pandora anew. At the frontier of corporate innovation and justice, this essay analyses India's judicial privatizationโ€”looking at how, at one level, privatization holds out prospects for a sea change in efficiency and creativity, and at another level, there are the critical risks of corruption and inequalityโ€”along with present global insights and safeguards for this transformative shift.

India’s Fiscal Federalism: Challenges and Path Forward

This article examines the constitutional architecture governing the regulation of state borrowing in India by studying Article 293 of the Indian Constitution. It looks at court decisions and fiscal federalism as well as using examples such as the Kerala case to underscore the extent of the control of the central government on matters related to borrowing. The article then turns to a discussion on striking an optimal balance between state financial autonomy and national economic stability.

Freebies In Electoral Democracies: A Necessary Change Withheld by Major Challenges?

For a while now, an eternal debate has existed on the issue of freebies and welfarism. Their nature is so close that it becomes impossible to differentiate between the two and draw a clear line of demarcation. While welfare policies are deemed to be irreplaceable and for the goodwill of society, freebies are understood to be vicious and a method of manipulation used to win political support at the expense of fiscal prudence. Freebies or welfare policies as may be referred to by both sides of the argument undoubtedly have political, economic and social implications. The question that then arises is whether their benefits exerted on society are sufficient to overcome the looming dangers that hide behind the veil of welfare. As this discussion reaches the Supreme Court, this blog highlights a few challenges that lie ahead.

Battling Digital Disinformation: The Imperative of Fact-Checking in a Participatory Democracy (Part II)

Disinformation and misinformation has been earmarked as aย โ€˜global riskโ€™,ย causing โ€˜information pollutionโ€™ย that adversely impacts decision making and socio-economic and politicalย stability.ย Part โ€“ II intends to explore the evolving interpretation of the theory of โ€˜marketplace of ideasโ€™ under Article 19(1)(a) to point out that disinformation and misinformation on government affairs distorts the foundation of democracy, i.e., truth. Accordingly, the article emphasises on the need to fact-check in order to ensure plurality of views based on factually true information, since discourse based on false information makes the citizen's participation in democracy a futile exercise.

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