Call for Papers | National Conference on From Dharma to Justice: Law, Ancient Indian Knowledge Systems and Human Excellence by Mangalayatan University: Register by Mar 2

About the Organization

Mangalayatan University Jabalpur is established by the Gazette notification of the Madhya Pradesh Government and approved by the UGC under 2(f) of the UGC Act. Being the first private university of Jabalpur, it has established itself as a pioneer institute of higher education within the Mahakaushal region. Apart from educational activities, the University is also associated with various social welfare and extension activities.

About the Conference

The Faculty of Law, Mangalayatan University, Jabalpur is organizing a National Conference (Hybrid Mode) organized in collaboration with Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Karnataka on “From Dharma to Justice: Law, Ancient Indian Knowledge Systems and Human Excellence.”

The Conference focuses on Indigenous Jurisprudence and Dharma–Nyaya traditions that shaped ancient and medieval Indian legal thought. It critically examines the Traditional conceptions of Justice, duty, and social order, colonial codification, and reclassification of indigenous norms as “customary law”, the rise of legal positivism and its impact on Dharma–Nyaya systems along with the contemporary relevance of indigenous legal knowledge.

The Conference will include plenary sessions, keynote addresses, and panel discussions featuring eminent academicians and legal experts of national and international repute.

About Call for Papers

The Faculty of Law, Mangalayatan University, Jabalpur invites original, unpublished research papers from academicians, legal practitioners, policymakers, research scholars, and students from across India and outside India.
Submissions may be doctrinal, empirical, comparative, or interdisciplinary in nature. Papers aligned with the main theme or related areas are welcome.

Eligibility

• UG and PG Students
• Ph.D. Scholars
• Academicians
• Legal Practitioners
• Researchers and Professionals

Co-authorship is allowed up to a maximum of 2 authors

Theme of the Conference

Theme I: Indigenous Jurisprudence and Dharma–Nyaya Traditions

• Concept of Dharma and Nyaya in ancient and medieval India
• Justice, duty, and social order in traditional legal systems
• British legal epistemology and its encounter with indigenous legal traditions
• Reclassification of indigenous laws as “customary law”
• Codification, positivism, and displacement of Dharma–Nyaya system.

Theme II: Constitutionalism and Post-Colonial Legal Continuities

• Colonial legacies in the Indian Constitution and legal institutions
• Judicial engagement with Dharma, morality, and tradition
• Continuities and discontinuities in post-independence legal frameworks
• Constitutional morality vis-à-vis indigenous moral orders

Theme III: Knowledge Systems, Power, and Comparative Perspectives

• Colonial construction of legal knowledge and authority
• Marginalization of indigenous jurisprudential thought
• Law, power, and the politics of knowledge
• Intersections of law with sociology, anthropology, philosophy, and history
• Methodological challenges in studying indigenous legal systems
• Reclaiming indigenous legal knowledge in contemporary scholarship

Theme IV: Law and Contemporary Legal Developments

• Doctrinal analysis of Indian legal institutions and judicial reasoning
• Statutory interpretation and evolution of legal principles
• Role of courts in shaping modern Indian jurisprudence
• Artificial Intelligence and Law
• Use of AI in legal research, case management, and judicial processes
• Legal, ethical, and regulatory challenges of AI-driven decision-making

Submission Guidelines

• All submissions must be in English.
• The abstract should be maximum 500 words indicating the theme of the conference with five keywords submitted within the stipulated time.
• The paper shall consist of a maximum of 5000 words excluding Footnotes and References. (Descriptive footnotes are permitted)
• Author(s) are required to adhere to:Blue Book (22th edition) style of citation.
• Submissions must be typed in Times New Roman, Font Size 12 on A4 size paper with 1.5-line spacing. The heading should be in Times New Roman, Font Size 14, Bold, 1.5-line spacing. Footnotes must be in Times New Roman, Font Size 10 with 1.0-line spacing. The soft copy shall be submitted in ms word.
• The Author(s) should also send a declaration along with the abstract & final paper that their work is original and unpublished and that it does not infringe the copyright laws. Along with that the Author(s) have to submit a separate word file contains the Title, Name of the Author(co-author if any), Designation, Email and Contact details.
• All submissions will undergo plagiarism check “Authenticate” software as per international norms.
• Abstract and Full Paper shall be sent via email to:[email protected].
• The selected papers are proposed to be published in the form of an edited book with ISBN.

Important Dates

• Last Date for Registration: 2nd March 2026
• Last Date for Submission of Abstract: 4th March 2026
• Last Date for Submission of Full Paper: 8th March 2026
• Conference Dates: 12th–13th March 2026

Registration Fees

Students:

• ₹400 (Offline)
• ₹250 (Online)
• Academicians / Research Scholars / Professionals:
• ₹500 (Single Author – Offline)
• ₹750 (Dual Author – Offline)
• ₹350 (Single Author – Online)
• ₹500 (Dual Author – Online)

International Participants; USD 10

Bank Details for Registration:

Name: Mangalayatan University Jabalpur
Account Number: 39524800107
IFSC Code: SBIN0010824
Bank: State Bank of India, Jabalpur

Registration Process

Click Here to Register.

The brochure is here.