South Asian Law & Policy Conclave 2026 by CDIPR

About Centre for Development of Intellectual Property and Research (CDIPR)

The Centre for Development of Intellectual Property and Research (CDIPR) is a premier institution established as India’s First Non-Governmental Research Organisation dedicated to Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). Operating under the Naovina Development of Intellectual Property and Research Foundation as a registered Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), CDIPR is dedicated to promoting and protecting Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) within India, thereby fostering a conducive environment for innovation and creativity.

In today’s global landscape, where intellectual property serves as a cornerstone for economic growth, technological advancement and cultural development, CDIPR plays a pivotal role in driving forward-thinking policies, research and education.

About the Conclave

The South Asian Law & Policy Conclave, 2026 is a flagship international policy–academic forum under the South Asian Academic Summit, 2026, organised by the Centre for Development of Intellectual Property and Research (CDIPR), Naovina Development of Intellectual Property and Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Conceived as a high-level platform for interdisciplinary engagement, the Conclave critically examines the evolving intersections of law, public policy, and governance in a rapidly transforming South Asia. At a moment when South Asian states are grappling with accelerated digitalisation, platform-mediated public spheres, artificial intelligence–driven governance, and transnational regulatory pressures, the Conclave seeks to foster rigorous dialogue on how legal systems and policy frameworks can respond to technological disruption while safeguarding democratic values, constitutionalism, and social justice.

It situates South Asian regulatory and governance experiences within broader global debates on AI governance, digital constitutionalism, platform regulation, and emerging technology law. Bringing together legal scholars, policy analysts, technologists, international organisation experts, regulators, judges, civil society actors, and early-career researchers, the Conclave offers an inclusive and policy-oriented forum to bridge theory, practice, and institutional reform.

With intellectual collaboration from Carnegie Endowment and UNITAR, the Conclave aims to amplify South Asian perspectives in global policy conversations on technology, governance, and the rule of law, foregrounding context-sensitive, rights-respecting, and future-ready regulatory approaches. 

Conclave Objectives

• To critically analyse the impact of emerging technologies on legal systems and governance structures in South Asia.
• To examine regulatory responses to artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and data-driven governance.
• To promote interdisciplinary dialogue between law, public policy, technology, and international governance.
• To contextualise South Asian policy experiences within global regulatory and normative frameworks.
• To provide a platform for early-career scholars and Global South voices in technology law and policy debates.

Conclave Date & Format

• Dates: 22nd March 2025
• Format: Virtual Mode

Key Themes and Sub-Themes

Participants are invited to submit papers engaging with the following thematic tracks:

1. Platform Regulation, Digital Markets and Competition Law

• Regulatory frameworks for social media, search engines, and digital intermediaries
• Content moderation, misinformation, and democratic discourse
• Intermediary liability, safe harbour doctrines, and state oversight
• Digital competition law, antitrust enforcement, and platform dominance
• Data as market power: regulation of data monopolies
• Cross-border platform governance and regulatory cooperation

2. Digital Constitutionalism and Fundamental Rights

• Constitutional protection of privacy, data, and informational autonomy
• Digital surveillance, national security, and proportionality standards
• Free speech, online dissent, and platform–state relations
• Constitutional remedies against algorithmic governance
• Horizontal application of fundamental rights in digital spaces
• Courts, technology, and evolving constitutional jurisprudence

3. Artificial Intelligence Governance and Regulation

• National AI strategies and regulatory preparedness in South Asian states
• Risk-based, rights-based, and innovation-friendly AI regulatory models
• Public sector AI, automated welfare delivery, and administrative accountability
• Bias, discrimination, and algorithmic fairness in AI systems
• Liability regimes for AI-induced harms
• AI governance in comparative Global South contexts

4. Data Governance, Privacy and Information Regulation

• Comparative data protection regimes in South Asia
• Data localisation, cross-border data flows, and digital sovereignty
• Consent, purpose limitation, and data fiduciary obligations
• Government access to data and constitutional limits
• Children’s data, biometric databases, and social protection systems
• Intersection of data governance with trade and national security

5. Emerging Technology Law and Regulatory Futures

• Legal implications of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and decentralised finance
• Fintech regulation, digital payments, and financial inclusion
• Legal challenges of the metaverse, extended reality, and virtual spaces
• Regulation of Internet of Things (IoT) and smart infrastructure
• Technology neutrality and adaptive regulatory design
• Regulatory sandboxes and experimental governance models

6. Cybersecurity, Cybercrime and National Security

• Cybersecurity governance and critical infrastructure protection
• Cybercrime legislation, enforcement challenges, and due process
• State-sponsored cyber operations and international law
• Encryption, lawful access, and human rights concerns
• Regional cooperation on cyber resilience and incident response
• Military–civilian boundaries in cyberspace governance

7. Technology, Democracy and Electoral Integrity

• Digital campaigning, micro-targeting, and electoral fairness
• Political advertising regulation and platform accountability
• Disinformation, deepfakes, and democratic resilience
• Election management bodies and digital technologies
• Voter data protection and electoral surveillance
• Technology’s role in democratic backsliding or renewal

8. Law, Technology and Social Justice

• Technology and access to justice in South Asia
• Digital divides, exclusion, and structural inequalities
• Gender, caste, disability, and technology-mediated discrimination
• AI and automation in labour governance
• Informal economies, gig work, and platform labour regulation
• Technology as a tool for inclusive governance

9. Global Governance, International Law and the Global South

• Role of international organisations in technology norm-setting
• Global digital governance and South Asian participation
• Technology regulation in trade agreements and investment law
• South–South cooperation in digital policy and regulation
• Norm diffusion, regulatory borrowing, and legal transplants
• Contesting digital imperialism and regulatory asymmetries

10. Policy Design, Regulatory Capacity and Institutional Reform

• Evidence-based policymaking in technology regulation
• Interdisciplinary approaches to law and public policy
• Regulatory capacity-building in developing economies
• Role of think tanks, civil society, and academia in policy formulation
• Multi-stakeholder governance models
• Future of lawmaking in fast-evolving technological environments

Format and Presentation

The conference will be conducted fully Virtual to ensure broad participation across jurisdictions. Selected authors will present their papers in moderated academic panels before an international audience of scholars, practitioners, and policy experts.

Recognition & Awards

Selected contributors will receive:

• Publication in the International edited Volume titled, “Law and Policy in South Asia: Shaping Governance for the 21st Century” with ISBN 978-81-998939-5-5. To be published and distributed across 15 nations, with international editorial and institutional collaboration.
• International Certificate of Presentation
• Best Papers to be Featured in the South Asian Law & Policy Review, 2026 (Special Conclave Edition)
• Public Policy Innovation Award for papers offering actionable legal, regulatory, or governance frameworks
• Emerging Scholar Award for students, doctoral scholars, and early-career academics.
• Selected works will be highlighted through international academic blogs, policy briefs, and partner platforms
• Invitations to contribute to future conferences, edited volumes, and policy consultations

Call for Papers Timeline

• Abstract Submission Deadline: 14th March, 2026
  (Abstracts should be between 250–300 words, clearly indicating the research question, methodology and relevance to the Conclave themes.)
• Notification of Abstract Selection: 16th March, 2026(Selected authors will be notified via email and invited to submit full papers.)
• Full Paper Submission Deadline: 21st March, 2026(Full-length papers should be 3,000–4,000 words and follow the Conclave’s Submission Guidelines.)
• Presentation Confirmation by Authors: 21st March, 2026(Selected participants must confirm attendance and complete registration.)
• Date of Conference: 22nd March, 2026 

Submission Guidelines

Categories:

• Research Article: 3,000 to 6,000 words
• Policy Paper / Legislative Analysis: 3,000 to 5,000 words
• Case Studies / Legal Commentaries: 2,000 to 4,000 words

Format and Structure:

• Font: Times New Roman
• Body Text: 12pt, Justified Alignment
• Headings: 14pt, Centre Alignment
• Subheadings: 13pt
• Footnotes: 10pt, Left Alignment
• Citation Style: Bluebook 21st Edition
• Spacing: 1.5
• Language: English only

Abstract: Each submission must include a concise abstract not exceeding 300 words summarising the core ideas of the paper with 5 keywords.

Originality:

• Submissions must be entirely original and unpublished.
• Plagiarism should not exceed 10%, and AI-generated content is not allowed. Submissions violating these guidelines will be rejected.

Co-Authorship: Papers may have up to two authors.

Review Process:

• A two-stage internal review will assess submissions.
• Authors may be required to revise their papers based on feedback regarding content, structure, or formatting.

How to Submit?

Interested candidates can submit abstracts via the link given at the end of the post.

Contact

For direct communication, email us at events@cdipr.ac.in

Click here to Submit.