Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy's Podcast

This episode reflects on the Legally Hers podcast miniseries and brings together the key insights from our conversations with our guest, including feminist scholars, a Member of Parliament, and a filmmaker. In this episode, we revisit key threads from all our conversations and connect the main themes. We return to the questions that guided us at the start and share how our perspectives on them hav...

What does it really mean to see women’s lives through the female gaze? In the final guest episode of our miniseries, we speak with filmmaker Paromita Vohra about representation, women’s lived realities, and the many forms of labour that often go unseen, are stigmatised, or are judged morally. Drawing from her documentary, The Working Girls, this episode examines women’s experiences in all their co...

This episode, marking International Workers’ Day, honours the often-overlooked contributions of women’s labour through a conversation with Dr. Prabha Kotiswaran. It traces the complex and often turbulent journey of women’s work, from its historical invisibility to its partial and uneven recognition today. Through a feminist lens, the episode examines how law functions not merely as text on paper,...

In Episode 4 of ‘Legally Hers’, host Prathiksha Ullal converses with Dr. T. Sumathy, Member of Parliament from the South Chennai constituency. Together, they step into the Parliament of India, where law and representation converge, and where the female gaze comes sharply into focus. This episode reimagines political representation as a birthright. It examines why women’s presence in governance is...

In today’s episode of Legally Hers, Prathiksha Ullal, in conversation with Dr. Kalpana Kannabiran, turns to the Constitution of India to ask: what might a feminist rendition of the Constitution truly look like? And what does it mean for women to reclaim it through collective ownership? Together, they explore how this idea comes alive in protest, memory, and collective expression, while questioning...

From Victorian morality to the enduring shadows of the “white man’s burden,” the latest episode of the ‘Legally Hers’ Podcast examines how histories of control persist in laws governing women’s lives. In this episode, Prathiksha Ullal is in conversation with Dr. Shrimoyee Ghosh, Assistant Professor at Azim Premji University. Together, they trace the origins of law, unpacking the colonial and patri...

Legally Hers is a podcast miniseries that explores the law not as an abstract concept, but as something that deeply impacts women’s everyday realities. In our introductory episode, we unpack the complex relationship between women and the law, examine how legislation has historically been crafted without the female gaze, and ask a bold question: What would the law look like if it were designed arou...

Artificial Intelligence has moved from research labs into every corner of our lives—shaping economies, transforming warfare, and raising profound questions about what it means to be human. For some, AI promises extraordinary leaps in productivity, creativity, and problem-solving. For others, it evokes fears of surveillance, disinformation, and geopolitical arms races. But beyond the hype, what act...

From the battlefront to the courtroom, the fight for gender equality in the Indian Army has been as much about shifting mindsets as changing policy. In 1992, women joined the Army through the Women Special Entry Scheme — short service tenures, no pathway to a Permanent Commission. Nearly three decades later, the Supreme Court in Babita Puniya marked a constitutional breakthrough, holding that phys...

International law is often seen as an elite, inaccessible career path—limited to foreign policy professionals or top diplomats. But with globalization, transnational disputes, climate negotiations, and international arbitration gaining ground, the field is far more accessible than imagined. To help us demystify what it takes to build a career in this field, Dr. Arghya Sengupta is joined by Dr. Ruk...

While the Nuremberg trials echo widely in our collective pasts, much fewer remember its lesser-known twin, the Tokyo Trials. Even fewer still recall the lone voice of dissent that emerged from them: Justice Radhabinod Pal. His judgment at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East was radical, scathing, and - depending on who you ask - either deeply principled or dangerously flawed. In p...

The battlefield is no longer shaped by the contours of its geography, but by data, algorithms and drones. But as India races to modernise its defence ecosystem, how prepared is it to navigate the strategic, ethical, and diplomatic challenges that AI brings? In the seventh episode of Justify season five, Dr. Arghya Sengupta is joined by Dr. Arun Sukumar, a leading voice on international cyber gover...

In the 20th century, borders were built with barbed wire and brick walls. In the 21st, they’re drawn in code. In the sixth episode of #justify season five, Dr. Arghya Sengupta is joined by Dr. Neha Mishra to explore how states are reasserting greater control over digital infrastructure and data flows. ➤ Can traditional legal frameworks keep up with the realities of digital trade, surveillance, and...

The global trading system is in flux, institutions like the World Trade Organisation (WTO), once the cornerstone of a rules based trade law regime, are now in a state of paralysis. Can India leverage its expertise to lead in reforming global trade governance, or will it continue to remain a follower? And what of the future of the global trade regime? Join Dr. Arghya Sengupta, in conversation with...

Since its first nuclear test in 1974, India has walked a fine line — committed to disarmament, yet outside the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In this episode, Dr. Arghya Sengupta and Ambassador Rakesh Sood unpack India’s nuclear doctrine, its “no first use” policy, and the complex geopolitics of deterrence, disarmament, and legitimacy. Can a country outside the global no...

India as a Norm Maker in International Law - Justify Season 5 Episode 3 by

Is Water Still a Bridge—or Becoming a Weapon? The Indus Waters Treaty has survived wars and decades of mistrust. But with climate shocks, development pressures, and India's recent decision to keep the treaty in abeyance, the future of this historic agreement is at a crossroads. Join Arghya Sengupta in conversation with Dr. Daniel Haines, author of Rivers Divided and Associate Professor at UCL, as...

On May 7th, India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the brutal attack in Pahalgam. But beyond the battlefield, another fight began — in global capitals, diplomatic meetings, and legal forums. Yet, despite the headlines, no one’s asking: Where does India stand in the realm of international law?

The fourth episode of Vidhi Maharashtra's "Up the Ante, Mumbai" series focused on open spaces in Mumbai. We discussed the current state of open spaces in the city along with the laws and policies that impact open spaces with Ms. Nayana Kathpalia. We also dove into the BMC’s open space policies till date and the role of public participation in protecting open spaces.

Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy in collaboration with India International Centre hosted ‘The Great Cases of CJI DY Chandrachud: An Appraisal of His Judicial Legacy’ as Justice Chandrachud concludes his tenure as the Chief Justice of the country. The session focused on the seminal judgements that Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud has been a part of in his role as the Chief Justice of India to look at his judicial...

A Great Cases discussion on Common Cause v Union of India, in which the Supreme Court of India recognised the right to die with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution and gave legal recognition to advance medical directives. In 2024, the Supreme Court also released orders to simplify the process for executing the advance medical directives. This panel discussion was hosted as a part of the G...

Vidhi, in collaboration with the India International Centre, is hosting ‘The Working of the Indian Constitution: Stories and Scholarship’. The 5th episode focuses on Bail in High Profile cases, with the recent Arvind Kejriwal case as the kickstarter. The discussion was held between Sidharth Luthra, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Arghya Sengupta, Founder and Research Director, Vidhi Ce...

The third episode in our conversation series will focus on how the youth in Mumbai’s informal settlements experience and shape the city around them. We spoke to Asma about livability in Mumbai and draw from her experiences growing up in a basti. Sachin walked us through how civil society organisations are partnering with young people for changes in city planning, development and governance. We als...

Reservations In India - Justify Season 4 Episode 11 Ft. Juhie Singh by

What do we do about the air in India's major cities? Is it time for India to get rid of the court fees? Can India fulfill its promise for universal health coverage? In episode 10 of Season 4 of Justify, Arghya Sengupta discusses manifesto promises related to the key areas of health, climate & ecosystem, and judiciary with Alok Prasanna Kumar, Dhvani Mehta, and Debadityo Sinha. This episode looks a...