About KS

Mission: The mission of the Kautilya Society is to foster a dynamic platform for critical and reflective discourse on matters intersecting law, governance, and public policy. Through initiatives like the blog Kautilya’s Take, the Society encourages students to engage with contemporary legal and policy developments, challenge existing frameworks, and propose grounded, research-driven solutions to modern governance challenges.

Vision: The vision of the Kautilya Society is to cultivate a community of legal scholars and practitioners who are equipped to contribute meaningfully to the development of inclusive, transparent, and effective public policies. By promoting interdisciplinary research and dialogue, the Society aims to influence policy discourse and contribute to the creation of a just and equitable society.

1. Kautilya Society NUSRL recently organised/ conducted the following initiatives 
2. Kautilya Society organised Policy Pe Charcha 1.0 on “The Future of Cyber Law” featuring insights on digital privacy and cybersecurity by Mr. Gokul Narayan, CEO, Asian School of Cyber Law – January 7, 2025.
3. Submitted detailed policy suggestions on the Jharkhand Budget 2025–26 through the Abua Budget Portal- January 17, 2025.
4. Organised Policy Pe Charcha 2.0 on policy evolution in India with a historical perspective by Prof. Aditya Mukherjee, Former Professor, JNU – February 7, 2025.
5. Conducted Academic Writing and Research Methodology Workshop to build critical writing skills, led by Mr. Alok Prasanna, Co-founder, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy – February 8, 2025.
6. VIDHAN 2025 – The Policy Triathlon in collaboration with Polytrics, IIM Ranchi, featuring quizzes, paper presentations, and live policy hackathon – invited delegates from IIM Ranchi, ADR India & MyNeta, and LiveLaw – March 9, 2025.
7. Launched teaser and poster of “NITI SAMVAAD” podcast during NUSRL’s national seminar, inaugurated by Hon’ble Justice Deepak Roshan, Jharkhand High Court – March 22, 2025.
8. drafted suggestions on the Advocate Amendment Bill, 2025 – March
9. Episode 1 of NITI Samvaad  launched on feb.
10. Released joint policy report on Draft DPDP Rules 2025 in partnership with all the  Kautilya Societies from NLUs across India.
11. Launched call for submissions for Kautilya’s Take blog series, reviewed by a peer board including Ananya Jha, Eshita Pandey, Leh Verghese, Mahvish Kazmi, Prakhyat Mathur, Shashvi Mehra, Shaoli Chakraborty, and others – April–May 2025.
12. We received an invitation for a conference from the Government of Jharkhand’s Department of Higher and Technical Education on the Jharkhand Student Research and Innovation Policy 2025.
13. Held Policy Pe Charcha 3.0 on environmental policy and ESG law addressed by Ms. Khushboo Kataruka, Partner at Hammurabi & Solomon Partners – May 14, 2025.
14. We send recommendations for the PESA Rules to the Department of Rural Development, Government of Jharkhand
15. Released Video Episode 2  of NITI SAMVAAD on the PESA Act featuring Dr. Ram Chandra Oraon, Assistant Professor, NUSRL and PESA Rules Drafting Committee Member, Gov. Of Jharkhand  – july 2025.

Upcoming projects

16. Scheduled flagship event NITI MANTHAN – Legislative Week, to bring together lawmakers, legal researchers, and civil society stakeholders – (upcoming).
17. Currently working on policy framework for revenue generation for the Department of Law, GoJ, and preparing 
18. Ongoing collaboration with the Government of Jharkhand on various governance and policy projects.
19. Carrier in the public policy series will be started in the upcoming semester.

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Structure of Kautilya Society NUSRL

Organizational Hierarchy

(a) Convenors’ Leadership

• Student Convenor – Highest position; responsible for overall vision, external representation, and policy-related initiatives.
• Co-Convenors- Assist the Convenor in leadership duties, act as a bridge between vertical heads and general members, and ensure smooth coordination across the Society.

(b) Convenors’ Office

A team of 10–15 members working directly under the Convenor.

Roles: The Convenors’ Office will be working on the following:

1. Society’s primary focus on drafting policy recommendations for State and Central Governments.
2. Collaborating with think tanks and academic institutions on policy projects.
3. Representing the Society in external forums, maintaining accountability, and steering the long-term vision.
4. Coordinates with the Society’s management to streamline activities and work on Society’s quarterly reports.

(c) Vertical Heads (Functional Verticals)

1. Digital Content & Public Affairs Head- Create content on public policy issues for the Society’s social media platforms.- Simplify complex policy matters to make them accessible to the public. Act as the point of contact with Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and other institutional partners.
2. Creative Head- Design posters, creatives, and visual materials for Society events.- Manage public engagement through attractive campaigns for our events.- Draft social media posts and communication material in coordination with the Convenors’ Office.
3.  Podcast Head- Conduct background research on themes and issues for upcoming podcasts. Identify and shortlist topics and guest speakers in consultation with the Convenors’ Office. Oversee podcast recording, production, and outreach strategy.
4. Event Management- Plan and manage Society’s flagship events such as Policy Pe Charcha, Vidhan-IIM Ranchi & NUSRL, conferences/workshops.- Coordinate logistics, scheduling, and execution of all events.- Ensure smooth collaboration with partner institutions and guest speakers.

(d) Editorial Team

• Editor-in-Chief – Leads the editorial division.
• Associate Editors – Assist in editing, reviewing, and content development.
• Copy Editors– Assist Associate Editor.

Meeting Structure

(a) Monthly General Body Meeting (GBM)

• Timing: Held once every month (preferably at the start of the month reviewing the previous month’s work).
• Participants: All members, convenors, vertical heads, editorial team.
• Agenda:
  • Review of past month’s activities by vertical heads.
  • Convenors’ report (society-wide achievements, collaborations, upcoming plans).
  • Approval of next month’s action plan.
  • Membership review, discussion of new initiatives.

(b) Vertical Heads Meeting

• Timing: Held 2–3 days before GBM.
• Participants: All vertical heads + co-Convenors.
• Purpose:
  • Review individual vertical progress.
  • Finalise vertical reports for GBM.
  • Resolve coordination issues.

(c) Convenors’ Team Meeting

• Timing: Before Vertical Heads Meeting.
• Participants: Convenor, Co-Convenors, Convenor’s Team.
• Purpose:
  • Strategic planning, policy research updates.
  • Preparation for vertical coordination.
  • Agenda-setting for GBM.

3. Review & Reporting Mechanism

1. Vertical Reports:
   • Each Vertical Head submits a short report before GBM.
   • Includes last month’s achievements, challenges faced, and next month’s goals.
2. Editorial Report:
   • Submitted by Editor-in-Chief, covering publications, pending drafts, and future editorial plans.
3. Consolidated Report:
   • Convenor’s office consolidate all reports into a Monthly Review Report presented in the GBM.

4. Flow of Meetings (Monthly Cycle)

1. Convenors’ Team Meeting → 2. Vertical Heads Meeting → 3. General Body Meeting

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Contact

For inquiries related to the Kautilya Society at the National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi, you can contact the following individuals:

• Gaurav Kumar Mandal – Student Convenor
  +91 91420 70677
  kautilyasociety@nusrlranchi.ac.in

Faculty Co-ordinator for the Kautilya Society:

• Dr. Utkarsh Verma
  +91 94727 72765