The Kautilya Society actively contributes to policy formulation through well-researched recommendations.

1. Budget Recommendations, 2025-2026

Policy suggestions submitted to the Government of Jharkhand concerning state budget allocation.

The Kautilya Society,NUSRL has submitted a set of policy recommendations for the Jharkhand government’s 2025-26 budget. These suggestions, aimed at the “Abua Budget” portal, focus on improving education, fostering skill development, and strengthening the state’s legal infrastructure.

Key Recommendations:

• Scholarship Scheme: The policy proposes financial aid for meritorious students who have passed national-level competitive exams like JEE, NEET, and CLAT. Its goal is to alleviate the financial burden of higher education, particularly for professional courses. To make the scheme more inclusive, the report suggests raising the income eligibility limit to ₹8–10 lakh per year. It also recommends providing additional assistance for hostel and residential fees for students from Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) communities.
• Aspire Internship Scheme: This is a merit-based, paid internship program for all college students in the state. Interns would be placed in various state departments, such as Rural Development and Tribal Welfare. The program aims to provide students with practical experience, networking opportunities, and a monthly stipend to offer financial support. The report suggests allocating approximately 0.5% of a department’s total budget to fund these stipends.
• Strengthening Legal Education: The third recommendation is focused on improving legal awareness and access to justice across Jharkhand. It proposes two key initiatives: Legal Awareness Programs, such as Lok Adalat sessions, to help resolve disputes and educate citizens on their rights, and Clinical Intensive Courses for law students, which would provide hands-on training through collaborations with local courts and public departments. These efforts are designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world legal practice.

2. Advocate Amendment Bill, 2025

Analysis and suggestions submitted to the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India.

Key suggestions:

Section 2(i) Misconduct

The current definition of “misconduct” only applies to advocates. The recommendation suggests broadening this definition to include legal interns and junior practitioners. This ensures that individuals working under supervision in the legal field are also held to the same standards of conduct.

Section 2(i) Legal Practitioner

The draft defines a “legal practitioner” and recognizes experience certificates from a variety of sources, including courts, law firms, and corporate entities. However, the document points out several issues with this provision:

3. Draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules

A joint effort of the Kautilya Societies around the country. In a span of a month the students from around the countries collaborated and analyzed the draft of the proposed rules for the DPDP act 2023.

The brief findings are mentioned below: 

• Children’s Data: The DPDP Rules of 2025 positively address children’s online privacy by curbing excessive data collection and targeted advertising. However, the report highlights that the rules are unclear on how to verify parental consent and lack specific methods for data minimization.
• Data Principals’ Rights: The rules grant individuals (Data Principals) the rights to access, correct, and erase their data. A unique provision is the right to nominate a representative for data management in case of death or incapacity, which is not found in the GDPR or Australia’s privacy laws. However, the report notes a lack of strict timelines for data access and correction, which could lead to delays.
• Data Deletion and Retention: The DPDP Act introduces the “Right to Erasure”. However, the rules have vague criteria for rejecting deletion requests, allowing data fiduciaries to potentially retain unnecessary data. The report also points out that while large data fiduciaries have a specified retention period, smaller businesses are exempt, creating a loophole.
• Government Powers and Exemptions: A significant concern is the broad exemptions granted to the government for data processing without explicit consent, especially under rules that allow for data collection for research or public services. The report states that these rules lack judicial oversight and clear definitions, raising fears of potential misuse and surveillance, in contrast to international frameworks like the GDPR and New Zealand’s Privacy Act.
• Significant Data Fiduciaries (SDFs): The report notes that while the rules impose additional obligations on SDFs—such as appointing a Data Protection Officer and conducting audits—they do not provide clear criteria for an entity to be classified as an SDF.
• Cross-Border Data Transfers: The DPDP Act adopts a “blacklist” approach, allowing data transfers to all countries except those the government explicitly restricts. The report finds this approach pragmatic but notes that the lack of transparent criteria for these restrictions can cause uncertainty for global businesses.
• Data Protection Board (DPB): The establishment of the DPB is a positive step, but the report raises concerns about its independence and enforcement powers. It suggests that the appointment process for board members should be more independent to prevent government overreach, and that the board should have the power to propose legal reforms, similar to its international counterparts.

4. Jharkhand Student Research and Innovation Policy 2025

Recommendations sent to the Department of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Jharkhand.

Several recommendations for NUSRL,Ranchi to align with the policy’s goals:

• Establish an Intellectual Property (IP) Cell: Create a dedicated unit to offer legal guidance and support for patent, trademark, and copyright filings.
• Encourage Interdisciplinary Projects: Promote research that combines law with other fields like technology, environmental science, and public policy to tackle real-world legal issues.
• Integrate Policy Advocacy: Add courses to the curriculum on innovation law and policy drafting to equip students with practical skills.
• Leverage Internship Schemes: Encourage students to join the Jharkhand Grassroots Innovation Internship Scheme to work with rural communities and address the legal challenges faced by local innovators.
• Host Seminars and Conferences: Organize events that bring together key stakeholders to discuss the intersection of law and innovation.
• Seek Institutional Recognition: Pursue state-level awards to increase the university’s profile and secure more funding.
• Apply for Research Grants: Actively seek grants offered under the policy to fund legal research projects.

Provide Legal Support to Startups: Offer legal advisory services to new businesses to help them with IP, compliance, and contracts, thereby contributing to the state’s startup ecosystem.