NUJS To Host Its 1st International Conclave On Disability Law & Rights [Register By 17th August]

The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), established in 1999, is known for its academic standards and focus on inclusivity. The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs and has built a reputation not only for its legal education but also for its efforts to create an environment for all students, including those with disabilities. In addition to its academic achievements, NUJS is committed to fostering an inclusive and competitive legal environment. It has hosted Para-Invicta, a sports festival for specially-abled students, alongside Invicta, its flagship law sports festival, promoting equal opportunities. Beyond this, NUJS has organized a wide range of Moot Court and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) competitions, such as the NUJS-HSF Moot Court Competition and the NUJS ADR Mediation Competition. These initiatives provide young lawyers with a platform to engage with legal issues, refine their advocacy and negotiation skills, and compete against top law schools. The university's inclusive approach and its commitment to supporting specially-abled students make NUJS a place of accessibility and social responsibility in legal education.

The 1st International Disability Rights Conclave, hosted by the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata, is an initiative aimed at fostering dialogue on the rights, dignity, and inclusion of persons with disabilities (PwDs) within the Indian legal framework. The Conclave seeks to bring together judges, legal academics, practitioners, policymakers, and activists to reflect on the current state and future direction of disability rights law in India.

At its core, the Conclave aspires to deepen the understanding of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and explore the legal, institutional, and societal challenges in its implementation. It will facilitate interdisciplinary discussions on themes such as reasonable accommodation, digital and physical accessibility, the role of the judiciary in promoting inclusive justice, and the social stigma that continues to affect the experiences of disabled individuals.

Through this Conclave, NUJS aims to generate insights, promote empathy-driven legal thinking, and support reform-oriented approaches to disability law. By creating a platform for stakeholders across sectors, the event seeks to move beyond symbolic inclusion and toward substantive equality, accessibility, and empowerment for the disabled community within the Indian justice system.

Who Should Attend?

• Law students and academicians
• Practicing advocates and judicial aspirants
• Disability rights advocates
• Policymakers and government officials

Why Should You Attend?

• Engage directly with sitting judges and national experts
• Learn from real-world challenges in the implementation of disability law
• Network with stakeholders driving legal and social change
• Contribute to policy-relevant dialogues

Themes of Panel Discussions

• Evolving jurisprudence of accessibility in India (Moving away from social model to-CRPD new model)
• Beyond Compliance: Reimagining India's Disability Rights Framework in Light of International Legal Standards

The Conclave will serve as a forum for discussions, offering legal professionals, students, policymakers, and civil society members an opportunity to engage with the issues in disability rights law.

Key Areas of Discussion

• Shift from Social to Rights-Based Model
• Judicial Interpretation and Case Law
• CRPD's Influence and the Road Ahead
• Reasonable Accommodation
• How the Indian Model Can Be Improved?

Speakers of the Conclave (including and not limited to) :

• Sara Hossain: Chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. She is also Honorary Executive Director of BLAST, and is the recipient of the International Woman of Courage Award, 2016.
• Soma Roy Chowdhury: Legal and governance expert with 20+ years of experience in development work, specializing in legal aid, human rights, gender justice and public interest litigation. She was the National Program Coordinator for a major UK-funded (£12 million) legal services program, and has consulted for international organizations such as USAID, UNODC, ILO, and the EU.
• Advocate Rahul Bajaj and Advocate Amar Jain: Founders of Mission Accessibility, an NGO for advancing the rights of individuals with disabilities.
• Sumit Agarwal: Recognized as an Icon of the Election Commission of India, a Member of Committee at NITI Aayog, SDG Ambassador for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and DEI Advisor to Fortune 500 Companies. An authority and accomplished advocate on disability law and rights, he is known for shaping discourse and legislation to improve opportunities and inclusion for the disabled community across India and beyond.

Registration Details

• Participation Fee: ₹249/-
• Optional Lunch: ₹159/- extra
• Last Date to Register: 17th August, 2025
• Register Here: https://forms.gle/DomK59wKM5GxsA5A9

Payment Details

• Name: Kinjal Das
• Bank Name: Bandhan Bank
• Branch: Ballygunge
• A/C No.: 50220033592779
• IFSC No.: BDBL0001699

(Online participation is also allowed — mention preference in the registration form.)

Contact

• Chair: Kinjal Das – +91 75959 65675
• Deputy Chairs: Anushka Maji – +91 86174 78308 | Saarthak Samadder – +91 94330 48880
• Event Heads: Serena Sarkar – +91 99032 20206 | Aditya Roy Chowdhury – +91 77381 55002
• Email: nationaldisabilitymoot@nujs.edu
  
  

For more details, refer to the brochure here.