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Volume 5, Issue 5
When War Targets the Innocent: Legal Dilemmas in Civilian Protection
October 13, 2026
Abstract
In contemporary conflicts, civilians are no longer merely caught in the crossfire they are often the intended targets of military strategy, political intimidation, and collective punishment. From the destruction of maternity wards in Mariupol, Ukraine, to the levelling of entire residential districts in Gaza, and the ethnic massacres in El Geneina, Sudan, the promises of […]
Who Bears the Loss? Rethinking Consumer Liability in QR-Code Payment Fraud in India
October 12, 2026
Abstract
The rapid adoption of QR-code-based digital payments in India has created new forms of consumer vulnerability, particularly where fraudsters manipulate customers into voluntarily authorising transactions. The existing regulatory framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) primarily addresses “unauthorised electronic banking transactions”, providing a liability framework where the customer has not authorised the transaction or […]
Regulating Child Influencers in India: Bridging Child Protection and the Creator Economy
October 12, 2026
Abstract
The rapid growth of social media platforms and the creator economy have led to the emergence of child influencers, who create monetised content on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and other digital platforms. Though this provides children with opportunities for creativity and participation, but it also raises concerns regarding their education, […]
The Dark Store Next Door: Legal Classification and Urban Regulation of Quick-Commerce Fulfilment Facilities in India
October 11, 2026
Abstract
Many quick-commerce platforms depend on “dark stores” small, inventory-led fulfilment premises located close to consumer neighbourhoods from which app-based orders are picked, packed and dispatched. Their physical form is familiar but their regulatory character is not. A dark store may resemble a retail shop in commercial organisation, a warehouse in land-use terms, a food-storage establishment […]
Watched, Rated, Unprotected: Domestic Workers, Digital Gate Management, and the Personal Exemption Trap Under India’s DPDP Act, 2023
October 11, 2026
Abstract
India’s gated communities are increasingly administered through digital gate-management platforms that record, verify and circulate information about domestic workers. Entry and exit times, worker identities, photographs, biometric identifiers, attendance histories and resident-generated ratings can now become part of a worker’s digital profile even where the worker is not a user of the platform and has […]
Criminalization of Survival of Afghan Women under Taliban Regime
October 11, 2026
Abstract
Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021 Afghan women have seen their legal rights get worse. The Taliban moved from rules to written laws that punish the very actions Afghan women use to stay safe. The latest law, the 2024 Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice shows how far this […]
Deceptive by Design: Regulating Algorithmic Monetization and Dark Patterns in Free-To-Play Gaming under Indian Consumer Law
October 11, 2026
Abstract
The rapid digital expansion of the Indian interactive entertainment industry has driven a structural transition from traditional upfront software purchases to continuous, post-installation micro-transactions within Free-to-Play (F2P) mobile video games. Central to this monetization model are algorithmic “loot boxes”—virtual containers yielding randomized digital rewards—and variable-ratio reinforcement schedules that exploit cognitive vulnerabilities. While the Central Consumer […]
Maternity Protection Beyond Leave: Preventing Professional Disadvantage after Childbirth in India
October 11, 2026
Abstract
This paper examines maternity protection in India beyond the formal grant of leave, with particular attention to the risk that a woman may return to employment but lose the functional status, authority, responsibilities, appraisal opportunities, or career trajectory attached to her earlier role. The analysis is anchored in the Delhi High Court’s decision in Rakhi […]
Clicking under Pressure: Dark Patterns, Urgency Architecture and Consumer Autonomy in India’s Quick-Commerce Economy
October 11, 2026
Abstract
India’s quick-commerce model makes speed its principal value proposition. The same digital interfaces that reduce transaction costs can, however, compress the time available for reflection through countdowns, scarcity cues, pre-selected add-ons, ranking choices, hidden charges and asymmetric cancellation flows. This article develops “urgency architecture” as an analytical concept for the interaction between rapid delivery and […]
The Friction of Transparency: Reconciling the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 with the Public Disclosure Mandates of the FCRA
October 11, 2026
Abstract
The enforcement of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 marked the beginning of India’s landmark privacy-first data framework, with stringent compliance with data minimization and consent standards. Simultaneously, civil society is subjected to a high-surveillance public transparency regime under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA). A severe statutory clash is highlighted in […]