Nirma International Conference on Law (NICL 2026)

The Centre for Corporate Law Studies (CCLS) at the Institute of Law, Nirma University (ILNU) is going to organise the Institute's flagship international conference - the Nirma International Conference on Law (NICL 2026). It is envisioned as a premier forum bringing together leading legal practitioners, academicians, industry experts, and emerging legal talent.

Date: 30th January - 1st February, 2026
Venue: Nirma University, Ahmedabad

Theme:
The theme for NICL 2026, "Climate Change and Corporate Governance," is structured around the following indicative thematic pillars:

• Emerging Dimensions of Environmental Law and Climate Justice
• Climate Accountability and Environmental Governance
• Climate Change Litigation as a Tool of Environmental Accountability
• Accountability Mechanisms in Environmental Governance
• Climate Accountability of Non-State Actors
• Climate Change Litigation and Policy Innovations
• Environmental Governance and Accountability Mechanisms
• Environmental Law and Developmental Governance
• Comparative and Global Approaches to Climate Governance


• Rights, Justice and Public Participation in Climate Action
• Human Rights-Based Approaches to Climate Action
• Environmental Constitutionalism and Emerging Climate Rights
• Public Participation and Access to Environmental Justice
• Environmental Decision-Making and Community Participation Mechanisms
• Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge in Environmental Law-Making
• Climate Justice and Human Rights
• Access to Environmental Justice and Procedural Safeguards
• Biodiversity and Policy Crisis


• Sustainable Transitions and Global Environmental Frameworks
• Legal Responses to Ecological Degradation and Biodiversity Loss
• Energy Law Reforms and Sustainable Transition Frameworks
• Balancing Competing Legal Priorities between Development and Sustainability
• Role of International Environmental Agreements in National Frameworks
• Energy Law and the Green Transition
• Digital Environmental Law


• Evolving Frameworks of Corporate Law and Sustainable Business Practices
• Corporate Governance, Leadership, and ESG Accountability
• Corporate Sustainability and Legal Accountability: Rethinking the Fiduciary Duty of Directors in the ESG Era
• The Corporate Governance-Climate Nexus: Integrating Environmental Risk into Board Decision-Making and Enterprise Risk Management
• The Future of ESG and Corporate Governance
• Shareholder Activism for Effective Governance
• Shareholder Activism in the ESG Age: Institutional Influence, Digital Campaigns, and the Future of Corporate Accountability
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Corporate Governance: Legal Mandates, Metrics, and the Business Case for Diversity
• Corporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion


• Sustainable Finance and Climate-Aligned Investment
• Sustainable Financing and Investment
• The Future of Sustainable Finance: Regulatory Challenges and Climate-Aligned Investment Mechanisms
• The Legal Framework for Carbon Markets and Environmental Trading: Ensuring Credibility, Compliance and Equity
• Regulating Financial Innovation & Digital Finance
• Integrating ESG into Risk Management and Reporting Frameworks


• Corporate Responsibility and Ethics
• Corporate Social Responsibility and Legal Compliance
• Corporate Social Responsibility in Transition: From Statutory Compliance to Strategic
• Sustainability Integration Stakeholder Capitalism and Ethical Business Conduct
• Corporate Accountability for Environmental and Social Impacts
• Corporate Accountability for Environmental and Human Rights Violations: Legal Remedies, Due Diligence and Enforcement Gaps


• ESG Debt Securities, Green Bonds, and Sustainable Capital Markets
• Regulatory Framework for ESG Debt Securities in India: Legal Standards and Market Development
• Green Bonds and Climate Finance: Legal Challenges in Verification, Reporting, and Accountability
• Sustainability-Linked Bonds and Corporate Performance Targets: Balancing Flexibility and Compliance
• Investor Protection and Disclosure Standards in ESG Bond Markets
• Taxonomy and Certification of Sustainable Finance Instruments
• The Future of Sustainable Capital Markets: Integrating ESG Bonds into Mainstream Financial Regulation


• Corporate Reform, and Restructuring
• Corporate Insolvency, Restructuring and Value Recovery in a Sustainable Economy
• Director Liability under the IBC Regime: Strengthening Environmental and Governance Accountability in Corporate Insolvency
• Environmental Obligations in Insolvency Proceedings: Integrating ESG Risks into Resolution and Liquidation Frameworks
• Green Insolvency: Aligning Bankruptcy Resolution with Sustainable Asset Management and Decarbonization Goals
• Cross-Border Insolvency, Environmental Liabilities, and Global Value Chains
• Banking Law Reform and Environmental Risk Assessment: Redefining Financial Stability for a Low-Carbon Economy
• New AIF Regime and Venture Capital Sustainability: Governance Challenges in Green Investment and Fund Regulation


• Interdisciplinary Approaches to Law, Technology, and Society for a Sustainable Future
• Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Governance
• Data Governance and Sustainability Accountability
• Technology-Driven Solutions to ESG Compliance
• Digital Innovations in Environmental Monitoring and Reporting
• Ethical Governance of Artificial Intelligence in Sustainability
• Technological Transformation of Climate Governance Models
• Regulating Green Technologies and Smart Infrastructure
• Techno-Legal Challenges in Sustainable Urban Development
• Digital Platforms as Instruments of Environmental Governance
• Integration of Law, Policy and Technology for Climate Adaptation
• Cross-Sectoral Legal Frameworks for Sustainable Development
• Technology, Innovation and Business Sustainability
• Data Ethics, Privacy and Sustainable Governance
• Inter-linkages Between Law, Policy and Technological Change -Integrating cross-sectoral approaches for effective sustainability Governance
• Smart Regulation for Sustainable Infrastructure Development


• Collaboration, Knowledge and the Social Dimensions of Sustainability
• Social Dimensions of ESG
• Innovation Policies for Climate-Resilient Economies
• Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Global Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing
• Cyber Governance in Environmentally Sensitive Sectors
• Education, Research and Capacity Building for Sustainability
• Global Knowledge-Sharing Systems for Sustainable Governancea

Submission Guidelines:

• Author(s) are required to submit an extended abstract of 1000 - 1500 words, along with five (5) keywords. The shortlisted abstracts will be intimated to the Author(s) accordingly.
• The word limit for the final manuscript/ research paper, exclusive of the abstract and footnotes, shall be 3500 - 4500 words.
• The Organisers encourage analytical and well-researched manuscripts that provide logical and practical solutions to the issues highlighted.
• The last date for submission of Abstracts / research papers is 2nd January, 2026.

Submission Form:
https://forms.gle/WLJTA53EPXBTQUuS7

Awards and Prizes:

• Winner: Rs. 15,000/-
• Runner-Up: Rs. 12,000/-
• Second Runner-Up: Rs. 8,000/-

In addition to the overall winners, Best Paper Awards will be conferred in each thematic category. Best paper presenters under each theme will receive an Honourable Mention, along with a Merit Certificate and prizes.

Internship Opportunities:
Best research paper presenters, including the prize winners, will be considered for internship opportunities with participating law firms and organisations, aligned with the respective practice areas and themes of the conference.

Publication Opportunities:
Research papers presented at NICL 2026 will be published in an edited book with an ISBN by a reputed publisher. Selected papers will also be considered for publication in the Corporate Research Law Journal (CRLJ), an annual peer‑reviewed journal published by the Centre for Corporate Law Studies (CCLS).

Presentation and Review Process:

• All extended abstracts, research papers, and PowerPoint presentations must be submitted exclusively through the link. https://forms.gle/WLJTA53EPXBTQUuS7
• All submissions will undergo a review process conducted by the Academic Review Committee, and selected participants will receive an official Selection Intimation via email.
• Authors whose abstracts are selected will be invited to present their papers directly at the conference and may incorporate revisions to their abstracts prior to presentation.
• Participants are required to prepare a PowerPoint presentation (PPT) based on their full paper and present it before the evaluation panel on the scheduled date. The final paper along with the PPT must be submitted in accordance with the timeline communicated in the intimation email.

Registration Fees:

• Indian participants (per participant fees):
• Students: Rs. 2,000/-
• Research Scholars: Rs. 3,500/-
• Academicians: Rs. 4,200/-
• ILNU Students: Rs 1,000/-
• International presenters: US $100 per participant

Note:

• Fees to be paid per participant only after selection of Extended Abstract
• Registration fees includes Event kit (Folder, pen, Diary, Souvenir and other deliverables), Publication fee, Heritage Walk, access to Social Networking Night, Lunch, High Tea, Dinner.
• Virtual paper presentation is available for international participants only.
• The facility for accommodation will be provided on a subsidized basis by the University. The aforementioned fees apply on a per participant basis.

Important Dates:

Contact:
Mr. Pratik Amit Oke
Chairperson, CCLS & Convenor, NICL,
Phone: +91-6399995899
Email: 22bal104@nirmauni.ac.in

Ms. Vanshita Bhandari
Co-Chairperson, CCLS & Convenor, NICL,
Phone: +91-9711636499
Email: 22bbl133@nirmauni.ac.in

Ms. Katyayini Rana
Chairperson, CEL & Co-convenor, NICL,
Phone: +91-9511562041
Email: 23bal102@nirmauni.ac.in

Mr. Rohit Asnani
President, NILSAC & Co-convenor, NICL,
Phone: +91 7339795972
Email: 23bal183@nirmauni.ac.in

Ms. Vidhi Talesara
Secretary, CCLS,
Phone: +91-9588027470
Email: 23bal057@nirmauni.ac.in

Mr. Sarthak Gupta
Joint - Secretary, NICL & Secretary, CEL,
Phone: +91-7897878261
Email: 24bal188@nirmauni.ac.in

Mr. Rishit Paliwal
Secretary, NILSAC,
Phone: +91-86908 87667
Email: 23bal120@nirmauni.ac.in

Institute of Law, Nirma University
Email: ilnu.conference@nirmauni.ac.in
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nirma-international-conference-on-law/

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