Draft Proposal · April 2026 · Faculty of Law, CUTM

Research Centre for
Law and Public Policy

Bridging Legal Scholarship with Governance Realities

Centurion University of Technology and Management Bhubaneswar, Odisha – 752 050 Interdisciplinary · Policy-Driven · Impact-Focused
RCLPP
About the Centre

A Premier Hub for
Legal Scholarship & Governance

The Research Centre for Law and Public Policy (RCLPP) is envisioned as an autonomous research unit within the Faculty of Law, Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM), Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It is conceived to become a nationally recognised centre of excellence that bridges rigorous legal scholarship with evidence-based public policy.

RCLPP functions as an umbrella research centre — housing and coordinating multiple specialised thematic sub-centres over time, providing a common institutional platform for diverse but deeply interconnected areas of legal and policy inquiry spanning constitutional law, environmental governance, access to justice, human rights, IP law, criminal law reform, and international law.

The Centre is designed to produce high-impact outputs including Scopus-indexed publications, policy briefs, legislative drafts, and training modules for legal practitioners, while building collaborative networks with academic institutions, governmental bodies, civil society, and international agencies.

Vision

To be a nationally recognised centre of excellence in law and public policy research that generates transformative knowledge for just, inclusive, and sustainable governance.

Mission

  • Conduct high-quality, interdisciplinary, and socially relevant research in law and public policy
  • Inform evidence-based policy-making at state and national levels through rigorous analysis and advocacy
  • Build capacity among legal professionals, civil society actors, and policymakers in Odisha and Eastern India
  • Create a collaborative ecosystem linking academia, government, judiciary, and civil society
Bridging Legal Scholarship with Governance Realities

RCLPP Institutional Tagline · Faculty of Law, CUTM

Research Agenda

Seven Thematic Research Pillars

RCLPP operates across broad interdisciplinary pillars with targeted sub-areas, ensuring depth of scholarship alongside breadth of policy relevance.

⚖️

Constitutional Law & Governance

Federalism Judicial Review Fundamental Rights AI Governance Digital Constitutionalism Legislative Drafting
🌿

Environmental Law & Sustainable Development

Biomedical Waste Climate Change Law Tribal Rights Biodiversity EIA & Compliance Forest Governance
🏛️

Access to Justice & Legal Aid

Legal Aid Systems PIL Lok Adalats ADR Judicial Delays Legal Literacy
🤝

Human Rights & Social Justice

Tribal & Dalit Rights Women's Rights Child Rights Disability Law LGBTQ+ Rights Labour Rights
💡

Intellectual Property & Technology Law

Traditional Knowledge GI & Biopiracy Patent Law Data Privacy AI Regulation Cybersecurity
📜

Criminal Law Reform & BNS Research

BNS 2023 BNSS & BSA Prison Reform Restorative Justice Anti-Money Laundering Bail Law
🌐

Comparative & International Law

State Responsibility WTO Law Trade Policy Regional Human Rights SAARC Frameworks Int'l Environment Law
Infrastructure & Features

Built for Scholarly Excellence

RCLPP is designed with institutional infrastructure that enables world-class research, policy advocacy, and community engagement from day one.

01

Dedicated Research Wing

Furnished workspace for faculty, visiting fellows, and research associates, with access to SCC Online, Manupatra, HeinOnline, Westlaw India, and a specialised RCLPP reference library.

02

RCLPP Working Paper Series

A peer-reviewed, open-access working paper series under ISSN registration — serving as a pre-publication platform and policy-relevant legal analysis repository.

03

Annual Flagship Conference

Annual National Conference on Law and Public Policy with proceedings published in Scopus-listed edited volumes, and co-hosted international symposia with partner institutions.

04

Policy Clinics

Specialised policy clinics focusing on legislative drafting, access-to-justice camps in rural Odisha, environmental governance audits, and digital rights campaigns with DLSAs.

05

Digital Knowledge Portal

A dedicated web portal hosting all RCLPP publications, legislative tracking databases, project updates, and an open-access repository of curated legal and policy documents for Odisha and Eastern India.

06

Interdisciplinary Collaborations

Formal collaboration with CUTM's Schools of Social Sciences, Economics, Computer Science, and Management to embed interdisciplinary perspectives across all research programmes.

07

Student Research Integration

Supervised research assistantships, policy mooting, and co-authorship opportunities in working papers and policy briefs for undergraduate and postgraduate law students.

08

Thematic Sub-Centres

RCLPP operates as an umbrella centre under which specialised thematic sub-centres are progressively established, each with a dedicated Coordinator and focused research identity within a unified governance framework.

Implementation Roadmap

Five-Phase Implementation Plan

RCLPP's launch follows a structured five-phase roadmap from institutional establishment to full operational autonomy, spanning Years 1 to 5.

Phase I
Months 1 – 3
Registration and formal establishment, governance setup, CUTM seed funding approval, and official website launch.
Phase II
Months 4 – 6
Appointment of Director and Research Associate; launch of the RCLPP Working Paper Series; submission of the first major grant application to ICSSR.
Phase III
Months 7 – 12
First Annual National Conference on Law and Public Policy; completion of two flagship research projects; publication of the first RCLPP policy brief.
Phase IV
Year 2 – 3
International collaboration MoUs with NLUs and foreign universities; launch of the Research Fellowship Programme; first Scopus-indexed publication; engagement with the Government of Odisha for commissioned policy research.
Phase V
Year 4 – 5
Full operational autonomy with a diversified funding base; measurable contribution to CUTM's NAAC and NIRF rankings; established position as a premier policy research centre in Eastern India.
Expected Outcomes

Transformative Impact Across Four Dimensions

5+
Scopus/SSCI Publications Per Year by Year 3
10+
Working Papers Per Annual Volume
10+
PhD Students Mentored Per Year
Policy Briefs Submitted to Govt. of Odisha & Central Ministries

📖 Academic Impact

  • Minimum 5 Scopus/SSCI-indexed publications per year by Year 3
  • Annual working paper series with 8–10 papers per volume
  • PhD co-supervision and research mentoring for 10+ students per year
  • Faculty research profile enhancement aligned with NAAC metrics

🏛️ Policy Impact

  • Evidence-based policy briefs submitted to Government of Odisha and Central Ministries
  • Draft legislative inputs to the Odisha State Law Commission and Parliamentary Standing Committees
  • Contributions to NALSA and SLSA access-to-justice initiatives

🎓 Institutional Impact

  • Enhanced NAAC and NIRF rankings for CUTM through research output
  • Visibility for CUTM Faculty of Law as a research-intensive institution
  • Attraction of visiting scholars, international collaborators, and external research funding

🌏 Social Impact

  • Legal awareness and empowerment of marginalised communities in Odisha
  • Strengthened environmental governance and waste management frameworks
  • Capacity building for civil society, district administration, and panchayati raj institutions