About The Nalanda

About The Journal

The Nalanda – Supreme Court Review is a monthly online journal dedicated to the scholarly analysis of constitutional adjudication and judicial institutions in India. Our mission is to foster rigorous, accessible, and intellectually honest engagement with the work of the Supreme Court of India and constitutional law more broadly.

We publish original research articles, case commentaries, essays, and book reviews that contribute to a deeper understanding of constitutional jurisprudence. Our journal serves as a platform for legal scholars, practitioners, judges, and students to engage in meaningful dialogue about the interpretation and application of constitutional principles.

Intellectual Foundations

Our journal takes its name from Nalanda University, established in the 5th century CE in ancient India. For over 800 years, Nalanda stood as one of the world's first great centers of learning, attracting scholars from across Asia to study philosophy, logic, grammar, medicine, and law. The university was renowned for its tradition of vigorous debate and intellectual inquiry.

This principle—that authority must yield to argument—lies at the heart of our journal. We believe that constitutional interpretation must be grounded in reasoned analysis, not mere assertion of power. Just as the ancient scholars of Nalanda engaged in open debate regardless of hierarchy, we encourage diverse perspectives and constructive criticism in constitutional discourse.

Swadeshi Jurisprudence

We are committed to developing a distinctly Indian approach to constitutional scholarship—what might be called Swadeshi jurisprudence. While we engage with comparative constitutional law and learn from global constitutional traditions, we recognize that India's Constitution emerged from unique historical circumstances and must be understood in its own context.

Swadeshi jurisprudence does not mean insularity or rejection of foreign ideas. Rather, it means approaching constitutional questions with sensitivity to India's plural traditions, social realities, and democratic aspirations. It means building constitutional theory from the ground up, rooted in Indian experience rather than transplanted wholesale from other jurisdictions.

Editorial Orientation

The Nalanda approaches the Supreme Court with both respect and critical engagement. We recognize the Court's vital constitutional role while maintaining that judicial decisions, like all exercises of public power, must be subject to reasoned scrutiny.

Our editorial stance is guided by several principles:

• Reasoned Analysis: We evaluate judicial decisions based on the quality of their reasoning, not the identity of the judges or political outcomes.
• Constitutional Fidelity: We assess whether decisions remain faithful to constitutional text, structure, and fundamental values.
• Doctrinal Coherence: We examine how decisions fit within broader patterns of constitutional doctrine and whether they promote legal predictability.
• Institutional Humility: We recognize that courts operate within broader systems of democratic governance and must respect the legitimate roles of other institutions.

Scope of Publication

The Nalanda publishes scholarship across the full range of constitutional law and judicial institutions. Our areas of focus include:

• Fundamental Rights: Analysis of rights jurisprudence including freedom of speech, religious liberty, equality, privacy, and personal liberty.
• Constitutional Structure: Examination of federalism, separation of powers, parliamentary democracy, and institutional design.
• Judicial Process: Studies of constitutional litigation, judicial appointments, case management, and access to justice.
• Constitutional Theory: Explorations of interpretive methodology, constitutional philosophy, and normative constitutional theory.
• Comparative Constitutionalism: Comparative analyses drawing lessons from other constitutional systems and transnational constitutional dialogue.
• Constitutional History: Historical studies of constitutional development, founding debates, and evolving constitutional understandings.
• Law and Society: Interdisciplinary work examining the relationship between constitutional law and social, economic, and political forces.

Publication Model

The Nalanda publishes on a monthly basis, with each issue containing 3-5 articles along with case commentaries, essays, and book reviews. Our online-only format allows for rapid publication while maintaining rigorous peer review standards.

All published content is freely accessible through our website. We maintain a permanent archive of all issues, ensuring long-term availability and citability of published scholarship. Articles are published in PDF format with stable URLs for citation purposes.

We assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to all published articles, ensuring permanent identification and facilitating academic citation. Our articles are indexed in major legal databases and scholarly repositories.

Editorial and Review Process

All submissions to The Nalanda undergo anonymous peer review. Neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identities during the review process. This ensures that manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scholarly merit.

Review Criteria

Reviewers assess submissions based on:

• Originality: Does the article make a novel contribution to constitutional scholarship?
• Rigor: Is the analysis thorough, well-researched, and methodologically sound?
• Clarity: Is the argument presented clearly and accessibly?
• Significance: Does the article address important questions in constitutional law?
• Engagement: Does the article engage meaningfully with existing scholarship and relevant case law?

Authors typically receive an initial decision within 8-12 weeks of submission. Accepted articles are published within 2-3 months of final acceptance.

Publication Ethics

The Nalanda is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics. We adhere to internationally recognized best practices for scholarly publishing.

Author Responsibilities

• All submitted work must be original and not under consideration elsewhere.
• Authors must properly cite all sources and obtain permissions for quoted material.
• Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that might influence their work.
• Authors must disclose any funding sources for their research.

AI and Technology Use

We recognize that artificial intelligence tools are increasingly used in research and writing. Authors must disclose any substantive use of AI tools in preparing their manuscripts. AI-generated text must be clearly identified and cannot constitute the primary intellectual contribution of an article.

The use of AI for routine tasks (grammar checking, formatting assistance, translation) need not be disclosed, but AI tools cannot be listed as co-authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their work, regardless of tools used in its preparation.

Editorial Independence

Our editorial decisions are made independently based on scholarly merit. We do not allow commercial, political, or personal considerations to influence our editorial judgments. All members of our editorial board disclose any potential conflicts of interest.