Law and South Asian Studies

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Session Type: Section Programs

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside

Room: Churchill C2

Floor: Second Floor

2026 will mark the 80th anniversary of the first meeting of the Indian Constituent Assembly. This panel uses that milestone as an entry point to reflect on the broader legacies of constitution-making and constitutionalism across South Asia. It will examine how constitutions in the region have shaped — and are now being reshaped by — legal, political, and historical forces, especially at a time when constitutional norms are under strain, facing contestation, or undergoing significant transformation. Panelists will discuss foundational moments such as the drafting of the Indian Constitution, key doctrinal developments including the “basic structure doctrine,” and the ways in which constitutional ideas have migrated, evolved, or been resisted in neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh. The conversation will also address contemporary challenges to constitutionalism, including authoritarian pressures, judicial independence, federalism, and the changing role of constitutional courts. Speakers will include scholars of constitutional law and history with expertise in Indian constitutional development, transnational doctrinal flows, and the divergent experiences of constitutional change and resilience across South Asia.