The 6th India Public Policy Network (IPPN) Conference will be held from June 1–4, 2026,
under the theme: “Public Policy Praxis in Global South: Building Coherence and Capacity for
Future Challenges.”
About the Panel:
PANEL THEME: Governing Complexity: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Law, Policy, and
Development in the Global South (RESEARCH TRACK: NR43)
Chair : Niharika Kumar (University of Lucknow)
Second Chair : Shobhit Pratap Singh (University of Lucknow)
Third Chair : Manisha Yadav (Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University)
This panel invites papers that moves beyond merely diagnosing the governance deficits in the
face of challenges posed by technological changes and other uncertainties. The aim is to
position developing economies, and particularly the insights emerging from Asia and Africa,
not merely as case studies but as crucial leaders/producers of theoretical insights that can
inform global debates on law and public policy. The panel seeks to illuminate the innovative,
context-specific law-policy intersections being forged locally to manage global risks. The
anticipated papers are expected to illustrate how bottom-up policy learning, South-South
cooperation, and the unique dynamics of state-society-technology interactions in countries like
India are generating transferable theoretical insights.
Contributions can relate to methodological innovations (Papers presenting new methods for
studying law-policy intersections), theoretical contributions (Papers that develop or refine
theoretical concepts for governance that are rooted in the experiences of the Global South),
and/or comparative empirical studies(Detailed case studies with comparative elements across
countries in the Global South on themes such as digital inequality, urban transformation, or
climate adaptation law).
The following suggestive themes may be considered:
1. Theoretical innovation and knowledge production from Global South contexts
2. Case studies of law-policy innovations in digital public infrastructure, climate adaptation,
and urban planning
3. State-society-technology interactions, bottom-up policy learning, and non-state actor
participation.
4. Regulating Algorithmic Justice and Human Rights
5. Data Sovereignty, Privacy, and Monopoly Power
6. Climate Law and Policy for Adaptation
7. Resource Governance and Inequality
8. Hybrid Governance and Non-State Actors
9. South-South Cooperation and Policy Learning
10. The Governance of Rapid Urban Complexity
Submission Guidelines:
Create an account on IPPA Website
Submit abstract (250-300 words) in the text box
Mention author(s) and affiliation(s)
Important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: January 31, 2026
Evaluation of Abstracts: February 1–10, 2026
Participant Registration: March 2026
Final Paper Submission: May 15, 2026
Official Panel Link:
Governing Complexity: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Law, Policy, and Development in the
Global South (RESEARCH TRACK: NR43)