Christ University Law Journal

Tracing the Changing Landscape of the Grocery Sector in the Digital Era through the Lens of Competition Law

2026-02-04T07:00:47+00:00

Food and grocery are fundamental to the well-being of human beings and are a part and parcel of their daily lives. World Bank data reveals that the cost of a healthy diet in India is almost at par with the citizens' median income, which implies that a person has to spend almost all of their income to afford a healthy diet. Over the last few years new business models are emerging in the grocery sector with the advent of supermarkets to e-grocers. The shift from traditional to a technology driven sector has been rapid especially post-covid. From a highly fragmented market dominated by local kirana stores the grocery retail sector is witnessing consolidation of market power with a few large players in the online grocery retail segment. These have triggered debates and discussions raising concerns on the impacts of these changes on the competitiveness of the market as well as the consumers. In jurisdictions like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the governments have identified the need for regulating grocery markets to protect consumer interests and have conducted market studies to explore the threats and regulatory gaps. This paper aims to establish the need to analyse the changes in the grocery markets by the Competition Commission of India in the wake of digitalisation, especially in the post-COVID era and its possible impacts on market competition and consumers in India.

An Analysis of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023

2026-04-20T05:35:33+00:00

The enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), is a significant step in India's efforts towards coherent and modern data protection. The Act is a statutory manifestation of the fundamental right to privacy affirmed in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India. The Act attempts to balance two competing necessities- the need to spur economic innovation and growth with the use of data, and the need to maintain the autonomy of persons in the digital or cyber sphere. The paper undertakes a critical study of the Act, considering key dimensions such as state accountability, independence of enforcement mechanisms, algorithmic transparency, and a regulatory role for emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, and the Internet of Things. These dimensions are not only interrelated but also feed into one another, ranging from cross-border data transfers to surveillance exemptions and data fiduciary obligations. The paper puts the DPDP Act, 2023 in the context of broader privacy frameworks around the world and highlights that although the Act marks a normative development in data regulation, it also reveals enduring tensions in the pragmatics of regulatory governance. The paper concludes by proposing reforms, including the reintroduction of the Sensitive Personal Data, and ensuring robust regulatory protection for Artificial Intelligence and automated decision making, for effective implementation of the DPDP Act, 2023.

The Paradox of Environmental Citizenship: Need for Private Participation to Promote Economic Growth and Environmental Protection

2026-02-09T08:52:13+00:00

Article 51A (g) of the Constitution of India establishes that protecting and improving the natural environment is the moral and civic duty of every citizen. However, India’s current legal framework paradoxically prevents citizens from fulfilling this constitutional duty. This paper critically examines the legal and institutional barriers embedded within India’s environmental laws — namely the Indian Forest Act 1927, the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, and the Biological Diversity Act 2002— to argue that the citizen’s role has been reduced from a proactive participant to a passive observer. Drawing on comparative legal experiences from countries such as South Africa, Costa Rica, and Australia, where environmental protection and livelihood generation go hand-in-hand in privately-owned conservation areas, this paper proposes the conceptual foundations of a ‘Citizen Conservation and Livelihood Act’ that would legally empower citizens to engage in conservation, entrepreneurship and biodiversity stewardship. It contends that true realisation of Article 51A (g) requires a legal paradigm shift from state monopoly over environmental governance, to participatory and incentive-driven ecological citizenship.

Copyright and Traditional Cultural Expression in Ponniyin Selvan II: A Study of A. R. Rahman’s Music

2026-03-16T08:52:14+00:00

The article specifically focuses on the overlap between Indian copyright law and protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs) in modern Indian cinema, and with particular reference to the musical compositions of Ponniyin Selvan II by A. R. Rahman. Although the Copyright Act, 1957, protects authorship and originality, it still lacks sufficient capacity to tackle the challenges of adapting and commercialising culturally connoted traditional forms. The author of this research primarily focuses on the grey area, namely, the lack of a clear legal criterion for determining when the introduction of TCEs in film music constitutes a lawful creative adaptation rather than cultural appropriation or misappropriation. Although current literature addresses copyright protection and traditional cultural folklore, there is a notable gap in the study of their intersection in cinematic works within the Indian context. This paper doctrinally situates TCEs within the frameworks of originality protection, fair dealing, and moral rights. It also examines international mechanisms, including the ongoing negotiations at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) concerning TCE protection. Using the musical score of Ponniyin Selvan II as a case study, the paper demonstrates how A.R. Rahman’s compositions are influenced by classical Tamil music and devotional themes, raising critical questions about possession, attribution, and communal rights.

Reconstructing Power: Gender, Resistance in Post-Coup Myanmar

2026-04-20T05:36:26+00:00

Myanmar has experienced decades of military dictatorship, and decision-making power is primarily male-dominated. The 2020 election achieved the highest number of female politicians in the country's history, but their overall representation remained limited. Accordingly, Myanmar's democratisation is expected to have greater participation by women and their active inclusion in the decision-making process. Following the 2021 coup, many citizens joined anti-military resistance, including women who engaged in frontline resistance. Still, it remains uncertain whether this resistance will lead to substantive change to patriarchal social structures. This study examines whether the resistance after the 2021 coup in Myanmar challenges or reconstructs existing gendered power structures. The findings show that women are mostly described as victims of military violence, while their roles as political actors are rarely recognised. Although promoting gender equality and supporting women's empowerment are mentioned by anti-military groups, an analysis of officially released documents shows that women are primarily viewed as subjects in need of protection. Furthermore, these movements also lack clear, concrete plans to achieve gender equality. This paper argues that strengthening women's political participation is crucial for Myanmar's future and will play a vital role in confronting the military.