IIT Kharagpur law school to help Law Commission rewrite rules, starting with digital evidence
By TUF News Desk · Published 12 November 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
A law school inside an engineering institute will now help shape the rules India runs on. The Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law at Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur has signed an agreement with the Law Commission of India to work together on legal reform research, training and policy papers.
The memorandum of understanding was signed in New Delhi on October 22. Additional Secretary Praveen Srivastava signed for the Law Commission, with chairperson Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, member Prof. D.P. Verma, member secretary Dr. Anju Rathi Rana and RGSoIPL dean Prof. Uday Shankar present. IIT Kharagpur shared details of the tie-up on November 11.
What the partnership covers
The two sides will run joint workshops, seminars and short-term training programmes, and exchange faculty. They will also carry out applied research and prepare policy papers, with digital evidence and administrative studies named as focus areas. Joint publications are part of the plan too, including books, monographs and manuals, meant to address gaps in existing research.
RGSoIPL will also assess training programmes and projects on its own and give the Law Commission expert inputs as it frames policies and schemes.
Why this law school
RGSoIPL is not a typical law school. It was set up in 2006 with support from alumnus Vinod Gupta to train scientists and engineers as intellectual property law specialists. It is recognised by the Bar Council of India and runs a three-year LL.B. in Intellectual Property Law, along with LL.M. and doctoral programmes.
The Law Commission advises the government on legal reform, and its reports often feed into new laws. Digital evidence is one of the areas where the law is still catching up: courts now deal with electronic records every day, and the rules for handling them are still being worked out. A school that teaches both technology and law is a natural place to do that work. The agreement comes as IIT Kharagpur marks its 75th anniversary.
This is the school’s second such tie-up in a few months. In July, it signed an agreement with NALSAR University of Law to work together on legal education, research and innovation, bringing a technology institute and a law university into the same frame.
What it means for students
For law students at Kharagpur, the agreement gives a route into live policy work. Research done under the partnership goes to the Law Commission, where it can feed into recommendations. Training programmes and faculty exchanges add contact with people who write the reports that become law.
Students weighing law schools can treat this kind of tie-up as one signal among others. A school’s placement record and course list still matter more, but a working link to a national body shows where its research actually lands. Our guide to choosing a university in India explains how to weigh research links against fees, faculty and location.
The Law Commission of India website lists its current reports and references.
Frequently asked questions
What has IIT Kharagpur’s law school agreed with the Law Commission of India?
The two sides will work together on legal reform research, training programmes, joint publications and policy papers, including work on digital evidence and administrative studies.
When was the agreement signed?
The memorandum of understanding was signed in New Delhi on October 22, 2026. IIT Kharagpur shared details of the tie-up on November 11.
What courses does RGSoIPL at IIT Kharagpur offer?
The school offers a three-year LL.B. in Intellectual Property Law, an LL.M. and doctoral programmes, and is recognised by the Bar Council of India.
What is the Law Commission of India?
It is the body that advises the government on legal reform. Its reports and recommendations often feed into new laws and changes to existing ones.
Frequently asked questions
What has IIT Kharagpur's law school agreed with the Law Commission of India?
The two sides will work together on legal reform research, training programmes, joint publications and policy papers, including work on digital evidence and administrative studies.
When was the agreement signed?
The memorandum of understanding was signed in New Delhi on October 22, 2026. IIT Kharagpur shared details of the tie-up on November 11.
What courses does RGSoIPL at IIT Kharagpur offer?
The school offers a three-year LL.B. in Intellectual Property Law, an LL.M. and doctoral programmes, and is recognised by the Bar Council of India.
What is the Law Commission of India?
It is the body that advises the government on legal reform. Its reports and recommendations often feed into new laws and changes to existing ones.
Sources: Live Law, IANS