Mr. Sumit SONKAR

Research Student

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Working toward a PhD in Laws, expected 2022

Email:

sumitsonkar@link.cuhk.edu.hk

Mr. Sumit Sonkar is a PhD Candidate at Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Before commencing his PhD at the CUHK, Sumit worked as an Assistant Professor of Law and was a Guest Faculty at the Indian Society of International Law and the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. Sumit obtained his Master of Laws (LLM) from the South Asian University (A Project of SAARC) and his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Delhi. He did his Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Allahabad, India. He also obtained a Post Graduate Certificate in IP Management and Valuation from LUISS Business School, Italy.

Thesis TopiC

Progressive Constitutionalism in India: Examining Women’s Right to Access Hindu Temples and its Societal Harmonization, co-supervised by Professors  Surabhi CHOPRA and Rehan ABEYRATNE.

Research Interests and Aims

Sumit is  interested in Comparative Constitutional Law and Judicial Review. In the current project, he will examine how the Supreme Court of India  recognized women’s right to worship and how it can be made more socially acceptable from a gender equality perspective.

Working Papers and Publications

Articles
  • ‘Challenging Absolute Executive Powers in Times of Corona: Re-Examining Constitutional Courts and the Collective Right to Public Contestation as Instruments of Institutional Control’ (co-author Jessika Eichler), Review of Economics and Political Science, Volume 6(1), 2021.
  • ‘Quelling Social Justice in India: Rhetoric Discourses in Subhash Kashinath Mahajan v The State of Maharashtra,’ Journal of Comparative Law, Volume 15(2), 2020.
  • Sumit Sonkar, ‘Outlawing Ordinance Raj in Krishna Kumar v State of Bihar: A Saga from Permissibility to Constitutional Fraud in India’ (co-author Anurag Ojha), Opinio Juris in Comparatione, Volume 1(1), 2019. 
  • Sumit Sonkar, ‘Ineffectual Panorama of Conflicting Rights in RTI Regime: Cocking a Snook on Citizen’s Right to Public Accountability’ (co-author Anurag Ojha), Indian Bar Review, Volume 46(1), 2019. 
  • Sumit Sonkar, ‘From Shah Bano to Shayara Bano: Itinerary of Gender Equality of Muslim Woman in India,’ Indian Bar Review, Volume 45(1), 2018. 
  • Sumit Sonkar, ‘Creation and Management of University Industry Collaborations in South Asia’ India’ (co-author Parineet Kaur), Journal on Communication, Media, Entertainment and Technology (RMNLU), Volume III, 2016. 
  • Sumit Sonkar, ‘Regulating Unfair Trade Practices: An Analysis of the Past and Present Indian Legislative Model’ (co-authors Raman Mittal & Parineet Kaur), Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer [Online], 2015. 
  • Sumit Sonkar, ‘Conflicts between Foreign Investment and Environment Protection: Examining the Role of Bilateral Investment Treaties,’ Journal of Law and Public Policy (NLSIU), Volume II (1), 2015. 
Book Chapters
  • Sumit Sonkar, ‘IP in BITs: Unpacking Uncertainties of the TRIPS Flexibilities,’ in “Contours of Intellectual Property Law for Business” (Springer, 2021-2022) (forthcoming).
Book Reviews
  • ‘Judges of the Supreme Court of India 1950-89, George H Gadbois, Jr., New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2011,’ The Asia Pacific Law Review, Volume 28(2), 2020 (forthcoming).

Papers Delivered

  • “Transforming Legal Education in Hong Kong: Facilitating Students Participation and Engagement in Online Classroom Discussions” (Paper presented at the Symposium on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education on 26 June 2021, Hong Kong).
  • Reimagining Equality: An Anatomy of Indian Young Lawyers Association v The State of Kerala” (Paper presented at the University of Hong Kong Law Doctoral Colloquium on August 31, 2020,  Hong Kong).
  • “Contesting an Uncontested Issue: Demystifying Powers of Panchayats after the 73rd Amendment” (Paper presented at Global Conference on Constitution-Making and Constitutional Change, organized by the University of Texas at Austin, on January 17-18, 2020, Texas, The United States).
  • “Quelling Social Justice: Rhetorical Discourses in Subhash Kashinath Mahajan v The State of Maharashtra” (Paper presented at 8th Asian Constitutional Law Forum organized by Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam on 6-7 December 2019).
  • Breaking the Silos of Religious Majoritarianism: Women’s Struggle for Access to the Temple in India” (Paper presented at the Fourth Annual LDRN conference, organized by Humboldt University Law Faculty, Berlin, Germany on 25 – 27 September 2019).
  • “Enforcing Copyright through Website Blocking: Emerging Trends in India” (Paper presented at the XMU International Summer School of Intellectual Property, Xiamen University on July 14th, 2019, China).
  • “Enforcing Copyright through Website Blocking: Emerging Trends in UK and India” (Paper presented at the First IP & Innovation Researchers of Asia Conference, organized by Ahmed Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University on 31 January – 1 February 2019, Malaysia).
  • “Impact of BITS on TRIPS: A Case of CL” (Paper presented at the VIIth  Annual IP Teaching Workshop, 2018 organized by the Centre for Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition (CIIPC) and National Academy of Law Teachers on 24th March 2018, NLU Delhi).
  • “Ramifications of Protecting Intellectual Property Rights under Bilateral Investment Treaties on TRIPS Flexibilities” (Paper presented at the Work in Progress Conference “IP Scholars Asia” organized by ARCIALA, Singapore Management University, Singapore held on March 1-2, 2018).
  • “No Challenge Clause: Is Intervention by Competition Regulator Justified in Patent Licensing Agreements” (Paper presented at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Workshop on Innovation, IP, and Competition organized by NLU Delhi held on February 5-10, 2018).
  • “The Evolving Role of China and India in Reforming International Financial Legal System” (Paper presented at 2nd China-South Asia Legal Forum, Kunming, China held on 14th to 17th December 2016).

Education and Awards

  • Short-Term Research Grant, 2021 funded by German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD Scholar).
  • Ernst Mach-Stipendien, Eurasia-Pacific Uninet Grant, 2021 (OeAD Scholar).
  • Awards of Merits, Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Hong Kong Branch, 2021
  • PhD Studentship, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2018.
  • Junior Research Fellowship, University Grant Commission (India).
  • Net Eligibility Test, University Grant Commission (India).
  • South Asian University merit-cum means scholarship for sessions 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.