Meet Our New Faculty and Staff | February 2025

Faculty

Mr. Siddharth Saxena
Assistant Professor – Law

Siddharth has worked as a Lecturer of Law and Assistant Dean for Research at the Jindal Global Law School. While working at JGLS, he was a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies, Melbourne Law School. He has previously worked as a Bonavero Institute Fellow at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, British Institute of International and Comparative Law, and as a Graduate Research Fellow at the Centre for Justice Law & Society.

His primary research interests lie in the broad areas of public law and legal theory. He is currently researching on the regulation of universities and academic freedom

Siddharth completed his BA LLB (Hons) degree from JGLS on the Savitri Jindal Studentship. He read for the Bachelor of Civil Law and M.Phil in Law at the University of Oxford on the Ambriti Salve Scholarship from Exeter College. At Oxford, he was also a Graduate Research Resident at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights.

He can be reached at .

Administrative Staff

Ms. Deepti Soni
Director – Communications and External Relations

With over 20 years of experience, Deepti Soni is a communications and management professional with extensive experience in media, diplomatic missions, international organisations, academia, and PR & communications agencies. She has a proven track record in PR and strategic communications, stakeholder management, project management, crisis communications, and digital media. She has worked with organisations like the British High Commission in India, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Indian School of Business. She is adept at leading cross-regional teams, fostering government relations, and championing diversity and inclusion.

Deepti holds a Bachelor in Science from the University of Lucknow and a PG Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. She is also an aspiring shooter (10 m air pistol) and is a State level medal winner.

At NLSIU, she will help develop, implement, and enhance strategies and internal processes across the following functions:
– Communications
– Alumni Relations
– Careers and Placement
– Development/Fundraising
– Admissions.

She can be reached at .

Mr. Shailendra Pratap Singh
Manager, Academic Administration

Shailendra brings over eight years of extensive experience in academic administration, program management, strategic initiatives, and institutional governance.

Prior to joining NLSIU, he served as Manager in the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor at Ashoka University, where he was instrumental in overseeing university governance, policy development, administrative operations, budgeting, compliance, event management, and accreditation processes. He also held key positions at O.P. Jindal Global University where he managed academic operations for the Business School, led teams, and contributed to institutional accreditations among other responsibilities. He has also worked with MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul (Pune) and BML Munjal University (Gurgaon), and was involved in student affairs, operations, and event planning.

Shailendra has a BA from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur. He also has a certification in Effective Management Skills and Leadership from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

He can be reached at .

Research Staff

Ms. Aditi Thakur
Research Assistant – Legal, Centre for Child and the Law

Aditi has joined the ‘Right to Food’ team at CCL. She has previously worked on child rights issues across various districts of Bihar. She has also served as a Legal Consultant for FaMeTN (MSME Department, Government of Tamil Nadu).

Aditi received her B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) from National Law Institute University, Bhopal, in 2021. She completed her LLM in Law and Development from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, in 2024.

She can be reached at .

Ms. Akshaya P
Research Assistant, Centre for Child and the Law

Akshaya has joined the ‘Right to Food’ team at CCL. Her research interests lie at the intersection of gender politics, labour economics, social justice, and social inclusion. She is passionate about exploring how gender and caste identities interact with labour market forces that shape the economy.

Akshaya is also profoundly interested in feminist and queer social activism. She regularly engages with movements that advocate for the rights of marginalised communities. She has also contributed to research projects that deal with the challenges and opportunities around social security for unorganised sector workers.

Akshaya holds an integrated MA in Development Studies from IIT Madras. She also holds a Junior Research Fellowship in Sociology (UGC).

She can be reached at .