Rashmi Venkatesan

Education

B.A.LLB (Hons.), NLSIU – 2007
LLM in International Economic Law, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London – 2015
PhD, University of Melbourne (Ongoing)

Profile

Rashmi Venkatesan has been working in the field of human rights and development for more than a decade. Before joining NLSIU in 2016, she worked with international and domestic non-profits to promote better working conditions in global commodity supply chains, particularly garments, leather and electronics. She has extensive experience in working with business and human rights issues, international labour standards and codes of conduct, corporate social responsibility, international trade and economic law, and human rights.

Apart from her international work experiences, Rashmi also brings with her years of litigation experience. As a practicing lawyer, she has represented a variety of clients in multiple legal forums including trial and appellate courts, tribunals and commercial arbitrations. As a legal practitioner, she has worked with an array of different organisations: law firms, NGOs, international organisations and civil society organisations.

Her current academic interests and engagements deepen her rich practical experience. She continues to research and write on labour issues, human rights and development policies. She is also interested in how popular media constructs legal and developmental discourses. She consults with various civil society organisations, conducts training for lawyers and legal education seminars, is published in international academic journals and regularly contributes to newspapers and blogs.

Research Interests

Law and Development
Development policies and its impact
Labour rights
International economic law
Human rights

Publications

Journal Articles:

• R Venkatesan (2021) Decoding the laws of inequality and wealth, The Indian Journal of International Economic Law, Spl Edition.
• R Venkatesan (2020) The Evolution of  the Right to Property in India: From a Law and Development Perspective, Law and Development Review.
• R Venkatesan (2019) Gender, Alterity and Human Rights: Freedom in a Fishbowl (Book Review), National Law School of India Review 31(1): 149 – 157.
• R Venkatesan (2019) The UN Framework on Business and Human Rights: A Workers’ Rights Critique, Journal of Business Ethics 157(3): 635 – 652. (Published online in 2017).
• R Venkatesan (2018) TRIPS and Plant Variety Protection In India: Complicating the Globalisation Debate Indian Journal of International Economic Law 9(1): 44-62.
• R Venkatesan (2013) Ordering Corporate Responsibility: A Misplaced Faith? Economic & Political Weekly 48(38): 26 – 28.
• R Venkatesan (2013) Clothing Garment Workers in Safety: The Case of Bangladesh Economic & Political Weekly 38(28) [published online].

Other Articles:

• R Venkatesan, Opinion: Without lowering unemployment rates, India cannot effectively address inequality, The News Minute, Feb 8, 2022.
• R Venkatesan, Gujarat Mazdoor Sabha V. The State of Gujarat: Protecting Worker’s Rights in an Emergency, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law blog, Dec 31, 2020.
• R Venkatesan, Humiliation outside ‘public view’: A verdict puts focus on a grave flaw in the SC/ST Act, Scroll.in, 19th December, 2020.
• R Venkatesan, Neoliberalism After Covid-19: Some Caution and Counter Arguments, Law School Policy Review, 14th October, 2020.
• R Venkatesan, Labour Laws Perform a Redistributive Function. Diluting Them Has Serious Consequences, The Wire, 29th September, 2020.
• R Venkatesan, If Randomised Controlled Trials enable evidence-based policy, why aren’t they conducted on the rich?, Socio-Legal Review Forum, 18th December, 2019.
• R Venkatesan, Creamy Layer Judgment Ignores the Reality of Workplace Caste Discrimination, The Wire, 5th October 2018.
• R Venkatesan, Laws Prohibiting Cow Slaughter Are Creating Both Vigilantes and Victims, The Wire, 15th September 2017.
• R Venkatesan, Demonetisation Isn’t an ‘Inconvenience’, It’s a Gross Violation of Our Rights, The Wire, 20th November, 2016.
• R Venkatesan, An Analysis of the Whistleblower’s Protection Bill, Infolex Newsletter, 16th January 2012.
• R Venkatesan, Waste Disposal Plan Wins UN Award for NGO, The Indian Express (New Delhi Edition), 9th September, 2004.