The Vidhi Blog: Shaping the Discourse on Law and Public Policy in India

Contribute to Vidhi's Blog

About the Blog

As an independent think-tank engaged in legal research, Vidhi’s mission is to make better laws and improve governance for the public good. This blog contributes to that mission by informing and shaping the discourse on law and public policy in India on a range of topics. After a successful run, we have decided to open up our blog for quality guest contributions. This is an opportunity for you to contribute to Vidhi’s mission.

Please note: From April to June 2024, we will be accepting submissions on Indian Elections & Related Issues, the new Criminal Law Bills,Family Law, and Competition. However, we will be accepting submissions on any topical issues.

All submissions must be done only in .doc (Word file) format which would be of Lato font, left-aligned, and Size 11.

Types of submissions

  1. Commentary and opinion pieces on legal policy issues
  2. Historical analyses of laws, institutions, people, and/or events
  3. Book and film reviews

Criteria for guest contributors

  1. Early and late-stage students and academics
  2. Development sector professionals with demonstrable research experience and interest in Indian law and policymaking
  3. Practicing lawyers and legal professionals

Scope and Focus

  1. The blog’s scope is limited to Indian legal policy
  2. International perspectives may be welcome as long as they offer a strong link to legal policy issues in India
  3. Interdisciplinarity is encouraged 

General Writing Guide

  1. A blog post should have a clear angle and central argument
  2. It must be backed by evidence and analysis
  3. For visual ease, subheadings are necessary
  4. Short paragraphs are preferred
  5. A catchy heading and sub-heading are required
  6. Footnotes are not allowed in a blog; all references must be hyperlinked
  7. All technical terms and acronyms must be explained for a lay audience
  8. Use of active voice is encouraged; the blog must have one voice throughout
  9. Graphs and images to be used where possible, all sources to be hyperlinked
  10. For more details, please see the specific style guides for the different types of submissions solicited

Specific Style Guides

1. Commentary and opinion pieces

  1. Word limit: 2000-2500 words
  2. Contextualise the issue and ensure your arguments are backed by evidence and research
  3. Clearly state your position/argument upfront and then build the argument
  4. Sample: https://bit.ly/3mbRgqF

2. Historical commentary on laws, institutions, people, and/or events

  1. Word limit: 2000-2500 words
  2. Contextualise the law/institution/person/event and underscore why it is an important point of discussion
  3. Feel free to draw parallelisms between historical and contemporary events to establish contemporary relevance
  4. Enlivening the piece through use of anecdotal evidence and qualitatively rich narrative stories encouraged
  5. Sample: https://vidhilegalpolicy.in/blog/leading-prophet/

3. Book/Film reviews

  1. Word limit: 1000-1500 words
  2. Critically analyse and engage with the author/director’s work. What stood out for you? What didn’t? What could have been done differently?
  3. While an analysis of the style (writing style, directorial style, etc.) is welcome, the focus should be on the legal argument(s) ensconced within the book/film
  4. Suggested books and films to review (this list is not exhaustive):

Submissions and Queries

  1. All submissions and queries should be directed to blogsubmissions@vidhilegalpolicy.in.
  2. We regret to inform you that we cannot provide individual feedback to each pitch/manuscript that comes our way.
  3. Once your pitch or manuscript has been approved by us, kindly do not publish it elsewhere. If, for whatever reason, it is published elsewhere, please let us know.
  4. Our team is presently engaged with multiple projects at once- so please be patient with respect to feedback on your submissions. We will review submissions when our team has the time and bandwidth to do so.

Please note that the Vidhi Blog only accepts original material. Pieces published anywhere else, including on personal blogs, will not be considered for publication. This is a serious legal policy analysis blog and we accept contributions that meet the criteria stated. Student assignments will not be considered.

Any submissions not following the guidelines will not be accepted.