Introducing the 2021 Fb India Tech Students

Earlier this year, Facebook India launched the Facebook India Tech Scholars (FITS) program to provide a research and mentoring platform for law students interested in engaging with cutting edge technology, law and politics. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. (SAM), India’s leading full-service law firm, supports the program as a knowledge partner.

The FITS program offers selected scientists a platform for building a research corps on evolving technological and political issues and is intended to offer eight law students (two of four participating law faculties each) the opportunity to work on an independent research project led by well-known research institutions and think tanks in India who are mentoring the program. The final outcome is research that is due upon completion of the program.

FITS 2021-2022

In addition to the involvement of the mentoring institutions, the FITS program is also accompanied by an expert advisory board for the duration of the program.

The first edition of the FITS program runs over a period of nine months, starting in October 2021 and ending with the submission of the researchers’ research. As this is the first year of the FITS initiative, participation was limited to students from four law schools in India.

Application process

The call for applications was launched in May 2021 and applications from fourth and fifth year law students from the following law faculties were submitted:

  • National Law School of India, Bengaluru (NLSIU)
  • West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (NUJS)
  • National Law University, Delhi (NLU D)
  • National Law University, Jodhpur (NLU J)

The FITS Selection Committee’s preliminary selection process (which includes members of Facebook and SAM) involved a two-step process: (a) an essay-based assessment and (b) interviews. The shortlisted applicants were further evaluated by the advisory board, which culminated in the final selection of eight scholarship holders.

Mentoring institutions

Each mentoring institution will accept one or more scholarship holders for the duration of the FITS program. The role of the mentoring institutions includes guiding the fellows as they work on their theses, honing their research and writing skills, and providing input on the final outcome in a timely manner. We are pleased to be supported as mentoring institutions by four renowned research institutions and think tanks this year:

  • Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, India (CEIP)
  • Center for Internet & Society (CIS)
  • Foundation for Observer Research (ORF)
  • Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC)

Advisory Committee

The FITS Advisory Committee consists of high-ranking legal and technology experts who were instrumental in the selection of the scholarship holders and who certify the completion of the FITS program by the scholarship holders as well as advise the FITS organizational team. Our advisory board for this year is composed as follows:

  • Judge BN Srikrishna, Retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India
  • MS. Pallavi Shroff, Managing Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.
  • Ms. Rama Vedashree, CEO, Data Security Council of India
  • Dr. P. Vigneswara Ilavarasan, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
  • Dr. V. Sridhar, Professor, International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore

Meet our scholarship holders

Asees Kaur, NUJS
Care facility: ORF
Research topic: New Technologies

Asees is studying law in the fourth year and wants to use the FITS platform to make meaningful contributions to the relatively little researched topic of artificial intelligence and law. Asees has previously made recommendations to the Joint Parliamentary Committee currently deliberating India’s 2019 Personal Data Protection Act and has served on the Indian Supreme Court.

Jade Lyngdoh, NLU J
Mentoring organization: SFLC
Research topic: Broker liability & freedom of expression

Jade is a fourth year law student and aims to examine the convergence of blasphemy and hate speech and the role regional and linguistic backgrounds play in such cases. Jade supports the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom as a research intern and has also completed internships with law firms and independent consultants in India.

Karthik Rai, NLSIU
Care facility: ORF
Research topic: Data Governance

Karthik is a fourth year law student and plans to explore the myriad of concerns related to data governance such as privacy, portability, and other pressing issues with political, economic, and legal implications. As part of internships, Karthik has spent time with law firms, think tanks, and independent consultants, and has published several blogs and articles on technology policy.

Kartik Agarwal, NLU J.
Mentoring institution: GUS
Research topic: Broker liability & freedom of expression

Kartik is a law student last year and would like to spend time with the program researching issues related to social media companies and their policies on freedom of expression and expression on their platforms. Kartik has experience doing internships in law firms, participating in shooting and debating competitions, and writing on a variety of topics.

Meghna Bhaskar, NLU D
Care facility: ORF
Research topic: New Technologies

Meghna is studying law for the last year and wants to examine the relationship between intellectual property law and machine learning and artificial intelligence-based work. Meghna has published several blogs and articles on technology policy issues and has interned with various organizations, including law firms and research initiatives.

Shivangi Mishra, NLSIU
Mentoring institution: GUS
Research topic: Data Governance

Shivangi is a fourth year law student and plans to use the FITS program to explore cross-jurisdictional approaches to data governance, especially from a corporate law perspective. Shivangi has an extensive research background, has worked on projects such as the Global Study on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Regulation, and worked with academics whose research focuses on technology policy.

Supriya Shekher, NLU D
Mentoring institution: CEIP
Research topic: Data Governance

Supriya is studying law in the fourth year and tries to understand the interface between data protection and antitrust law, also from a comparative perspective, as well as between personal data rights and community-based rights over data. Supriya has experience of interning with independent consultants and assisting with research projects and has participated in several other extracurricular activities.

Varunavi Bangia, NUJS
Mentoring organization: SFLC
Research topic: Data Governance

Varunavi is a senior year student of law with a growing interest in India’s approach to regulating non-personal data, even as the regulatory framework for personal data evolves, and wants to examine these issues from a corporate law perspective. Varunavi’s extra-curricular experience includes various internships, writing research publishing, and participating in moot court competitions.

Closing words of the advisory board

“We at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. are delighted to have worked with Facebook as a knowledge partner on this new initiative. I am sure that this platform will provide a unique experience for the fellows as they will have the opportunity to interact with and learn from the major mentoring institutions. I am also happy to be part of the advisory board and look forward to the research that will emerge at the end of the program. “

– MS. Pallavi Shroff, Managing Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.

“I find the FITS program to be an excellent initiative to nurture and nurture talented young law students from leading academic institutions in the evolving political and legal facets of technology. Giving law students the opportunity to conduct research in policy areas under the guidance of leading think tanks will certainly have an impact. As a member of the Advisory Board, I was very impressed by the strict selection process that Facebook developed with the support of its knowledge partner Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. the breadth of research publications and the writing that you wrote yourself as a student. I wish you every success in your political research. “

– Ms. Rama Vedashree, CEO, Data Security Council of India

“I am excited to be a member of the Facebook India Tech Scholars Initiative. This is critical to strengthening and building India’s technology policy ecosystem. I am convinced that technology policy will be alive in the future thanks to these aspiring young scientists. “

– Dr. P. Vigneswara Ilavarasan, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

“The FITS initiative to involve young law students in contemporary research at the intersection of technology, law and business will indeed advance the much-needed innovative approach to legislative development in this rapidly evolving technology area.”

– Dr. V. Sridhar, Professor, International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore

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