Call for Chapters: Personal Laws and Gender Justice in India by Nikhil Kumar, Assistant Professor, Harishchandra P.G. College, Varanasi, U.P. in collaboration with Research Scholar from Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow | Submission by September 4th, 2025

About the book

The edited volume titled “Personal Laws and Gender Justice in India” seeks to critically examine the interface between India’s personal law systems and the evolving discourse on gender justice in the 21st century. In a country governed by a pluralistic legal framework, personal laws shaped by religious customs, colonial legacies, and partial codifications have long regulated essential aspects of personal life such as marriage, divorce, maintenance, adoption, succession, and guardianship. However, these laws often remain uneven in their treatment of women, sexual minorities, and non-binary individuals, raising urgent constitutional, social, and ethical questions. As India stands at a pivotal moment of legal transition in 2025, with several states exploring the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and the judiciary actively interpreting personal laws through the lens of constitutional morality, the book aims to provide a timely academic intervention. It seeks to map both historical foundations and contemporary transformations in personal law frameworks with a particular focus on gender justice, intersectionality, and inclusive legal reform. The volume further responds to recent developments such as the Supreme Court’s expanding interpretation of privacy and equality rights, rising awareness of LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and grassroots mobilization demanding reform in patriarchal legal structures. The book is organized into four thematic parts, comprising twenty-eight chapters, each addressing distinct aspects of the law-gender interface. These include constitutional debates and codification efforts, religion-based legal disparities, the rights of emerging identities, technological influences, and comparative international experiences. It provides a platform for multidisciplinary engagement, encouraging contributions that are analytical, empirical, comparative, or reform-oriented. Ultimately, this volume intends to serve as a scholarly and policy-relevant resource for law-makers, researchers, judges, students, and activists, who are engaged in the effort to reconcile religious freedom with gender equality in India’s complex legal landscape. It envisions law not merely as a set of rules, but as a transformative tool for ensuring justice, dignity, and equality in personal relationships across communities.

Key Focus Areas

1. Evolution of personal laws in India and status of gender.

2. Codification, customary practices, and constitutional values

3. UCC and state-level initiatives (e.g., Uttarakhand)

4. Gender justice across Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi, and Tribal Laws

5. Property, succession, and economic rights of women

6. Personal laws and emerging identities: LGBTQIA+ and third gender persons

7. Judicial trends and reform recommendations

8. Global perspectives and best practices in personal law reform

9. Digitalization of personal law litigation and access to justice

10. Reproductive autonomy, marital rape, and family violence reforms

Tentative themes

• Custom, code, and technology

• AI, legal tech, and the digitalization of personal law disputes: Access and inclusion for women

• Personal laws through a gender lens

• Christian marriage and divorce laws: Delays in reform and judicial balancing

• Parsi personal laws and interfaith marriage issues: Preservation vs. Progress

• Community rights vs. Gender equality

• Reproductive autonomy and marital rape debate within personal law framework

• Family and identity in transition

• LGBTQIA+ inclusion in personal laws: Status quo and reform imperatives

• Third gender and non-binary persons: Legal gaps in family and property laws

• Personal laws and child rights: Gendered impacts of adoption and guardianship laws

• Inheritance property rights to women across faiths

• Tribal personal laws and customary practices: Gender discrimination or cultural autonomy?

• Comparative and global legal insights

• Personal law reform in South Asia: Lessons from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka

• International human rights law and India’s personal law framework

• Best practices from gender-just legal systems: South Asian Countries, South Africa, USA and the U.K.

• Reform movements and the road ahead

• Towards a uniform civil code for all: Vision 2030 and the role of academia, judiciary, and civil society

[Note- Please note that the theme mentioned is not exhaustive. Authors can touch upon any other areas that have relevance with title.]

About the editors

Mr. Nikhil Kumar

He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Law at Harish Chandra Postgraduate College, Varanasi. He is also pursuing a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Law at Banaras Hindu University. He completed his integrated five-year LL.B. from the Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow, and later obtained his LL.M. from the Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University. In 2019, he qualified for the UGC NET-JRF. With a strong academic background, he has published several research papers, edited books and has actively participated in 12 national and international conferences.

Mr. Prashant Kumar Chauhan

He is a Research Scholar (Senior Research Fellow) in the Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow with a strong academic background. He holds LL.B. (Hons.) and LL.M. (Criminal Law) from the Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow. With expertise in digital security laws, he has published two edited books and various research papers in reputed journals and presented them at national and international conferences.

Target Audience

• Research Scholars in law, gender studies, and public policy

• Policy Makers involved in law reform and human rights

• Advocates and Legal Professionals working on family, constitutional, or gender justice matters Academicians and university-level educators

• Postgraduate Students pursuing LL.M. or related degrees

• Undergraduate Students (preferred with a co-author) interested in gender justice and legal reform

Submission Guidelines

1. Originality: Submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere. Plagiarism or AI-generated content should not exceed 10%.

2. Authorship: Sole or Co-authorship (up to two authors) is permitted.

3. Abstract: Maximum 250 words, providing a concise summary of the chapter.

4. Chapter Length: Up to 3000 – 4000 words, including footnotes.

5. Formatting:

   Font: Times New Roman

   Size: 12 pt

   Line Spacing: 1.5

   Margins: 1 inch on all sides

   Citation Style: Bluebook (21st Edition)

6. File Naming: Use the format “AuthorName_ChapterTitle” for the file name.

7. Cover Letter: Include the author’s name, designation, affiliation, contact details, and a declaration of originality.

Submissions should be sent via email to: lawpublication25@gmail.com

Each submission must include:

1. Abstract

2. Full chapter manuscript

3. Cover letter with author details

Review Process and Publication

Upon all final submissions, all manuscripts shall undergo a three-stage review process:

• Stage 1: Initial review for plagiarism and thematic compatibility. ·

• Stage 2: Detailed content review by the editorial panel, which may include requests to authors for revisions. ·

• Stage 3: Final review.

Note: The edited book volume will be published by a publishing house and will be assigned an ISBN number.

Important Dates

• Full Chapter Submission: September 4th, 2025

• Revised Chapter Submission: September 10th, 2025

• Final Chapter Acceptance Notification: September 15th, 2025

• Anticipated publication date will be notified later

Publication Details

• ISBN-certified publication by a reputable publisher

• If your chapter is selected for publication, a nominal fee of INR 1000 per author per chapter will be applicable.

• Payment details will be shared upon final acceptance.

• Each contributor will receive an e-certificate of publication and a hard copy of the book.

Contact Details

Prashant Kumar Chauhan: 8726846078

Nikhil Kumar: 9721513239

Email: lawpublication25@gmail.com

Link to the brochure here.