23/09/2026
Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) is delighted to invite you to a Book Talk on "A Historical Introduction to Indian Contract Law," authored by Prof. (Dr.) Shivprasad Swaminathan, Professor and Dean, Shiv Nadar School of Law, Shiv Nadar University Chennai.
Date: 25 September 2026
Time: 12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM IST
Venue: Sompura, Second Floor, South Wing, Shallu Jindal Academic Block, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU)
The book offers a genealogy of the core concepts of Indian contract law, tracing their trajectory from nineteenth century English jurisprudence to their transplantation into the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and their interpretation by Indian courts and treatise-writers over the last one hundred and fifty years. With respect to each doctrine discussed, the book examines the state of English law at the time of the Act's drafting, the influence of civil law on these doctrines, and the legislative history behind the provisions codifying them.
Prof. Swaminathan was previously a Professor, Director of the Centre for Legal Theory, and Associate Dean (Research) at Jindal Global Law School (JGLS). He holds a B.C.L. with Distinction from the University of Oxford and a D.Phil. in Law from Balliol College, University of Oxford, where he was a Clarendon Scholar. He is a recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and has been a Visiting Scholar at institutions including the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory, the National University of Singapore, and the Ecole normale supérieure, Paris.
The session will open with an Introduction by Prof. Adwait Mitra, Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean, JGLS, and Co-Director, OCAM, followed by a Welcome Address by Prof. (Dr.) Dipika Jain, Executive Dean and Professor, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), who will also moderate the discussion. Prof. (Dr.) Shivprasad Swaminathan will then introduce the book, followed by comments and reflections from Prof. Manasi Kumar, Professor, Jindal Global Law School, and Managing Editor, Jindal Global Law Review, and Prof. Hamsini Marada, Assistant Professor, Jindal Global Law School. The session will conclude with a Q&A and a vote of thanks delivered by Prof. Adithy
