Ms. Saumya Verma
B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M. (IPR), UGC-NET & JRF, Ph.D. (Pursuing)
Assistant Professor of Law
Saumya Verma is a legal professional with a total work experience of four years nine months. She is a doctoral candidate at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, where her thesis interrogates the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999 through a critical socio-legal framework. Her research centers on the juridical protection of Kashmir Pashmina, the economic vulnerabilities of artisan communities, and the evolving nexus between counterfeiting and digital commerce. A committed advocate for fair fashion, she examines intellectual property’s transformative potential in safeguarding traditional knowledge systems, advancing gender justice, and contesting the extractive economies of fast fashion.
Her interdisciplinary scholarship traverses law, intangible cultural heritage, and sustainable development, with concentrated expertise in handloom traditions and artisan livelihoods. Saumya’s ethnographic fieldwork commenced at the Centre for Legal Philosophy and Justice Education, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, where she undertook comparative analyses of land tenure systems and governance paradigms across multiple Indian jurisdictions. She subsequently completed her LL.M. dissertation at Gujarat National Law University, exploring the juridical tensions among agricultural biotechnology, farmers’ proprietary rights, and intellectual property frameworks.
Bringing over four years of specialized experience as Law Officer at Canara Bank’s Mumbai and Chandigarh corporate offices with substantive exposure to Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) and National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) litigation, Saumya seamlessly integrates practical jurisprudence with critical academic inquiry. Her research has appeared in Springer Nature, Routledge (Taylor & Francis), and distinguished peer-reviewed journals. She also serves presently as a Senior Editorial Consultant for the Fashion Law and IPR Blog (NLU Assam) and has previously served as peer reviewer for Bloomsbury Publishing, Cogent Social Sciences (Routledge), and other esteemed legal periodicals. A gold medalist and a UGC-JRF, Saumya has delivered keynote addresses on ecofeminism and contributed to scholarly dialogues on sustainable justice. Recently offered admission to the LL.M. in Fashion Law programme at the Italian Institute of Fashion Management, Milan, Italy, she positions her expertise to advocate for transformative intellectual property rights, fashion law and the rights of garment workers.
Qualifications: B.A.LL. B (Hons), LL.M. (IPR), UGC NET & JRF Qualified, Ph.D. (Pursuing); Enrolled at Bar council of Jammu & Kashmir, Former Law Officer at Canara Bank, JC Road, Bengaluru.
Area of Specialisation: Intellectual Property Rights
Conferences Attended as a Presenter:
1. “Harnessing Blockchain Technology for Preserving Ancient Indian Intellectual Property and Traditional Wisdom” at “Reimagining and Reclaiming the Knowledge Traditions of Bharat: Beyond Boundaries and Definitions” March 3-4, 2025, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
2. “Examining the Implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006: A Case Study of Munda Tribe in Jharkhand and its Implications for Tribal Rights” at National Conference on Fostering the Rights of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India—Issues, Challenges, and Way Forward by Tamil Nadu National Law University, Tiruchirapalli on 14 and 15 Feb, 2025.
3. “Geographical Indications and E-Commerce: Combating Counterfeiting and Ensuring the Authenticity of Handloom Products Online, with Special Reference to Kanchipuram Silk Sarees” at South Asian IP Summit 2024 organized by CDIPR, Delhi on 23 December, 2024.
4. “E-Book Piracy and Copyright Law: A Global Perspective” at the International Conference on Data, Knowledge, Wisdom and Law 2024 organized by WBNUJS, Kolkata on November 9-10, 2024.Saumya Verma_Faculty Profile_Soundarya College of Law
5. “Weaving Prosperity: Problems of Handloom Workers in Karnataka and Leveraging Geographical Indications to Enhance their Socio-Economic Condition” in National Conference on Empowering Unorganized Workers: Strengthening Social Security organized by School of Law, Christ University, Bengaluru on 20 September 2024.
6. “Traversing The Co-Lending Regulatory Labyrinth: A Pathway for Non-Priority Sector Financing in India” in First Annual International Conference on Finance, Economics, Banking, and Insolvency, organized by the Centre for Banking and Insurance Laws (CBIL), National Law University, Odisha on September 7-8, 2024.
7. “Synergizing Insolvency Paradigms: A Comparative Study of India and UAE Through the Prism of UNCITRAL Model Law” at National Law University, Delhi, on August 03.08.2024.
8. “Recognition of Intellectual Property Rights and Encouragement of Artistic Freedom of Women Artisans” at Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property, IIT Kharagpur on 17.03.2024.
9. “Jammu Kashmir andAbolition of Art. 370: Alegal Evaluation of Human Rights Violations” at HNLU,Raipur on 10.12.2023.
10. “Social Dimensions of Climate Change and International Human Rights Law” at HNLU, Raipur on 26.11.2023
11. Basic Structure Doctrine- Minerva Mills Case, Punjab University, Chandigarh on 31.03.2023 12. Offences Against Women in India: A Study of Laws and Protection, Bharati Vidyapeeth’s New Law College, Sangli Maharashtra on Jul 29, 2023.
13. “TRIPS Agreement Versus Convention on Biological Diversity: A Critical Issue”, AURO University, Surat, Gujarat on September 10, 2016.
Panel Discussion/Expert-Talk
1. Served asthe Keynote Speaker at theCanvas Webinar organized by Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan, where I shared findings from my research titled, “Securing Water, Empowering Women: A Study of Community- Led Water Conservation in Bundelkhand.” This research is featured in the book ‘Rivers Unbound: Exploring Social Currents, Legal Tides, and Stories of Flow’, edited by Ananth Padmanabhan, Nabeela Siddiqui, and Gnana Sanga Mithra S, and published by Taylor & Francis Group. During this session, I highlighted how grassroots initiatives like Jal Saheli and Pani Panchayat are transforming water management in Bundelkhand through women’s collective leadership.
Achievements/Awards
1. Gold Medalist in B.A.LL. B (Honors) issued by Dr. Hari Singh Gaur Central University, Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) in 2015.
2. Qualified ‘AILET PG 2016’ for NLU-Delhi with ‘All India Rank-19’.
3. Qualified ‘Jamia Millia Islamia Ph.D. entrance exam’ in February, 2023 with ‘All India Rank-5’. 4. Qualified Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)-Specialist Officer (Law) examination all three stages Prelims, Mains and Interview in 2018 and appointed as a Law Officer in Canara Bank. 5. Qualified Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission Prosecuting Officer Preliminary Examination in March, 2022.
6. Awarded with JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) by UGC on 21.05.2023.
7. Winner of Excellence Award (Academic Writing) issued by Central University of Kerala, Thiruvalla Campus for my research titled “Legal Appraisal of Violation of International Law in Israel- Palestine conflict” during the International Interactive Workshop on Legal Academic Writing at the Dept of Law Central University of Kerala on January 17th to 19th, 2024.
8. Best Paper Presenter (Second Position) in Masters Conference in Intellectual Property 4.0 organized by Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, on 16th March and 17th March, 2024 for my research paper titled “Recognition of Intellectual Property Rights and Encouragement of Artistic Freedom of Women Artisans”.
Some Important Publications:
With over 40+ publications, following are some of her important publications:
1. Towards equitable land rights: Analysing efficacy of law in protecting land rights of Munda tribe in Jharkhand, Jindal Global Law Review, Springer Nature Link, Dec 12, 2025.
2. Traversing the Co-lending Regulatory Labyrinth: A Pathway for Non-Priority Sector Financing in India, NLUA Law Review by National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, Vol.8, 2024 · Jul 27, 2025
3. Analyzing Gender Gap in Recognition of IPRs of Women in the Indian Handloom Sector, Christ University Law Journal Vol 14 Issue 1 · Jun 24, 2025.
4. Case Comment: Phonepe Pvt. Ltd. v. EZY Services and Others, Osmania University Journal of IPR [OUJIPR] Vol.1 Issue 2 · Jan 30, 2025.
5. Caste and Gender at the Crossroads: Chronicling Dalit Women’s Intersectional Fight in 1st Edition of “Gender Justice: Contemporary Developments” edited by Prof. Dr. V.K. Ahuja (Director, Indian Law Institute) and Dr. Arya A. Kumar (Associate Professor, Indian Law Institute). September 30, 2025.
6. Securing Water, Empowering Women: A Study of Jal Sahelis and Pani Panchayats as Models for Sustainable Water Governance in Drought-Prone Bundelkhand in 1st Edition of “Rivers Unbound Exploring Social Currents, Legal Tides, and Stories of Flow” edited by Ananth Padmanabhan, Nabeela Siddiqui, Gnana Sanga Mithra S. and published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group · Jun 5, 2025.
7. Geographical Indications and E-Commerce: Combating Counterfeiting and Ensuring the Authenticity of Handloom Products Online, with Special Reference to Kanchipuram Silk Sarees, South Asian Global Intellectual Property Summit 2024 by Centre for Development of Intellectual Property and Research (CDIPR) · Feb 15, 2025, ISBN 978-81-984132-2-2.