The Indian Law Institute (ILI), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) and the Menon Institute of Legal Advocacy & Training (MILAT), on Monday launched the CLEA–MILAT Research Mentoring Programme (RMP) 2026 at the ILI campus in New Delhi.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, also the President of ILI, inaugurated the programme as the Chief Guest. Justices KV Viswanathan and PB Varale of the Supreme Court were the guests of honour.
The inaugural ceremony commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, followed by the welcome address delivered by Sr Prof (Dr) VK Ahuja, Director, ILI.
Sr Prof (Dr) S Sivakumar, President, CLEA; and Lead Mentor & Director of RMP 2026, introduced the vision and objectives of the programme.
In his address, Dr Sivakumar emphasised that meaningful legal research requires intellectual endurance, discipline and the courage to engage deeply with difficult questions.
Dr Sivakumar observed that the true challenge in research is not the inability to think, but the inability to remain with a difficult question long enough to discover clarity and insight. He further reflected upon India’s intellectual tradition of dialogue, debate and critical inquiry, observing that Indian knowledge systems never treated questioning as a threat to learning, but rather as its foundation.
Addressing the gathering, CJI Surya Kant highlighted the importance of rigorous legal scholarship, ethical research and mentorship in strengthening constitutional democracy and public institutions. He observed that while technological advancements and artificial intelligence have made information increasingly accessible, genuine scholarship continues to depend upon sincerity, independent thinking and intellectual honesty.
The Chief Justice remarked that every meaningful legal reform begins with a scholar willing to ask difficult and uncomfortable questions and pursue them with discipline and integrity. Emphasising the importance of mentorship in legal education, he stated that knowledge cannot simply be transferred mechanically, but must be cultivated through guidance, dialogue and intellectual engagement.
He further encouraged young researchers to pursue scholarship that remains connected to lived realities and human experiences, rather than becoming detached from society.
Justice Viswanathan, in his address, highlighted the importance of deep reading, critical thinking and interdisciplinary engagement in legal research. He cautioned against the growing tendency of reducing judgments and constitutional debates into summaries and headlines, observing that law cannot be understood without patience, context and sustained reading.
The judge also spoke extensively on the transformative impact of technology and artificial intelligence on legal research. While acknowledging the utility of AI tools in legal scholarship, he emphasised that technology should remain an aid and not a substitute for human judgment, ethical reasoning and constitutional sensitivity.
He observed that machines may process information rapidly, but they cannot fully appreciate human suffering, constitutional morality, or the lived realities underlying legal disputes.
The CLEA–MILAT RMP 2026 is a six-week mentorship-driven initiative aimed at strengthening research skills among young academicians, research scholars, advocates and legal professionals. The programme includes preparatory digital orientation, residential academic training, personalised mentorship and publication-oriented research development.
The residential training module, being conducted from 18–22 May 2026 at the Indian Law Institute, covers important themes including legal research methodology, literature review, academic writing, empirical tools, research ethics, interdisciplinary approaches, technology and AI in legal research, policy research and publication processes.
The programme has brought together participants, researchers, teachers and legal professionals from across the country.