Welcome to Aditya Shrivastava
The Department of Political Science is delighted to host Mr. Aditya Shrivastava as a German Chancellor Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Mr. Shrivastava is a legal professional with over a decade of experience in India’s development and social sector. He has been providing legal support to NGOs, social movements, institutions and grassroots activists through various methods, including research, strategic litigation, advocacy and capacity building.
For over seven years, he has steered the Support Cell for Civil Society Organisations on the issue of shrinking civic spaces in India. He also coordinated a fellowship programme with a national network of 80 activists who were working at the grassroots level to promote constitutional values in India. He has earlier served as the Legal Research Officer to the Indian Supreme Court’s Commissioner on the Right to Food. He has been an active volunteer with several public campaigns and public interest litigations. He maintains an action-oriented and community-focused approach to use the law for protection of human rights. His core interests are civic space freedoms, the right to food and digital rights.
The German Chancellor Fellowship program is designed to promote international cooperation and foster future leaders from around the world. It is awarded to outstanding professionals with initial leadership experience and provides them the opportunity to conduct research projects in Germany. The program is under the patronage of the Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Germany and is administered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Under the Fellowship, Mr. Shrivastava will be undertaking his project titled "German Experience on Regulating Civil Society Organisations: Comparative Perspective and Lessons for India". The project aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice by conducting a comparative analysis of CSO regulations in Germany and India, with a particular focus on legal safeguards, implementation challenges, and the practical impact on civil society. By drawing on empirical data and expert guidance, his research seeks to identify best practices and propose legal reforms that can help strike a balance between accountability and civic freedoms. The project promises to offer valuable insights and strategies to protect and nurture civil society in a time when its progressive ideals face significant threats in India and beyond.
