https://udhayanidhi.me Writing on constitutional law, tech policy, and web engineering. en-us https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/the-digital-personal-data-protection-act-2023 https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/the-digital-personal-data-protection-act-2023 Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Six years after Puttaswamy, India finally has a data-protection statute. Examining the architecture of the DPDP Act, 2023 — consent, the Data Protection Board, and the tensions it leaves unresolved. Udhaya Nidhi law privacy data-protection https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/intermediary-liability-and-the-it-rules-2021 https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/intermediary-liability-and-the-it-rules-2021 Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Section 79 of the IT Act shields platforms from liability for user content — but the 2021 Intermediary Guidelines have redrawn the bargain. What safe harbour means for social media, messaging, and online speech in India. Udhaya Nidhi law tech intermediary https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/regulating-virtual-digital-assets-in-india https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/regulating-virtual-digital-assets-in-india Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT India taxes crypto but has never legalised it. Tracing the regulatory limbo of virtual digital assets — from the RBI banking ban to Section 115BBH — and what a coherent framework might look like. Udhaya Nidhi law crypto tax https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/deepfakes-synthetic-media-and-election-integrity https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/deepfakes-synthetic-media-and-election-integrity Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT AI-generated media can now put words in a candidate's mouth days before polling. Do India's election laws, the IT Act, and the DPDP Act offer any defence against synthetic disinformation? Udhaya Nidhi law ai elections https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/gig-workers-and-the-code-on-social-security-2020 https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/gig-workers-and-the-code-on-social-security-2020 Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT India's labour codes recognised 'gig' and 'platform' workers for the first time — but recognition is not the same as protection. Examining the legal status of India's millions of platform workers. Udhaya Nidhi law labour gig-economy https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/aadhaar-biometrics-and-the-surveillance-state https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/aadhaar-biometrics-and-the-surveillance-state Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Aadhaar judgment upheld the world's largest biometric ID system while striking down its excesses. Revisiting the proportionality doctrine and what it permits the state to know about its citizens. Udhaya Nidhi law privacy surveillance https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/net-neutrality-and-the-trai-framework https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/net-neutrality-and-the-trai-framework Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT In 2016 India banned differential pricing and later adopted some of the world's strongest net-neutrality rules. How TRAI's regulations were built, and the enforcement gaps that remain. Udhaya Nidhi law tech telecom https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/understanding-cyber-law-in-india https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/understanding-cyber-law-in-india Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A comprehensive guide to India's cyber law framework — from the IT Act 2000 and its amendments to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the landmark Shreya Singhal verdict, and the evolving data protection regime. Udhaya Nidhi law cybersecurity https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/the-right-to-be-forgotten-in-indian-jurisprudence https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/the-right-to-be-forgotten-in-indian-jurisprudence Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Can you compel the internet to forget you? Tracing the emergence of the right to erasure in Indian courts, against the free-speech and open-justice countercurrent. Udhaya Nidhi law privacy constitution https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/constitutional-perspectives-on-digital-privacy https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/constitutional-perspectives-on-digital-privacy Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How the Supreme Court's landmark Puttaswamy judgment transformed digital privacy into a fundamental right under Article 21 — and what it means for Aadhaar, surveillance, and India's data protection future. Udhaya Nidhi law privacy constitution https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/defense-procurement-and-the-dap-2020 https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/defense-procurement-and-the-dap-2020 Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT India's Defence Acquisition Procedure governs one of the world's largest arms budgets. Unpacking the legal architecture of defence procurement — categorisation, offsets, and indigenisation. Udhaya Nidhi law defense procurement https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/intellectual-property-in-the-age-of-ai https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/intellectual-property-in-the-age-of-ai Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Who owns the output of an AI model? Can a machine be an inventor? Examining the collision between artificial intelligence and intellectual property law — from the DABUS patent saga to copyright ownership under Indian law. Udhaya Nidhi law ai ip https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/taxation-of-the-digital-economy-in-india https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/taxation-of-the-digital-economy-in-india Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT How do you tax a company with no physical presence in the country where it earns? India's equalisation levy and 'significant economic presence' rules, set against the OECD's two-pillar solution. Udhaya Nidhi law tax tech https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/navigating-the-legal-landscape-of-open-source https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/navigating-the-legal-landscape-of-open-source Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT An in-depth exploration of navigating the legal landscape of open source. Udhaya Nidhi law opensource https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/when-algorithms-meet-article-14 https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/when-algorithms-meet-article-14 Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Algorithmic decision-making is reshaping welfare, policing, and hiring in India. But when code discriminates, does Article 14 of the Constitution offer a remedy? Examining the collision between automated systems and the Right to Equality. Udhaya Nidhi law tech equality https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/smart-contracts-legal-enforceability-in-india https://udhayanidhi.me/blog/smart-contracts-legal-enforceability-in-india Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Are smart contracts legally binding under Indian law? Analyzing self-executing blockchain agreements through the lens of the Indian Contract Act 1872, the IT Act 2000, and the practical realities of decentralised enforcement. Udhaya Nidhi law blockchain tech