CIRC e-course on AI & Competition: Regulatory and Enforcement Perspectives | April–May 2026

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The CUTS Institute for Regulation & Competition (CIRC) is pleased to invite students, faculty members, and professionals to enroll in "AI & Competition: Regulatory and Enforcement Perspectives," a 6-week online certification course designed to explore how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping markets, competition law, and regulatory enforcement in the digital economy. The course provides practical insights into emerging issues such as algorithmic pricing, data-driven market power, and automated decision-making, while examining regulatory responses and competition policy developments in India and across global jurisdictions.

Course Details

• Duration: 03 April – 09 May 2026

• Format: Online (Fridays & Saturdays)

• Learning Mode: 20+ hours of interactive sessions with access to recorded lectures, curated readings, and case studies via CIRC's e-learning portal

Course Fees

Category	Students	Working Professionals
Indian Participants	₹6,000 (₹5,085 + ₹915 GST)	₹18,000 (₹15,255 + ₹2,745 GST)
International Participants	USD 150	USD 390
Least Developed Countries (LDCs)*	USD 100	USD 220

*Fees include all academic support and course materials.

*Eligibility for LDC participants follows the official UN LDC list.: View UN LDC Country List

Register:  Registration link for the course 

Course Details: visit the course website.

For any queries or group registrations, please contact us at courses[@]circ.in.

We look forward to your participation.

Thanks & Regards,

 

Team CIRC CUTS Institute for Regulation & Competition (CIRC) Flat #5, House No. 658, Lane No. 4,  Westend Marg, Saidulajab, New Delhi-110030 Tel: +91 11 46170236 Email: courses[@]circ.in Web: www.circ.in

Dr. Papia Sengupta, SSS-JNU, Elected as Fellow at the Royal Historical Society since February 2026

Very glad to inform you that Dr. Papia Sengupta has been elected as Fellow at the Royal Historical Society since February 2026. 

• Also sharing here her latest publication:

• Migrant Workers and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Delhi, by Papia Sengupta, pp. 159–186, DOI: 10.33134/HUP-36-7. In: Protecting Workers? Crisis, COVID-19, and South Asia, edited by Kanchana N. Ruwanpura and Wilfried Swenden, Helsinki: Helsinki University Press, 2026. Abstract: The chapter critically analyses the pandemic measures adopted towards migrant workers in Delhi to investigate their consequences. This is important given the high density of migrant workers from neighbouring states. Utilising oral testimonies of workers and document analysis of the Delhi government's special programmes, the chapter analyses the case of the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi through three lenses: state support, pandemic inequities, and vulnerability. This is undertaken by using narratives of migrant workers in Delhi and their experiences of the pandemic and how it affected them. I used qualitative methods based on long oral testimonies of 25 migrant workers in the two industrial sites of Wazirpur and Kapashera. These accounts were collected between December 2021 and June 2022, which coincided with the lowering of the first wave in 2021 and just in the aftermath of the devastating second wave in 2022. This was a period of pain, loss, and suffering for the poor and marginalised. This chapter gives a nuanced perspective from below, that is, how the workers experienced policies on the ground: the hardships of the pandemic was felt by everyone but many of these workers lost jobs and family members to the virus. Others, who were fortunate not to lose a family member, lost out on the possibility of vertical mobility.

Articles "The quality challenge for generic medicines in India: An industrial policy-sensitive perspective" & "Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025: In Search of an Alternative" by Abrol and others

The quality challenge for generic medicines in India: An industrial policy-sensitive perspective by Dinesh Kumar Abrol, Rollins John, Nidhi Singh, 2026, Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. DOI:10.20529/IJME.2026.017
Abstract: This article provides an industrial policy-sensitive understanding of the problem of quality of Indian generic medicines supplied both to the domestic market and to weakly regulated markets in Asia, Africa, and South America. Most of these medicines come from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). While all drugs manufactured in the country must comply with standards under the revised Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1945, the deadline for MSMEs' compliance has been extended repeatedly, and even as of March 2026, drugs are manufactured in the country in two categories of manufacturing facilities — one compliant with the revised standards and another non-compliant with the revised standards. While double standards are unacceptable, the policy discourse on medicine quality focuses entirely on uniformity of standards, and their regulation, without setting an industrial policy-sensitive context for the reasons for poor quality, and for developing an appropriate response. We argue that the problem of medicine quality is closely connected to the structural changes in the industry after India signed the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Large-scale enterprises depend on MSMEs — many of which are poorly equipped — for supplying branded generic medicines in the domestic market and poorly regulated markets abroad. Further, a sharp decline in the indigenous manufacture of raw materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients has left the industry vulnerable, because of its dependence on China for the import of these materials. We propose that poor quality must be addressed through industrial policy-specific changes, institutional collaboration, and technical support, not merely by closing down MSMEs. Quality assurance cannot depend on a system of inspection alone; quality by design must be built into the manufacturing process, and there must be strict enforcement of standards.

Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025: In Search of an Alternative by Dinesh Kumar Abrol, Economic & Political Weekly, 2026, LXI(13), 17-19.

New Article "Technopolitics of tinkering and the ‘new’ innovation economy: insights from India", by Mishra & Bhaduri

Technopolitics of tinkering and the 'new' innovation economy: insights from India

by Rajiv K. Mishra and Saradindu Bhaduri, Innovation and Development, 2026, DOI: 10.1080/2157930X.2026.2640738.

Abstract: Tinkering and its role in the innovation economy have captured the imagination of policymakers across the globe. In India, a variety of tinkering spaces have emerged in recent years. In this paper, we make an attempt to analyse the mandates, motivations, actors and networks of these evolving spaces of tinkering. Tinkering has the potential to make innovation ecosystems more inclusive, offer solutions that are affordable, need-based and pro-social. Tinkering can delay technological obsolescence by promoting, re-use, and re-combination of technology. Our analysis, however, brings out that the policies on tinkering seem restricted to promoting technological temper, and entrepreneurship. A robust focus on local development and ecosystem building around tinkering remains wanted. The paper emphasizes the need for better embedding of tinkering into the policies on innovation, education, skill development and the local economy.

IFLA Newsletter | Vol. 6, No. 3

Explore what's new & exciting at IFLA!

͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

Share March 2026 —  Vol. 6, No. 3 View in browser IFLA Highlights Over the past month, IFLA President Leslie Weir has shared greetings with the mid-term meeting of the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Division Committee in Guatemala, as well as issuing her monthly message to members and volunteers. IFLA President-elect Te Paea Paringatai joined as a special speaker at the National Library of Thailand's 120th anniversary. In the next month, Leslie will be welcoming IFLA's Governing Board to Toronto, Canada, as well as offering welcoming words at the Kazakh Library Association's conference on Libraries in the Age of AI. Secretary General Sharon Memis will be at the 3rd International Library and Technology Festival in Istanbul. The March 2026 issue of the IFLA Journal is out now! This Special Issue explores the topic of Indigenous Knowledge and is available via the IFLA repository. As part of our IFLA 100 celebrations, we're excited to share the launch of our Library Science Fiction (Li-Sci-Fi) Short Story Competition. Check the guidelines and share your story. Our logo competition is also still open, but only until 31 March, so don't miss your chance to enter. As for our global IFLA members and volunteers community, we have an exclusive IFLA 100 photo competition call now in place. And finally, stay in IFLA's centenary spirit by watching the recap video from last year's IFLA 100 book project author meeting. ▶️ Stay up to date with the latest developments for WLIC 2026! New details have just been released on our website, including information on satellite meetings and a range of accommodation options to help you plan your visit. You can also explore our latest cultural post to get a taste of the city's scenic hills, beautiful coastline, and vibrant local cuisine awaiting you as part of the WLIC 2026 experience! As Congress preparations continue, don't forget that the poster proposal deadline is fast approaching. Submissions will close on 8 April, so now is the time to share your ideas and showcase your work. We're also pleased to announce a new addition to the keynote speakers' lineup: Sohail Inayatullah, who will add even more value to what is shaping up to be a dynamic and inspiring program on libraries powering transformation. UNESCO has released its fourth global Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity report, which offers a comprehensive look at how countries are protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions amid technological, social and political change. It offers a look at trends in cultural policy and what they may mean for libraries, who are recognised as critical infrastructure for upholding cultural rights for all. A new report from IFLA explores Universal Service and Access Funds in 66 countries around the world, finding that almost half have a record of investing in libraries in order to achieve their goals. This provides a valuable evidence base for both peer learning and the extension of library involvement. The IFLA Audiovisual and Multimedia Section (AVMS) is pleased to announce the official publication of the Guidelines for Audiovisual Resources in Libraries and Other Institutions, now available in the IFLA Repository. The IFLA Information Technology (IT) Section shares its consensus decision to sunset the Big Data Special Interest Group (BIGDATA SIG) as an evolution of Big Data and many aligned themes within the library IT Space. A new report presents key findings from the 2024 Libraries Boosting Connectivity (LBC) initiative, which examines how libraries are adapting to the digital landscape. A pilot website will launch soon, offering open‑access country profiles and digital metrics to support global comparison and collaboration. The IFLA Library and Research Services for Parliaments Section's (PARL) Communications team is collecting material for the section's next Newsletter issue, planned to be published in April. You are invited to contribute by 31 March 2026. Do you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to IFLA or to the global library field? IFLA's Honours and Awards recognise those who have given significant service and made distinguished contributions to the profession. The call for nominations is open! Submit your nomination by 30 April 2026. The IFLA/James Bennett Public Library of the Year Award 2026 celebrates newly built public libraries that combine inspiring design, sustainability, innovation, and community impact. Submit your application by 20 May 2026. Don't miss what's coming up at IFLA! Explore exciting upcoming events and register now, online or onsite, through our events page. Looking ahead, on 30 September 2027, IFLA celebrates its 100th anniversary! 🎂 Do you have ideas, initiatives, or partnership proposals to help shape this historic moment? Contact us at ifla100@ifla.org. Member Spotlight When a whole profession comes together around a shared purpose, great things can happen. With its new Empowering Impact strategy 2026-30, CILIP is setting the stage for librarians and information professionals to shine. The strategy builds on the sector's greatest strengths while offering fresh support, modern tools and a stronger sense of community – creating conditions for every professional to grow, lead and make their impact felt across society. Are you an IFLA organisation member? We want to spotlight you! Share what's new: successes, initiatives, and highlights in a few sentences using this form, and we'll feature your organisation front and center! 🔔 Last reminder: Renew your IFLA membership by 31 March There's still time to secure your IFLA membership and continue being part of a vibrant global community of librarians. We'd love to have you with us for another year of learning, connecting and growing together! 💌 Look for an email from membership@ifla.org with your renewal instructions. ⏰ Deadline: 31 March 2026 Can't find the email? No worries, just email us and we'll be happy to help! Finally, we're delighted to extend a warm welcome to our new members ⭐ Bangkok University Library and Learning Space – Thailand Busan Metropolitan Library – Republic of Korea City Library of Marko Marulic Split – Croatia Ethiopian Parliament Library – Ethiopia   Ghana Library Authority – Ghana IAEA Lise Meitner Library – Austria Instituto Cervantes, Departamento de Bibliotecas y Documentación – Spain Kazakhstan Library Association – Kazakhstan Kathmandu University School of Education – Nepal MD Anderson Library – United States   Ministry of Home Affairs of Republic of Indonesia – Indonesia National Library of Pakistan – Pakistan Shreemati Hansa Mehta Library, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda – India Simmons University, School of Library and Information Science – United States Supreme Court Library of Korea – Republic of Korea Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA) – Uganda University of Buea – Cameroon We look forward to your engagement and involvement! 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