Distinguished Lecture on Constitutionalism as Transformative Praxis

The Institute of Law, Nirma University conducted a distinguished lecture on ‘Constitutionalism as Transformative Praxis’ by Prof. Ujjwal Kumar Singh, Senior Professor Department of Political Science, University of Delhi of 19th April 2026. The lecture primarily involved a detailed discussion on the form and content of ‘constitutionalism’ and the ideal pedagogy that must be employed to aptly communicate it. He positioned a constitution as a document that not only restrained state power but played an equal role in the creation of a political community and in mitigating the tyranny of majoritarianism. Further, he posited that constitutionalism involves not only the explication of rules but equally restricts the excesses of populism. He highlighted the importance of developing a democratic pedagogy of the Constitution which was founded on a tradition of ‘justification’ over ‘authority’. He argued that such pedagogy was anchored in the idea that democracy involved decision making through discussion. To facilitate discourse the polity must find itself empowered with the key aphorisms of the Constitution, which is lacking in modern pedagogical methods. Overall, the lecture introduced a distinct lens of looking at the Constitution from the perspective how it must be taught and the role of the constitutionalism in informing this democratic pedagogy.