Call for Chapters by CCRP, NUSRL, Ranchi

About the Organisation

The National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL) is an institution dedicated to legal education and was established by the Government of Jharkhand under the National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi Act, 2010.

The University offers B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M., Ph.D. in Law and postgraduate diploma programmes.

The Chair on Consumer Research and Policy (CCRP) was established at NUSRL, Ranchi, in October 2024 by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. It promotes research, teaching and training in Consumer Law and also functions as a think tank for research and policy-related issues concerning consumer affairs.

About the Book

The Architecture of Deception: Consumers, Dark Patterns and the Limits of Consent is an edited volume examining dark patterns as a structural challenge to the assumption that a transaction reflects free and informed choice.

The book seeks critical contributions on how consumer law can recognise harm caused by deceptive or manipulative digital interfaces, provide remedies where consent may not have been free, and hold accountable conduct that is coded rather than spoken.

About the Opportunity

Original and unpublished contributions are invited from academicians, practitioners, policy experts and law students. Authors may also propose topics that reasonably fall within the broader ambit of the themes and sub-themes.

Theme

The call focuses on consumers, dark patterns and the limits of consent in digital marketplaces.

Suggested Themes and Sub-Themes

• Defining and Detecting Dark Patterns: The CCPA (Prevention of Dark Patterns) Guidelines, 2023; taxonomies of dark patterns such as drip pricing, confirmshaming, forced action, false urgency, nagging and basket sneaking; comparative regulatory definitions in India, the European Union and the United States; and the difficulty of establishing a universal standard.
• Consent as a Legal Fiction: Manufactured consent through interface design, including pre-ticked boxes and disguised advertisements; cookie banners and subscription traps; and whether contract law can address manipulated assent.
• Platforms, Algorithms and Behavioural Exploitation: Personalisation engines, targeted marketing and manipulation; dynamic and drip pricing; recommender systems; infinite scroll; and engagement-maximising design as a form of consumer harm.
• Vulnerable Users in a Manipulated Marketplace: Children and gamified purchase design; elderly and first-time digital users; and dark patterns affecting gig workers during platform onboarding, ratings and payout processes.
• Enforcement, Remedies and Institutional Response: CCPA enforcement actions against e-commerce and edtech platforms; the jurisdictional overlap between the CCPA, CCI and sectoral regulators; and private remedies under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, contract law or tort law.

Submission Categories

• Articles: 5,000–6,000 words.
• Short Articles: 2,500–4,000 words.
• Legislative Comments: 1,500–2,500 words.
• Book Reviews: 1,000–2,500 words.

The word limits are inclusive of footnotes.

Eligibility

• Academicians and faculty members.
• Legal practitioners and policy professionals.
• Research scholars and doctoral candidates.
• Postgraduate and undergraduate students from recognised universities and institutions.
• Interdisciplinary contributors from fields such as law, economics, public policy, business and technology, provided their submissions engage with consumer protection, market regulation or consumer rights.

Submission Guidelines

• Submissions must be original, unpublished and not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).
• A separate cover page containing the author or authors’ name, institutional affiliation or designation, contact email and phone number must be submitted.
• The cover page must be submitted separately and must not form part of the main manuscript.
• A maximum of two authors is permitted per submission.
• All submissions will undergo a blind peer review process. The manuscript must not contain any indication of the author’s name or institutional affiliation.

Formatting Guidelines

Manuscripts should follow the formatting requirements below:

Font: Times New Roman.

Font Size: 12 pt for the main text, 10 pt for footnotes, and 16/14 pt for headings and sub-headings.

Line Spacing: 1.5 for the main text and single spacing for footnotes.

Alignment: Justified.

Citation Style: Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 21st Edition.

Plagiarism and Use of AI

Submissions must be original and free from plagiarism. The use of generative AI tools for drafting substantive portions of the manuscript is discouraged. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of their work.

Publication Details

Selected papers will be published as chapters in an accredited book bearing an ISBN. Submission and publication are entirely free of cost. Each author will receive one complimentary copy of the published volume.

Important Dates

• Release of Call for Chapters: Sept 27, 2026
• Last Date for Paper Submission: Oct 30, 2026
• First Phase of Acceptance of Chapter: Nov 10, 2026
• Editorial Feedback Communication: Nov 12, 2026
• Release of Book Name: Nov 14, 2026
• Final Acceptance: Nov 20, 2026
• Publication: November–December 2026

The dates mentioned above are tentative and may be subject to change at the discretion of the organising body.

How to Submit?

Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) through the submission form given at the end of the post.

Contact Person: Aditi Vivek Singh, Student Editor-in-Chief, CCRP, NUSRL

Phone: 8957370313

Email: ccrp@nusrlranchi.ac.in

Click here to submit.