Zaid graduated in Law from Gujarat National Law University in 2020. He pursued his master’s degree from SOAS University of London in 2021 as a Felix scholar. His master’s thesis studied the role of constitutions in conflict zones with a focus on constitution-making in the Kashmir region. At SOAS, he also served as Managing Editor of the SOAS Law Journal. He interned at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law where he worked on developing a constitutional biography of India-J&K relationship. His article titled “Basic Without Structure?: the Presidential Order of 1954 and the Indo-Jammu & Kashmir Constitutional Relationship (Vol. 4(2) Indian Law Review (2020) ) won the Best Article Prize, 2021. His paper titled “Of a Tunnel and a (Qualified) Traffic: Amendment Orders, Sampath Prakash and the Recasting of Article 370” is forthcoming in National Law School of India Review (Vol. 33(1)). He has also co-authored a paper with Pritam Baruah titled “Justifying Privacy: The Indian Supreme Court’s Comparative Analysis” published in the Indian Yearbook of Comparative Law 2018. He has also written blogs titled, “The Constitutional Siege on Article 370”, VerfassungsBlog (2019), “Illiberal Constitutionalism: The Curious Case of the Executive Head of Jammu & Kashmir”, IACL-AIDC Blog (2018) and “Seventy Years of Accession: Reflections on Article 370, I-CONnect”, Blog of the International Journal of Constitutional Law, (2017). He is interested in constitutional theory, legal history and international law.

Interview

What made you choose to apply at NLU Delhi? 

NLUD has been making constant strides in pioneering research on subjects that have remained less explored in India. The focus of the university on nurturing and promoting a thriving research environment is what primarily motivated me to apply for the fellowship here.  

What made you choose research and teaching as a career? 

I don’t see research and teaching as distinct from each other – both are inextricably linked. My first attempts at academic writing and research were laid during my time in Gujarat National Law University. I believe pursuing research enables one to better understand the world and think about pathways for a better future. To quote Booth, Colomb and Williams, "Research is hard work, but like any challenging job done well, both its process and its results can bring great satisfaction...especially when you discover (that) something that you believe can improve your readers’ lives by changing what and how they think.” 

What is your area of interest, and what excites you about it? 

Currently, I am interested in understanding Kashmir through the prism of constitutional law and international law. Kashmir’s political and legal status has allowed me to explore constitutional law and its interface with international law. 

How do you see yourself contributing to NLUD as an Academic Fellow?

The fellowship at NLUD would afford a vibrant academic space to engage in teaching, develop my research and contribute to the university’s research projects and its intellectual life.