Research Associate Vacancy at NLU Jodhpur under MoHUA-Sponsored Project
National Law University (NLU), Jodhpur invites applications for one contractual, full-time Research Associate position under a research project sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India.
The position is based at NLU Jodhpur and offers an opportunity to contribute to research, legal mapping and policy development in the areas of land and housing law, urban governance and affordable housing.
About National Law University, Jodhpur
The Centre for Research in Land & Housing: Law, Policy and Governance has been established at National Law University, Jodhpur, to promote research, teaching, capacity-building and policy engagement in the areas of land and housing law and governance.
The Centre is part of a national initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, which collaborates with leading National Law Universities through regional centres to undertake legal research, policy analysis and recommend reforms for strengthening the urban housing ecosystem.
NLU Jodhpur serves as the Regional Centre for the Western Region, supporting the objectives of PMAY-U 2.0 and the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
About the Job
NLU Jodhpur is inviting applications for the position of Research Associate on a contractual, full-time basis under a MoHUA-sponsored research project.
The project focuses on identifying legal, regulatory and institutional challenges affecting affordable housing through an examination of Central, State and Urban Local Body (ULB) frameworks.
The research will cover areas including:
Land titling and land records.
Tenancy law reforms.
Land pooling.
Real estate regulation.
Building bye-laws.
Contract enforcement.
Stamp duty and registration.
Urban planning.
The project aims to develop:
Legal mapping reports.
Policy briefs.
Model laws.
Standardised contracts.
Training modules.
Legal literacy programmes.
A searchable legal repository with a legal-tech prototype.
Position Details
Name of the Post: Research Associate
Number of Vacancies: 01
Nature of Engagement: Contractual, full-time and project-specific
Funding: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India
Eligibility Criteria
Essential Qualifications
Applicants must possess either of the following:
A Master's degree (LL.M. or equivalent) in Law; or
A Master's degree in Urban/Regional Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics or an allied discipline.
Candidates must have secured a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade from a recognised university.
Desirable Qualifications
The following qualifications and experience will be preferred:
Research experience in real estate regulation (RERA), land laws and land records, tenancy and rent control, urban planning and building regulation, housing policy or urban governance.
Publications in UGC-CARE-listed or Scopus-indexed journals, or policy reports in relevant fields.
Proficiency in legal databases such as SCC Online and Manupatra.
Working knowledge of data analysis or legal-tech tools.
Fluency in written and spoken English and Hindi for fieldwork and outreach activities in Rajasthan.
Note: Possession of the minimum qualifications does not automatically entitle candidates to be called for an interview or appointed. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated research experience and publications in land, housing and real estate law or allied fields.
Roles and Responsibilities
The selected Research Associate will be responsible for the following:
Conduct doctrinal and empirical research on Central, State and ULB-level laws, rules, regulations and bye-laws relating to land, housing and urban development.
Assist in preparing the Legal Mapping Report and Bottleneck Register.
Collect, analyse and summarise judgments and orders of RERA authorities, Appellate Tribunals, High Courts and the Supreme Court, particularly concerning Rajasthan and the Western Region.
Assist in drafting model legal provisions, bye-law templates, tenancy agreements, standardised housing contracts and frameworks for land monetisation, pooling and assembly.
Coordinate and document stakeholder consultations and policy roundtables involving State Governments, ULBs, housing boards, developers and civil society.
Prepare consultation reports and policy briefs.
Assist in designing and conducting capacity-building workshops for government functionaries and legal literacy programmes for low-income communities.
Prepare training modules and multilingual guides.
Contribute to the Centre's legal resource repository and legal-tech prototype, including case-law summaries and structured datasets.
Assist in preparing the Inception Report, interim progress reports, completion reports and the Final Report to MoHUA.
Maintain project records required for reporting and utilisation.
Supervise and coordinate student research assistants and interns associated with the Centre.
Undertake other project-related tasks assigned by the Director or Co-Director.
Stipend / Salary
The selected candidate will receive a consolidated remuneration of ₹35,000 per month.
No additional allowances or benefits, including HRA, medical, pension or retirement benefits, will be provided.
Travel expenses incurred for project-related fieldwork will be reimbursed as per University norms and project provisions.
Duration and Terms of Engagement
Initial Engagement: One year from the date of joining.
Extension: May be extended based on satisfactory performance and availability of project funds.
Maximum Duration: The engagement will not continue beyond the duration of the MoHUA project.
The engagement is purely contractual and project-specific. It will not confer any right to regular appointment, continued engagement or absorption into the University.
Either party may terminate the engagement by providing one month's notice. The University may also terminate the engagement immediately in cases of unsatisfactory performance or breach of the terms of engagement.
The selected candidate will work under the supervision of the Vice-Chancellor, Director and Co-Director of the Centre.
Code of Conduct
The selected candidate will be expected to maintain the following professional standards:
Ensure integrity in data collection, analysis and reporting, without fabrication, falsification or plagiarism.
Maintain strict confidentiality of unpublished data, internal deliberations and draft deliverables.
Obtain prior written permission from the Director of the Centre before independently publishing or sharing any part of the project work.
Ensure that intellectual property in the work produced under the project vests in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the University and MoHUA.
Maintain a neutral and evidence-based approach.
Disclose any conflict of interest.
Maintain professional conduct while dealing with officials, stakeholders and communities.
Comply with the rules, regulations and policies of National Law University, Jodhpur.
Location
The selected candidate will be based at National Law University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, with field visits within Rajasthan and the Western Region as required.
Last Date to Apply
16 November 2026
Applications received after the specified deadline will not be considered.
Application Procedure
Interested candidates must submit their applications through email as follows:
Email Subject: Application for the Post of Research Associate – Centre for Research in Land & Housing
The application must be submitted as a single PDF file containing the following documents:
Detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Statement of Purpose (not exceeding 500 words) explaining the candidate's interest in and suitability for the position.
Self-attested copies of mark sheets and degree certificates.
List of publications, if any, along with links or copies of up to two representative works.
Incomplete applications and applications received after the specified deadline will not be considered.
Selection Process
Applications will be scrutinised by a Screening-cum-Selection Committee constituted by the competent authority.
Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.
The interview date and mode (physical or online) will be communicated through email.
No TA/DA will be provided for appearing in the interview.
Candidates employed elsewhere must produce a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer at the time of joining.
The University reserves the right to shortlist candidates, modify the number of posts, keep any post vacant or cancel the call for applications without assigning any reason.
The University's decision regarding the selection process will be final.
Official Notification
For the complete official notification and further details, visit: