I am currently reading for a DPhil in Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford. I hold an LLM from King’s College London and a BA from the University of Oxford.
I am interested in empirical and theoretical work in queer and feminist studies, equality law, constitutional law, employment law, critical approaches to law, political economy, judicial systems and legal access/education.
I share some of my work on Instagram. I am also on Twitter or LinkedIn, albeit less often
Get in touch with me by email at mihir.rajamanerajendra@exeter.ox.ac.uk. I’d love to chat about any of the above, below, or anything else.
Writing
Articles/Chapters
- with Vibha Swaminathan, ‘Navigating Reservations for Transgender Persons under the Indian Constitution’ in Jayna Kothari (ed), Transforming Rights: How Law shapes Transgender Lives, Identity & Community in India (Queer Directions 2026 forthcoming) [based on a paper presented at Transform: National Conference on Transgender Rights and the Law 2022, Bengaluru, India] SSRN link here.
- with Jayna Kothari, ‘Litigation as a Tool for Change: Transgender Rights in India’ (2021) 2 The Smeal Review. Archive link here. SSRN link here.
Conference Papers
- with Vibha Swaminathan, ‘EWS Reservations and Democracy’ (Law and Democracy Workshop, MK Nambyar SAARC Law Centre NALSAR 2025)
- ‘Can Judges Say I Don’t Know? Diversity of Knowledge Systems in Judging’ (Symposium on Diversity in the Judiciary and Legal Profession, RHUL 2024)
- with Sudhir Krishnaswamy, ‘Suo Motu Writ Jurisdiction at the Supreme Court’ (The Courts and Constitution Conference, NALSAR 2021)
Columns
- with Deeksha Viswanathan, ‘No fundamental right to marry’ will have foreboding, far-reaching consequences (The Leaflet 2023)
- How Much Does the Marriage Equality Judgment Support Further Queer Demands? (The Quint 2023)
- Supreme Court handbook on gender stereotypes: Progressive, but will the law catch up? (Supreme Court Observer 2023)
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: A missed opportunity for horizontal equality (Supreme Court Observer 2023)
- What is ‘Family’? SC Rightly Signals That [Queer People] Need More Than Just Love (The Quint 2022)
- with Ritambhara Singh, India Can’t Keep Citing the Pandemic to Deprive Children of Education (The Wire 2021)
- with Jayna Kothari, How Karnatataka took the lead in horizontal reservations for transgender persons (News9 2021)
- Pride in India Allows me to Hope for a Better Future (The Oxford Blue)
- Oxford’s imperial present: ‘Postcolonialism’ doesn’t mean it’s over (Cherwell)
Blog Posts
- A Socio-Legal Analysis of the Kenyan High Court’s Legal Recognition of Transgender Persons (Constitutional Law and Philosophy 2025)
- Defining ‘Woman’ in Law? Contextualising the Indian High Court Judgment That Affirms Trans Women Are Women (Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog 2025)
- Gendered Bodies and Worlds of Labour: Re-Conceptualising Dignity After Puttaswamy vs. Union of India by Kalpana Kannabiran and Devi Jagani (2024): A Review by Mihir Rajamane (Doing Sociology 2024)
- with Deeksha Viswanathan, The Supreme Court’s Equal Marriage Judgment – IV: Between Gendered and Neutral Approaches – Untying the Bench’s Self-Made Knots (Indian Constitutional Law and Philosophy 2023)
- with Mansi Singh, Welfare as a Human Right: An Intersectional Approach to Trans Rights in India (Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog 2022)
- Acid Attack Survivors: Implementing their Right to Dignity (CLPR Blog 2021)
- Horizontal Reservations for Transgender Persons: Taking Intersectionality Forward (CLPR Blog 2021)
Reporting
- Some personal highlights from my reporting at the Supreme Court Observer:
- Collegium’s 13 Resolutions Recommending SC Judges (first in a series)
- Health and Religion: Striking a Constitutional Balance
- Suo Moto Powers in Writ Jurisdictions: A South Asian Innovation? and 46 Suo Moto Cases in the Supreme Court from 1990-2020
- Do Reservations Have to be Below 50%? From Balaji [1962] to Indra Sawhney [1992]
- How Courts Across the World Broadcast Proceedings
- Why did Parliament Have to Pass the 105th Constitutional Amendment?
Featured
- Queer Indians vow to continue fighting after Supreme Court denies same-sex marriage Xtra
- Section 377 Out, New Bill Raises Questions Over Protection of Men Against Rape The Quint
- Horizontal reservations for transgender persons: Queering the equality code The Leaflet
- The Courts and Constitution Conference 2022 Law and Other Things
- Panel discussion on state of judiciary: spotlight on administrative issues, lack of diversity & suo motu jurisdiction. The Leaflet
- Day 1: Courts and the Constitution Conference. Supreme Court Observer
- Explainer: Why have reservations in promotions sparked such a hectic debate in the courts?. Scroll.in.
- In defence of dissent: Indian farmers’ protests and voices from the Oxford Indian community. The Oxford Student
- Oxford students protest new Indian agricultural laws. Cherwell.
Work
- Waynflete Academic in Law, Magdalen College
- Teaching: Oxford Law Faculty UNIQ Summer School & Insight Day Teaching Assistant, Exeter College SDC Residential Tutor, Outreach Subject Session Lead, Law Study Mentor
- University Roles: Exeter College Invigilator, Law at Magdalen Residential and Interviews Helper, LNAT Marker
- Pathway Assistant in Transnational Law, King’s College London
- Mini Pupillages: Guildhall Chambers, 33 Bedford Row
- Junior Staff Writer, Supreme Court Observer
- Junior Researcher, Centre for Law & Policy Research
Voluntary Roles
- Advisor, Waltham Forest Migrant Action
- Mentor, Project Edu-Access
- President, Oxford India Society
- Vice-President, Oxford South Asian Society
Editing
- Blog and Article Editor, Oxford University Undergraduate Law Journal
- Non-Fiction Editor, Common Ground Journal
- Global Affairs Editor, The Oxford Blue
- Editor, Oxford India Society Policy Blog
- Peer Reviewer
Awards
- Oxford Law Faculty Prize in Feminist Perspectives 2023
- Demy-Scholarship, Magdalen College, 2020-2023
- Best Student in Transnational Law, KCL 2024
- Best Dissertation in Transnational Law, KCL 2024
Mooting
- Best Speaker and Winner, KCLBMS LGBTQIA+ Moot 2023
- Winning Team, Blackstone Human Rights Moot 2020
- Semifinalist, Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot 2020
- Finalist, Inner Temple Inter-Varsity Moot 2021
- 2nd Best Speaker and Best Respondent Memorial, NLS-Trilegal International Arbitration Moot 2021
- Best Speaker and Winning Team, Gibson Dunn-OSCOLA Commercial Law Moot Trinity 2022
- Best Written Submissions, HSF KCL Competition Law Moot 2022
- Winner, Round 1, Oxford Maitland Inter-Collegiate Competition 2020-21
- Judged: Gibson Dunn-OSCOLA Commercial Law Moot 2023, Oxford Maitland Inter-Collegiate Competition 2024-5
Mihir Rajamane 