Author: PRASANNASRI26092001

CYBERSECURITY BREACHES IN INDIA’S ONLINE GAMING ECOSYSTEM

AUTHOR – MAITHLY JAIN* & ASHOK DOBHAL**

* LAW COLLEGE DEHRADUN, UTTARANCHAL UNIVERSITY, DEHRADUN, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

** ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, LAW COLLEGE DEHRADUN, UTTARANCHAL UNIVERSITY, DEHRADUN, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

BEST CITATION – MAITHLY JAIN & ASHOK DOBHAL, CYBERSECURITY BREACHES IN INDIA’S ONLINE GAMING ECOSYSTEM, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 507-514, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

An exponential growth has occurred in the digital economy in India, making the online gaming segment one of the fastest-growing digital segments in the world. But it’s grown faster than the lagging security protocols and statutory mechanisms in the country and caused a vastly larger and vulnerable attack surface. This paper explores the structural vulnerabilities of the Indian online gaming ecosystem, including the use of weak identity verification systems (KYC), vulnerable Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and insecure third-party external payment mechanisms, as the major opportunities for malicious attacks. India’s legal framework is rooted in the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000, and is rife with deep operational divisions in the statutes.^[1] This study shows how the territorial approach of the old laws is not capable of countering automated and borderless digital threats like Remote Code Execution (RCE) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks through a critical legal analysis of them, namely Section 43A (negligent data protection standards), Section 66 (computer-related offenses), Section 79 (intermediary safe harbour immunity), and Section 85 (vicarious corporate liability). In addition, the paper identifies key systemic weaknesses, such as the fact that a lot of reports are still delayed after 72 hours, jurisdictional restrictions on jurisdiction over offshore servers, corporate implementation of safe harbour provisions and devastating capacity gaps in the local law enforcement cyber cells.^[2]

The Indian courts have been filling a legislative void, especially due to a weak legislative framework. It charts a unique trajectory towards more aggressive judicial supervision as seen in the world-famous security audit decision in 2025 by the Delhi High Court, the enforcement of compliance by the Karnataka High Court and in individual cases by state consumer forums. It contends, however, that the less interventionist judicial response approach can never go far enough to prevent permanent, real-time exfiltration of data, and so will inevitably result in structural limits that expect Supreme Court cybersecurity directives.^[3]

Lastly, the paper analyzes the paradigm shift in the world of online gaming, spurred by the two new sets of rules, namely, the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025 and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Rules, 2026. This modern regime, led by the newly formed Online Gaming Authority of India, will have a new style of enforcement, kicking into the online arena, with the multi-crore fines being scaled and a strict distinction being made between banned online money games and online e-sports and social games. Finally, the study proposes a co-regulatory framework that will strike a balance between the need for innovation protections and an irrefutable user safety imperative and suggests embedding proactive, automated technical compliances into the very design of platforms to protect citizens’ privacy in the digital era.

Keywords: Privacy Rights, Data Privacy, Online Gaming, Cybersecurity Breaches, Information Technology Laws, Intermediary Liability, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, PROG Rules 2026, India

---

[1] N. Pandey & S. Tarun, Regulatory Progress and Challenges in India’s Booming Online Gaming Market, 2024 Online Gaming India 49, 49–61.

[2] S.T. Shrivastava, Cyber-Security and Data Privacy Challenges in Online Gaming: Analyzing the Cyber-Security Risks and Challenges Faced by Online Gaming Platforms in India, in Online Gaming in India 118, 118–25 (2024).

[3] V. Singhania & P. Talukdar, In Regulatory Purgatory: How Many Lives Left Before Mission Success for the Indian Gaming Industry?, in Online Gaming in India 27, 27–37 (2024).

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL GAMING: BALANCING INNOVATION WITH LEGAL ACCOUNTABILITY

AUTHOR – PRADEEP.U, LLM STUDENT AT THE TAMIL NADU DR.AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY

BEST CITATION – PRADEEP.U, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL GAMING: BALANCING INNOVATION WITH LEGAL ACCOUNTABILITY, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 497-506, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

INTRODUCTION

            The gaming sector has undergone a remarkable transformation with the rapid development of digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI), making gaming more interactive, realistic, and user-oriented than ever before. AI has become a vital component of modern gaming platforms by enabling intelligent gameplay, adaptive virtual environments, personalized user experiences, and advanced game development techniques. Technologies such as machine learning, Non-Playable Characters (NPCs), procedural content generation, predictive analytics, virtual reality, and automated gaming systems have significantly enhanced the quality and efficiency of digital gaming experiences. The gaming industry has evolved from traditional arcade and console games into a large-scale digital ecosystem involving online multiplayer gaming, esports, mobile gaming, cloud gaming, and immersive virtual platforms, with AI playing a central role in shaping this transformation. In India, the rapid growth of internet accessibility, smartphones, and digital platforms has accelerated the expansion of AI-based gaming technologies and created significant economic and technological opportunities. This research paper critically examines the role of Artificial Intelligence in the gaming sector by analyzing its applications, legal implications, ethical challenges, and regulatory concerns while emphasizing the need for balanced legal safeguards that promote technological innovation alongside fairness, accountability, and protection of user rights.

‘COPYRIGHTABILITY IN THE AGE OF AI’

AUTHOR – SIYA BEDI, STUDENT AT SYMBIOSIS LAW SCHOOL, PUNE

BEST CITATION – SIYA BEDI, ‘COPYRIGHTABILITY IN THE AGE OF AI’, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 492-496, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

With the fast-paced generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems that have been spreading, there have been profound and yet unnoticed changes within the global intellectual property laws. It was only normal that traditional copyright laws based on the unchallengeable notion that only ‘human authorship’, can be protected, are now far less prepared to present the challenges of machine-generated creative works, the large-scale ingestion of copyrighted content for training AI, and the deployment of deepfake technology for harmful purposes. This article carries out a detailed study of these combined issues, especially highlighting the ‘Indian legal system’ as represented in the Copyright Act, 1957. Besides, it studies the ‘United States’, the European Union’s, the United Kingdom’s, and Japan’s’ laws to show differences in the opinions about copyright of AI-generated works, TDM exceptions, and responsibility structures. 

Keywords: Generative artificial intelligence, Intellectual property, copyright, creative works, deepfake, TDM.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MENS REA AND MODUS OPERANDI IN UNORGANIZED VERSUS ORGANIZED CRIMINAL CONSPIRACIES

AUTHOR – ATHUL S, LLM STUDENT AT CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION, TAMILNADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW – CHENNAI

BEST CITATION – ATHUL S, A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MENS REA AND MODUS OPERANDI IN UNORGANIZED VERSUS ORGANIZED CRIMINAL CONSPIRACIES, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 473-491, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

Criminal conspiracy stands as one of the most complex inchoate offenses in criminal jurisprudence, predicated on the fundamental principle that the “meeting of minds” to commit an illegal act is, in itself, a danger to societal order. However, as criminology has evolved, the sociological manifestation of conspiracy has splintered into two distinct categories: unorganized conspiracies and organized criminal syndicates. This extended research article provides an exhaustive comparative analysis of the mens rea (guilty mind) and modus operandi (method of operation) governing these two paradigms. By tracing the historical development of statutory frameworks from the colonial-era Sections 120A and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, to the modern, transformative provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 (specifically Sections 61 and 111) this paper evaluates how legislative strategies have adapted to the escalating sophistication of crime. Unorganized conspiracies are characterized by ad-hoc, localized mens rea and simplistic, direct modus operandi. Conversely, organized criminal syndicates demonstrate a continuous, corporate-like mens rea and highly sophisticated, compartmentalized modus operandi that insulates the criminal leadership. Through an in-depth analysis of landmark judicial pronouncements, evidentiary challenges under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023, and comparative international statutes such as the US RICO Act, this article underscores the legal necessity of treating organized crime as an enterprise rather than a mere aggregation of individual offenses.

Key Words: Criminal conspiracy, Mens rea, Unorganized crime, Organized crime, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, criminal syndicates

PLEA BARGAINING UNDER CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION

AUTHOR – ATHUL S, LLM STUDENT AT CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION, TAMILNADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW – CHENNAI

BEST CITATION – ATHUL S, PLEA BARGAINING UNDER CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 459-472, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

The concept of plea bargaining represents one of the most transformative and controversial developments within the modern criminal justice system. Originating in the United States and rooted in principles of negotiated justice, plea bargaining has evolved into a globally recognized mechanism for resolving criminal disputes efficiently. Its introduction in India through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2005 marked a significant departure from the rigid adversarial system historically practiced in the country. This research paper examines the conceptual foundations, statutory framework, and judicial interpretation of plea bargaining in India, along with its practical implications on the criminal justice administration. The paper also studies the evolution of plea bargaining, its applicability, advantages, challenges, and comparative perspectives from other jurisdictions. Through an extensive doctrinal methodology, it critically assesses whether plea bargaining has achieved its intended objectives of decongesting courts, ensuring speedy trials, and promoting restorative justice. The paper concludes with recommendations for strengthening the system and ensuring that plea bargaining operates fairly while balancing the interests of victims, society, and the accused.

Keywords – Plea bargaining, criminal justice, negotiated justice, restorative justice, guilty plea, speedy trial, CrPC, judicial administration.

INTERSECTION OF THE NDPS ACT AND THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT: A CRITICAL STUDY ON REHABILITATION MECHANISMS AND SOCIAL REINTEGRATION OF JUVENILE DRUG OFFENDERS IN INDIA

AUTHOR – ATHUL S, LLM STUDENT AT CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION, TAMILNADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW – CHENNAI

BEST CITATION – ATHUL S, INTERSECTION OF THE NDPS ACT AND THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT: A CRITICAL STUDY ON REHABILITATION MECHANISMS AND SOCIAL REINTEGRATION OF JUVENILE DRUG OFFENDERS IN INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 443-458, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

This research paper critically examines the legal intersection between the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. While the NDPS Act employs a stringent, deterrent-based approach to drug offences, the JJ Act operates on a reformative, child-centric paradigm. This study explores the conflict arising when a juvenile is apprehended for drug trafficking, specifically analysing the tension between Section 37 of the NDPS Act (strict bail conditions) and Section 12 of the JJ Act (mandatory bail). It further scrutinizes the classification of commercial quantity drug offences as “heinous offences” for juveniles aged 16-18, the adequacy of statutory rehabilitation mechanisms, and the infrastructural gaps in de-addiction facilities. The paper concludes that while judicial interpretation has largely favoured the JJ Act, legislative inconsistencies and implementation failures continue to hinder the effective social reintegration of juvenile drug offenders.

Key Words: Juvenile Justice, NDPS Act, Child Rights and Protection Drug Offences, Bail and Heinous Offences, Rehabilitation and Reintegration

DIGITAL FORENSICS AND LEGAL LIABILITY IN ORGANIZED DOXXING AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA: PROVING CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY IN THE ERA OF MODERNIZED CRIMINAL LAWS

AUTHOR – ATHUL S, LLM STUDENT AT CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION, TNDALU – SOEL

BEST CITATION – ATHUL S, DIGITAL FORENSICS AND LEGAL LIABILITY IN ORGANIZED DOXXING AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA: PROVING CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY IN THE ERA OF MODERNIZED CRIMINAL LAWS, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 432-442, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

The rapid democratization of digital infrastructure in India has catalysed a paradigm shift in Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). Among these emerging digital threats, organized doxxing the non-consensual aggregation and public dissemination of private identifiable data has mutated into a systematic tool for psychological terror, socio-political silencing, and communal polarization, targeting women from marginalized communities. This paper examines the technical architecture and forensic life cycle of organized doxxing networks, exposing the statutory vulnerabilities of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, concerning publicly available data. By analysing the structural mechanics of the Sulli Deals and Bulli Bai syndicates, this study explores how advanced digital forensics, Endpoint Forensics, and Social Network Analysis (SNA) serve as procedural prerequisites to prove a “meeting of minds” under Section 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Finally, it evaluates the stringent evidentiary mandates of Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023, the searchand-seizure safeguards of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and administrative accountability under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) 2025 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

Keywords: Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, Organized Doxxing, BNS 2023, BSA 2023, Digital Forensics, Criminal Conspiracy, Social Network Analysis.

WEAKENING DETERRENCE OR ENHANCING EFFICIENCY? THE QUASI-DECRIMINALISATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES IN INDIA

AUTHOR – SRISHTI YADAV, STUDENT AT ASIAN LAW COLLEGE

BEST CITATION – SRISHTI YADAV, WEAKENING DETERRENCE OR ENHANCING EFFICIENCY? THE QUASI-DECRIMINALISATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES IN INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 426-431, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

This research article examines the critical paradigm shift in India’s environmental regulatory framework from a strict, court- centred “command and control” model to a trust- based compliance system introduced through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act 2023. Historically, India’s environmental governance relied heavily on criminal prosecution to deter polluters, treating every minor procedural violation as jail-eligible offences. This act aims to ease the regulation by decriminalising minor, technical and procedural defaults. While this “quasi-decriminalisation” successfully reduces business compliance burden by replacing the imprisonment for minor procedural defaults with civil penalties, it introduces major constitutional and enforcement challenges.

Vesting the quasi- judicial powers in the executive- appointed Adjudicating Officers raises significant separation of powers concerns, creates conflicts of interest when the prosecuting government based or owned polluters and highlight a critical technical competence deficit. Additionally, flat civil penalties risk being dismissed as a mere “cost of doing business” potentially diluting deterrence. To preserve environmental integrity while achieving regulatory efficiency, the study advocates targeted reinvestment of the Environmental Protection Fund to strengthen institutional capacity, enhance technical expertise, and develop a transparent public digital compliance portal. It concludes that the success of India’s quasi-decriminalisation framework will ultimately depend upon its ability to balance economic facilitation with constitutional accountability, effective enforcement, and the overarching objective of environmental justice.

Keywords: Jan Vishwas Act, Decriminalisation, Civil penalties, Environment protection

LEGAL PERSONHOOD FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE: A JURISPRUDENTIAL DILEMMA

AUTHOR – SRISHTI YADAV, STUDENT AT ASIAN LAW COLLEGE

BEST CITATION – SRISHTI YADAV, LEGAL PERSONHOOD FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE: A JURISPRUDENTIAL DILEMMA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 421-425, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

This article studies about the legal and philosophical challenges of awarding “legal personhood” to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, exploring Indian law jurisprudence. With traditional approach, the legal system was basically divided into two parts, first as “legal objects” and second as “legal subjects” former being passive tools animals and software and later entities like humans and companies, entitled to rights and obligations. Now with time, this division has been broken with the rise of smart, agentic AI machines that are capable of planning, learning and making decision without complete human control. However, there comes a “responsibility gap” when an autonomous machine makes an unpredictable fault that causes financial or physical harm. The traditional rules of defining liability or criteria for negligence fails as no human could foresee the actions of a machine.

This article studies whether AI can be treated as a “juristic person” in the eyes of the law. Unlike rigid western legal systems, Indian jurisprudence has a flexible approach in granting legal status to non-human entities. The Indian courts have recognized Hindu deities as legal persons with some criteria to be fulfilled.

By analysing the classical legal theories with the Indian Statutes like the Indian Contract Act, 1872, the Patent Act, 1970 and the new criminal law Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, this article evaluates the possibility of benefit and harm of AI personhood.

Keywords- Artificial intelligence, Legal personhood, Juristic persons

ARBITRATION AS A DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISM IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL

AUTHOR – KHUSHI GUPTA* & LAKSHMI PRIYA VINJAMURI**

* LAW COLLEGE DEHRADUN, UTTARANCHAL UNIVERSITY, DEHRADUN, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

** ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, LAW COLLEGE DEHRADUN, UTTARANCHAL UNIVERSITY, DEHRADUN, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

BEST CITATION – KHUSHI GUPTA & LAKSHMI PRIYA VINJAMURI, ARBITRATION AS A DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISM IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 414-420, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

International trade involves complex commercial relationships between parties belonging to different countries, legal systems, and business environments. Disputes arising from such cross-border transactions are often difficult to resolve through traditional national courts due to issues of jurisdiction, procedural delays, unfamiliar legal frameworks, and enforcement challenges. In this context, arbitration has emerged as one of the most preferred mechanisms for resolving international commercial disputes. Arbitration provides a neutral, flexible, and efficient forum where parties can resolve their disputes through mutually agreed procedures and independent arbitrators.

This study critically examines arbitration as a dispute resolution mechanism in international trade law. The research explores the historical development, legal framework, and practical functioning of international commercial arbitration. It analyzes the advantages of arbitration such as party autonomy, confidentiality, procedural flexibility, neutrality, expertise of arbitrators, and enforceability of arbitral awards across borders under international conventions. At the same time, the study also evaluates the limitations and challenges associated with arbitration, including high costs, limited avenues for appeal, procedural complexities, and concerns regarding transparency and consistency in arbitral decisions.

KEYWORDS

International Trade Law, Arbitration, Dispute Resolution, International Commercial Arbitration, Arbitral Awards, Cross-Border Trade Disputes, Party Autonomy, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Enforcement of Awards, Arbitration Institutions.